El banco está a la derecha de la estación.

to be

Breakdown of El banco está a la derecha de la estación.

• la estación: the station
• el banco: the bank
• a la derecha de: to the right of

Questions & Answers about El banco está a la derecha de la estación.

What does banco mean here, and can it also mean bench?

In this sentence, banco means bank (the place with money).

Spanish banco has two common meanings:

1. Bank – a financial institution.
2. Bench – something you sit on, usually a long seat.

How do you tell which one it is?

• From context. If you’re describing locations in a city, and you also mention things like a station, a supermarket, etc., banco will almost always mean bank.
• If people are talking about a park, a plaza, or somewhere to sit, banco often means bench.

The Spanish word is the same; you interpret it from the context.

Why is it está and not es in this sentence?

Spanish uses:

• ser (forms like es) for identity, permanent characteristics, time, origin, etc.
• estar (forms like está) for location, temporary conditions, emotions, etc.

For location of things and places, Spanish almost always uses estar, not ser:

• El banco está a la derecha de la estación.
  The bank is (is located) to the right of the station.

Compare:

• Madrid está en España. – Madrid is in Spain.
• El libro está en la mesa. – The book is on the table.

So for “is located,” think estar → está.

Why do we use a in a la derecha? In English we say “on the right” or “to the right.”