Inklingo
← Dictionary
A colorful storybook illustration depicting the inside of a supermarket aisle. Tall shelves are stocked neatly with various colorful grocery items. A bright red shopping cart is positioned in the middle of the aisle.

supermercado

soo-per-mer-KAH-doh

nounmA1
supermarket?large self-service store,grocery store?store selling food and household goods

📝 In Action

Necesito ir al supermercado antes de que cierre.

A1

I need to go to the supermarket before it closes.

Compramos todas las frutas y verduras en el supermercado local.

A2

We buy all the fruits and vegetables at the local grocery store.

El carrito del supermercado estaba lleno de ofertas.

B1

The supermarket cart was full of sales/deals.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • tienda de comestibles (grocery shop)
  • hipermercado (hypermarket (even bigger store))

Common Collocations

  • carrito del supermercado – shopping cart
  • cajero del supermercado – supermarket cashier
  • hacer la compra en el supermercado – to do the grocery shopping

💡 Grammar Points

Masculine Noun

Since 'supermercado' is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine articles 'el' (the) or 'un' (a) before it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong article

Mistake: "La supermercado"

Correction: El supermercado. Remember that most nouns ending in -o are masculine.

⭐ Usage Tips

Colloquial Shortening

In many Spanish-speaking countries, people often shorten it to just 'el súper' in casual conversation. For example: 'Voy al súper.'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: supermercado

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the article for 'supermercado'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

mercado(market) - noun
súper(super (colloquial abbreviation)) - noun
superar(to overcome, to surpass) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'supermercado' the same as 'mercado'?

No. A 'supermercado' is a modern, indoor grocery store where you serve yourself. A 'mercado' is usually a traditional, often open-air market with many small stalls and vendors.

Why is it 'el supermercado' and not 'la supermercado'?

Spanish nouns ending in '-o' are overwhelmingly masculine, which means they take the article 'el'. Even though the word 'super' might sound feminine, the base word 'mercado' determines the gender.