Inklingo

How to Say "merchandise" in Spanish

English → Spanish

mercancía

nounA2general
Use 'mercancía' when referring to goods or wares being bought and sold in a commercial setting, like inventory in a store.

Examples

La tienda recibió un nuevo envío de mercancía esta mañana.

The store received a new shipment of merchandise this morning.

productos

proh-DOOK-tohs/pɾoˈðukt̪os/

nounA1general
Use 'productos' for items that are for sale, especially when referring to food or agricultural items, or more generally, the output of a manufacturing or creative process.
A colorful assortment of packaged consumer goods displayed neatly, including a brightly colored box, a jar, and a simple wooden toy car.

Examples

Necesitamos comprar productos frescos en el mercado.

We need to buy fresh products at the market.

Esta tienda vende productos electrónicos de alta calidad.

This store sells high-quality electronic goods.

Todos los productos tienen una garantía de un año.

All the products have a one-year warranty.

Plural Noun Rule

Since 'productos' is plural (more than one), it must always be used with plural words that describe it, like 'los' (the) or 'unos' (some/a few), and any describing words (adjectives) must also end in -s, like 'frescos' (fresh).

Using the Singular Article

Mistake: “El productos es caro.”

Correction: Los productos son caros. (The products are expensive.) Remember to match the word for 'the' (el/los) to the noun.

Mercancía vs. Productos

Learners often use 'mercancía' for all items for sale. Remember that 'productos' is more versatile and commonly used for food items or the general output of something. Stick to 'mercancía' for commercial inventory.

Related Translations

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