La tienda está a la derecha de la biblioteca.

The store is to the right of the library.

Breakdown of La tienda está a la derecha de la biblioteca.

• estar: to be
• de: of
• la tienda: the store
• la biblioteca: the library
• a: to
• la derecha: the right

Questions & Answers about La tienda está a la derecha de la biblioteca.

Why do we use está instead of es here?

In Spanish, estar is used for locations and temporary states, while ser (with es) describes inherent characteristics. Since the sentence tells you where the store is, you use está (the third‐person singular of estar) rather than es.

What does a la derecha de literally mean?

a la derecha de is a prepositional phrase that literally translates to “to the right of.” Here’s the breakdown:

• a = “to” or “at”
• la derecha = “the right” (dirección right)
• de = “of”

So a la derecha de la biblioteca = “to the right of the library.”

Why is it a la derecha de la biblioteca and not al derecha del biblioteca?

Two things to watch:

1. a + el contracts to al, but we have la (feminine), so a + la stays separate.
2. biblioteca is feminine (la biblioteca), so you must use la, not el.
   Thus you get a la derecha de la biblioteca, not al derecha del biblioteca.

Why are there definite articles (la) before tienda and biblioteca? In English we say “The store is to the right of the library,” but sometimes we drop “the.”

Spanish generally uses definite articles before most singular common nouns when you’re talking about specific items:
• La tienda = “the store” (this particular one)
• la biblioteca = “the library” (that one)
In English you can omit “the” in some contexts (“Stores open at 9”), but in Spanish you almost always keep it when referring to a specific place.

Why is there a second de in a la derecha de la biblioteca? Isn’t a enough to show direction?

The first a marks the direction (“to”), but the second de links derecha (right) to the reference object (the library). It’s part of the fixed prepositional expression a la derecha de. Without that de, you’d break the phrase that means “to the right of.”

How do I pronounce derecha correctly?

Break it into three syllables: de-RE-cha.
• “de” sounds like “deh”
• “RE” is stressed, like “reh”
• “cha” sounds like “chah”
Put the emphasis on the middle syllable: de-RE-cha.

Can I invert the order and say A la derecha de la biblioteca está la tienda? Is it the same?

Yes, you can! That inversion is perfectly grammatical; it simply emphasizes the location first.
• Original: La tienda está a la derecha de la biblioteca. (Focus on the store.)
• Inverted: A la derecha de la biblioteca está la tienda. (Focus on the position.)
Both mean the same thing; you’re just shifting what you highlight.

What if the thing I’m referencing is masculine, like el parque (“the park”)? How would that change?

If your reference noun is masculine (el parque, el cine, el edificio), you’d contract a + el into al and still use de:
• La tienda está a la derecha del parque.
Here del = de + el, so the full phrase is a la derecha del parque.