almacén
“almacén” means “store” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
store
Also: department store, grocery store
📝 In Action
Fui al almacén de la esquina a comprar leche y pan.
A1I went to the corner store to buy milk and bread.
Ese almacén vende ropa y artículos para el hogar.
A2That department store sells clothes and household items.
warehouse
Also: depot, stockroom
📝 In Action
La compañía tiene su mercancía guardada en un gran almacén cerca del puerto.
B1The company has its merchandise stored in a large warehouse near the port.
Necesitamos revisar el inventario en el almacén antes de hacer más pedidos.
B2We need to check the inventory in the stockroom before placing more orders.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: almacén
Question 1 of 2
If you are in Buenos Aires and someone says, 'Voy al almacén,' what are they most likely doing?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
This word has fascinating roots! It comes from Arabic, specifically *al-makhzan*, meaning 'the storehouse' or 'the treasury.' This shows how much trade and knowledge flowed through Arabic into Spanish centuries ago.
First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish texts.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'almacén' the same as 'tienda'?
They are similar, but often different sizes. 'Tienda' is a general word for any shop. 'Almacén' can mean a huge storage facility (warehouse) or, in parts of Latin America, a small, neighborhood general store, often implying a wider variety of goods than a simple 'tienda'.
Why does 'almacén' have an accent mark?
It has an accent mark because the stress naturally falls on the last syllable ('al-ma-CÉN'), and Spanish spelling rules require an accent when a word ends in a consonant other than 'n' or 's'. When you make it plural ('almacenes'), the stress moves back one syllable, so the accent is no longer needed.