El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.

The supermarket is to the right of the library.

Breakdown of El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.

• la biblioteca: the library
• el supermercado: the supermarket
• quedar: to fit
• a la derecha de: to the right of

Questions & Answers about El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.

What does queda mean in this sentence, and why not use está?

In this sentence, queda means “is located” or “is (situated)”.

• El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.
  ≈ The supermarket is (located) to the right of the library.

You could also say:

• El supermercado está a la derecha de la biblioteca.

Both are correct. The nuance:

• queda often emphasizes location relative to something or how to find a place, and is very common in directions in Latin America.
• está is the general verb “to be” for location and is slightly more neutral.

In many everyday contexts, they’re interchangeable here.

What verb is queda from, and what person/tense is it?

Queda is from the verb quedar.

In this sentence it is:

• 3rd person singular, because the subject is el supermercado (he/it).
• Present tense (indicative).

So you could conjugate it like:

• yo quedo
• tú quedas
• él / ella / usted queda
• nosotros quedamos
• ustedes quedan
• ellos / ellas quedan

Does quedar always mean “to be located”?

No, quedar has several meanings, and “to be located” is only one common use.

Some common uses:

1. Location

   • El supermercado queda cerca de mi casa.
     The supermarket is (located) near my house.

2. To remain / be left

   • Solo quedan dos manzanas.
     Only two apples are left.

3. To fit / suit (clothes)

   • La camisa te queda bien.
     The shirt fits you / looks good on you.

4. To arrange to meet / agree on something

   • Quedamos en vernos mañana.
     We agreed to see each other tomorrow.

In your sentence, it’s the location meaning.

Why do we say a la derecha and not en la derecha?

In Spanish, when talking about something being to the right / left of something else in space, the natural preposition is a:

• a la derecha (de) = to the right (of)
• a la izquierda (de) = to the left (of)

En la derecha is not used for spatial “to the right side of something”.
You might see en la derecha only in special contexts (for example, in sports commentary: “juega en la derecha” = “he plays on the right wing”), but for directions and locations, use a la derecha (de).

What exactly is the role of de la in a la derecha de la biblioteca?

De la introduces what the supermarket is to the right of.

• a la derecha = to the right
• a la derecha de la biblioteca = to the right of the library

So:

• El supermercado queda a la derecha.
  The supermarket is on the right (context must tell “right of what”).

• El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.
  The supermarket is to the right of the library (clearly states relative position).

Why is it la derecha and not el derecha?

Because derecha here is a feminine noun meaning “the right side”.

Spanish has:

• la derecha = the right (side)
• la izquierda = the left (side)

When derecha is a noun (not an adjective), it always takes the feminine article:

• a la derecha
• por la derecha (on the right side, passing on the right)

As an adjective, it also agrees in gender with the noun:

• la mano derecha = the right hand
• el ojo derecho = the right eye

Why is it el supermercado but la biblioteca? How do I know the gender?

Both are singular nouns with definite articles, but they have different grammatical genders:

• el supermercado → masculine noun
• la biblioteca → feminine noun

Some general patterns (not perfect rules):

• Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine:
  el supermercado, el libro, el perro
• Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine:
  la biblioteca, la casa, la mesa

There are many exceptions, but this pattern works for a large number of words. You normally learn each noun with its article: el supermercado, la biblioteca, etc.

Can I change the word order to A la derecha de la biblioteca queda el supermercado?

Yes, that is grammatically correct and sounds natural.

• El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.
• A la derecha de la biblioteca queda el supermercado.

Both are fine. The second version places emphasis a bit more on “to the right of the library” as the starting point of the information. In everyday speech, the original order (subject first) is more common, but both are used.

How would I say “The supermarket is to the left of the library” instead?

You just change derecha (right) to izquierda (left):

• El supermercado queda a la izquierda de la biblioteca.
  or
• El supermercado está a la izquierda de la biblioteca.

So:

• a la derecha de = to the right of
• a la izquierda de = to the left of

Is queda used more in Latin America than in Spain for this kind of sentence?

Both Spain and Latin America use quedar for location, but in everyday directions:

• In much of Latin America, queda sounds very typical and frequent:

  • ¿Dónde queda el supermercado?
    Where is the supermarket (located)?

• In Spain, people might use queda too, but está is often more common in casual speech:

  • ¿Dónde está el supermercado?

So for Latin American Spanish learners, using queda for locations and directions is especially natural.

Could I say El supermercado está ubicado a la derecha de la biblioteca? Does it sound different?

Yes, you can say:

• El supermercado está ubicado a la derecha de la biblioteca.

This also means “The supermarket is located to the right of the library.”

Nuances:

• queda / está → more everyday, short, very common.
• está ubicado → a little more formal or descriptive, often used in written texts, guides, announcements, etc.

All three are correct:

• El supermercado queda…
• El supermercado está…
• El supermercado está ubicado…

How would the sentence change if we talk about several supermarkets?

For several supermarkets, you make the subject and verb plural:

• Los supermercados quedan a la derecha de la biblioteca.
  The supermarkets are (located) to the right of the library.

Changes:

• el supermercado → los supermercados (singular → plural)
• queda → quedan (3rd person singular → 3rd person plural)

The rest of the sentence stays the same.

How do you pronounce queda and biblioteca?

Approximate pronunciation using English-like hints:

• queda → KEH-dah

  • que- = like “keh” (the u in qu is silent before e/i)
  • -da = “dah”
  • Stress on the first syllable: QUE-da

• biblioteca → bee-blee-oh-TEH-kah

  • bi = “bee”
  • blio = “blee-oh” (smooth, no break between blee and oh)
  • te = “teh”
  • ca = “kah”
  • Stress on “te”: biblio-TE-ca

The full sentence:
El supermercado queda a la derecha de la biblioteca.
→ el soo-pehr-mehr-KAH-doh KEH-dah a la deh-REH-cha de la biblio-TEH-kah (roughly).