El libro oficial está en la librería.

The official book is in the bookstore.

Breakdown of El libro oficial está en la librería.

• el libro: the book
• en: in
• estar: to be
• la librería: the bookstore
• oficial: official

Questions & Answers about El libro oficial está en la librería.

Why do we use está instead of es in this sentence?

We use está to indicate location or a temporary state. In Spanish, estar commonly answers the question: "Where is something?" If we used es here, it would imply a characteristic or identity, which isn't the intended meaning. Hence, El libro oficial está en la librería indicates that the book is located in the bookstore.

Why is the adjective oficial placed after the noun libro?

In Spanish, most adjectives come after the noun they describe (though some can come before, often changing the meaning). Saying El libro oficial follows the typical adjective placement pattern. Placing oficial before libro might sound stylistically different or could alter the nuance.

Does librería mean 'library' in English?

No. In Spanish, librería is a bookstore, a place where books are sold. The word for 'library,' where you borrow or read books, is biblioteca. Because of this false friend, many English speakers mix them up.

Why do we need the article El at the beginning?

Spanish almost always requires a definite article (el, la, los, las) before a noun when referring to it in a specific sense. Here, El libro oficial specifies that we're talking about "the" official book, not just "an" official book.

Does using en la librería mean something specific about the location?

Yes, it tells us precisely that the book is located inside or at the bookstore. En indicates a place or location, meaning "in" or "at." So está en la librería clearly states that the book can be found there.