Classroom Objects in Spanish
Last reviewed on September 15, 2026.
A pencil in Spanish is el lápiz, a desk is el escritorio (or el pupitre at school), and a chair is la silla. This guide collects the classroom objects and school supplies — los útiles escolares — that come up in every beginner Spanish course, with pronunciation and the article for each word, because knowing whether it is el or la matters as much as the word itself. You will also find the regional variations that make a pen a bolígrafo in one country and a pluma in another, and the phrases students and teachers use every day.
School Supplies in Spanish
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| pencil | el lápiz (pl. lápices) | LAH-pees |
| pen | el bolígrafo | boh-LEE-grah-foh |
| paper | el papel · a sheet: la hoja | pah-PEHL |
| book | el libro | LEE-broh |
| notebook | el cuaderno | kwah-DEHR-noh |
| eraser | la goma (de borrar) | GOH-mah |
| pencil sharpener | el sacapuntas | sah-kah-POON-tahs |
| ruler | la regla | REH-glah |
| scissors | las tijeras | tee-HEH-rahs |
| glue | el pegamento | peh-gah-MEHN-toh |
| colored pencils | los lápices de colores | LAH-pee-sehs deh koh-LOH-rehs |
| backpack | la mochila | moh-CHEE-lah |
| pencil case | el estuche | ehs-TOO-cheh |
| folder | la carpeta | kar-PEH-tah |
| calculator | la calculadora | kahl-koo-lah-DOH-rah |
| dictionary | el diccionario | deek-syoh-NAH-ryoh |
Pronunciations follow Latin American Spanish; in most of Spain the z in lápiz and the c in lápices are said like the English th in “think”.
Classroom Furniture and Equipment
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| desk (office or teacher’s) | el escritorio | ehs-kree-TOH-ryoh |
| student’s desk | el pupitre | poo-PEE-treh |
| chair | la silla | SEE-yah |
| table | la mesa | MEH-sah |
| board / chalkboard | la pizarra · el pizarrón | pee-SAH-rrah · pee-sah-RROHN |
| computer | la computadora · el ordenador (Spain) | kohm-poo-tah-DOH-rah |
| window | la ventana | ben-TAH-nah |
| door | la puerta | PWER-tah |
| clock | el reloj | reh-LOH |
| map | el mapa | MAH-pah |
| flag | la bandera | bahn-DEH-rah |
| projector | el proyector | proh-yek-TOHR |
| wastebasket | la papelera | pah-peh-LEH-rah |
People and Places at School
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| classroom | el aula · el salón de clases |
| school | la escuela · el colegio |
| student | el / la estudiante · el alumno / la alumna |
| teacher | el profesor / la profesora · el maestro / la maestra |
| principal | el director / la directora |
| classmate | el compañero / la compañera de clase |
| library | la biblioteca |
| homework | la tarea · los deberes (Spain) |
| test / exam | el examen (pl. exámenes) |
| recess | el recreo |
| university | la universidad |
Watch the false friends: el colegio is a school, not a college, and la librería is a bookshop — a library is la biblioteca.
Getting el and la Right
Most classroom words follow the usual rule — -o is masculine, -a is feminine — but a few common ones break it:
- el mapa is masculine even though it ends in -a: el mapa de España.
- el aula is feminine but takes el in the singular because it starts with a stressed a. Adjectives stay feminine and the plural goes back to las: el aula pequeña, las aulas.
- el lápiz, el reloj and el papel end in consonants, so you simply have to learn them with their article.
- el sacapuntas is a compound (saca + puntas) and does not change in the plural: los sacapuntas.
- las tijeras is plural in Spanish, just like “scissors” in English: ¿Dónde están las tijeras?
Plural spellings to remember: lápiz → lápices, reloj → relojes, examen → exámenes.
Regional Differences
School vocabulary varies more than most everyday words. These are the differences you are most likely to meet:
| English | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| pen | bolígrafo, boli | pluma (Mexico), lapicero (Peru, Central America), birome (Argentina, Uruguay), lápiz pasta (Chile) |
| computer | ordenador | computadora; computador (Chile, Colombia) |
| board | pizarra | pizarrón (Mexico, Argentina); pizarra is also widely understood |
| homework | deberes | tarea |
| school supplies | material escolar | útiles escolares |
| marker | rotulador | marcador; plumón (Mexico, Peru, Chile) |
| classroom | aula, clase | salón de clases, salón |
Goma de borrar for an eraser is understood everywhere; in Colombia and Venezuela you will also hear borrador, a word that elsewhere usually means the board eraser.
Useful Classroom Phrases
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Me prestas un lápiz? | Can you lend me a pencil? |
| ¿Cómo se dice “eraser” en español? | How do you say “eraser” in Spanish? |
| ¿Cómo se escribe? | How do you spell it? |
| ¿Qué significa “pupitre”? | What does “pupitre” mean? |
| No entiendo. ¿Puede repetir, por favor? | I don’t understand. Can you repeat that, please? |
| Tengo una pregunta. | I have a question. |
| ¿Puedo ir al baño? | May I go to the bathroom? |
| Saquen sus cuadernos. | Take out your notebooks. |
| Abran el libro en la página diez. | Open your books to page ten. |
| Levanten la mano. | Raise your hands. |
| Escriban su nombre en la hoja. | Write your name on the sheet. |
The teacher’s instructions use the ustedes command form (saquen, abran, levanten) because they are addressed to the whole class. In Spain you will hear the vosotros form instead: sacad, abrid, levantad.
Keep Learning
Every linked word above has its own guide with example sentences and FAQs — start with pencil in Spanish, desk in Spanish and chair in Spanish. Describe your supplies with the colors in Spanish (una mochila azul), count them with numbers in Spanish from 1 to 100, or browse all our Spanish vocabulary lists with audio.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say pencil in Spanish?
Pencil in Spanish is el lápiz, pronounced LAH-pees. The plural is lápices: the z changes to c.
What is the Spanish word for school supplies?
In most of Latin America school supplies are útiles escolares. In Spain, material escolar is the more common term.
What is the difference between escritorio and pupitre?
Escritorio is a desk in an office or study, including the teacher's desk. Pupitre is a student's desk in a school classroom.
How do you say classroom in Spanish?
Classroom is el aula, a feminine noun that takes el in the singular, or el salón de clases, which is very common in Mexico and much of Latin America.
Is mapa masculine or feminine in Spanish?
Mapa is masculine: el mapa, los mapas. It is one of a handful of common nouns that end in -a but take el.
How do you ask how to say a word in Spanish?
Ask ¿Cómo se dice … en español? For example: ¿Cómo se dice eraser en español? The answer is la goma de borrar.