Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Ella guarda el recibo dentro de la cartera; él guarda otro recibo en su bolsillo. - She keeps the receipt inside the wallet; he keeps another receipt in his pocket.

In Spain, cartera is usually a wallet (and can also mean a briefcase). A handbag/purse is a bolso. A small coin purse is a monedero. In much of Latin America, cartera often means “handbag,” which is a regional difference to keep in mind.

Is recibo the normal word for a shop receipt in Spain?

It’s understood, but for a shop receipt Spaniards commonly say ticket (also spelled tique). Recibo tends to be used for a formal receipt or proof of payment (e.g., utilities, rent). Your sentence is fine, but in a store context many would naturally say: “Ella guarda el ticket…”

Why is it otro recibo and not un otro recibo?

In Spanish, otro already includes the idea of “an/another,” so you don’t use an article before it. Say otro recibo, not “un otro recibo.” You can also use otro by itself as a pronoun if the noun is clear: “Él guarda otro en su bolsillo.”

Is there a difference between dentro de la cartera and en la cartera?

Both are correct. Dentro de emphasizes “inside (the interior of),” while en is the general “in/inside/at.” Here, dentro de la cartera stresses the idea of putting it inside the wallet, not just placing it on or near it. Neutral alternative: en la cartera.

Can I say adentro de la cartera or dentro en la cartera?

In Spain, say dentro de la cartera. Adentro is used on its own as an adverb (“está adentro”), not normally followed by “de” in Spain, and dentro en is incorrect.

Is the semicolon (;) used correctly here? Could I use something else?

Yes, the semicolon correctly links two closely related independent clauses. Alternatives:

A period: “... la cartera. Él guarda ...”
A comma with a conjunction: “..., y él guarda ...”
A contrastive linker: “..., mientras que él guarda ...” or “..., pero él guarda ...” After a semicolon, Spanish does not capitalize the next word unless it’s a proper noun, so él stays lowercase.

Why does él have an accent?

The accent distinguishes the pronoun él (“he”) from the article el (“the”). They are pronounced the same; the accent is just a written diacritic to avoid ambiguity.

What does su refer to in en su bolsillo? Could it be ambiguous?

By default, su refers to the subject of that clause, so here it means “his.” However, su can be contextually ambiguous. To make it crystal clear, you can say:

en su propio bolsillo (in his own pocket)
en el bolsillo de él (in his pocket)
If it were hers: en el bolsillo de ella

Could I say en el bolsillo instead of en su bolsillo?

Yes, Spanish often uses the definite article with body/clothing when the possessor is clear. But because there are two people in the sentence, en su bolsillo avoids ambiguity. A very natural option is a reflexive construction: Él se guarda (o se mete) el recibo en el bolsillo, where the article el is standard.

Can I omit the subject pronouns ella and él?

Yes, Spanish usually drops subject pronouns: “Guarda el recibo...; guarda otro recibo...” However, with two different people, including ella/él makes the contrast explicit. You could also use a linker: “Ella guarda..., mientras que él guarda...”

Is guardar the best verb here? How does it differ from meter, poner, ahorrar, and salvar?

guardar: to put away/keep/save (physical or digital: “guardar un archivo”).
meter (en): to put/insert into (“meter el recibo en la cartera,” very common).
poner: to put/place (more general).
ahorrar: to save (money/time), not for putting an item somewhere.
salvar: to save/rescue (a person, data in some contexts), not used for “put away” in Spain. Your choice of guardar is natural.

How would I replace the repeated noun with a pronoun naturally?

If both refer to the same receipt: Ella lo guarda dentro de la cartera; él lo guarda en su bolsillo. (Here that would contradict “otro,” so it changes the meaning.)
To avoid repetition but keep “another”: Ella guarda el recibo...; él guarda otro en su bolsillo.
If the second one had been previously mentioned: Él lo guarda en su bolsillo. Use lo (masculine direct object) for recibo, not le.

Any pronunciation tips for Spain (Castilian) Spanish?

recibo: the c before i is “th” as in “think” → re-THI-bo [reˈθiβo].
guarda: “gua” = “gwa”; the d between vowels softens → GWAHR-dah [ˈɡwaɾða].
cartera: tap the single r → car-TE-ra [kaɾˈteɾa].
bolsillo: “ll” usually sounds like English “y” → bol-SEE-yo [bolˈsiʝo].
él/ella: “él” like “el”; “ella” ≈ EH-ya [ˈeʝa].

Is the gender/number agreement all correct here?

Yes:

el recibo / otro recibo: masculine singular → otro matches recibo.
la cartera: feminine singular → article la matches.
su bolsillo: singular possessive su matches singular bolsillo. If it were plural pockets, you’d say sus bolsillos.