Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): El aparcamiento del supermercado está lleno hoy. - The parking lot at the supermarket is full today.

Del is the mandatory contraction of de + el. You use it whenever de is followed by the masculine singular article el: el aparcamiento del supermercado. Do not contract when it’s the pronoun él (with accent), as in de él = of/from him.

Why is it está and not es?

Estar is used for temporary states or conditions. A parking lot being full is a changeable condition, so está lleno is natural. Ser would describe inherent, permanent characteristics (e.g., El aparcamiento es grande).

Why is lleno masculine and singular?

Adjectives agree with the noun they modify. Aparcamiento is masculine singular, so we say está lleno. If the noun were feminine, you’d use llena (La zona de aparcamiento está llena). Plural nouns would take llenos/llenas.

Is aparcamiento exactly “parking lot”?

In Spain, aparcamiento commonly means car park/parking lot and can refer to open-air lots or garages. If you need to be specific:

Aparcamiento subterráneo = underground/parking garage
Aparcamiento en superficie = open-air car park Garaje usually means a private or building garage.

Can I say parking instead of aparcamiento in Spain?

Yes. The English loanword parking is widely used in Spain, especially in speech and signage: El parking del súper está lleno. It’s a bit more informal than aparcamiento; in formal writing, prefer aparcamiento.

Why del supermercado and not en el supermercado?

Del supermercado identifies the parking that belongs to the supermarket (the supermarket’s car park). En el supermercado would focus on the location and is less idiomatic for naming the specific facility. Natural options:

El aparcamiento del supermercado está lleno.
En el supermercado, el aparcamiento está lleno (ok, but with a different emphasis).

Where can I put hoy in this sentence?

All are correct, with slight differences in emphasis:

Hoy el aparcamiento del supermercado está lleno. (Emphasis on “today”)
El aparcamiento del supermercado hoy está lleno. (Adds focus on “today” in the middle)
El aparcamiento del supermercado está lleno hoy. (Neutral; very common)

Why is there an accent on está? What’s the difference from esta?

Está (with accent) is the 3rd-person singular of the verb estar: it is. Esta (without accent) is the demonstrative adjective feminine singular: this (feminine), as in esta tienda. So you need está in this sentence.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

aparcamiento: ah-par-kah-MYEN-to (stress on MYEN)
del: del
supermercado: soo-pehr-mehr-KAH-do (stress on KAH)
está: es-TAH (h strong on the last syllable due to the accent)
lleno: YEH-no (in most of Spain, ll sounds like y)
hoy: oy (the h is silent)

Could I use completo instead of lleno?

Yes. El aparcamiento está completo is fine and common on signs (Completo). Lleno is broader and more colloquial-sounding; completo often implies “no spaces available” in a formal/official sense.

How do I say “There are no parking spaces”?

No hay plazas de aparcamiento.
No hay sitio para aparcar. Plaza (de aparcamiento) is the standard term for a parking space in Spain. Sitio/hueco are common colloquial alternatives for “a spot.”

When should I use hay vs está?

Hay expresses existence/quantity: Hay cinco plazas libres; No hay sitio.
Estar expresses the state of a specific thing: El aparcamiento está lleno; Las plazas están ocupadas. In your sentence, we’re describing the state of the car park, so está is right.

How does this change in the plural?

Both the verb and adjective agree:

Los aparcamientos del centro comercial están llenos hoy. Verb: están (plural). Adjective: llenos (masculine plural).

Is supermercado masculine or feminine? Is that why it’s del?

Supermercado is masculine (el supermercado), so de + el contracts to del. If the noun were feminine, you’d use de la (e.g., el aparcamiento de la tienda).

Is súper a correct short form in Spain?

Yes, súper is a very common colloquial shortening of supermercado, and it carries an accent: el súper. Example: El parking del súper está a tope hoy.

Can aparcamiento also mean the act of parking?

Yes. Depending on context, aparcamiento can mean the facility or the action:

Está prohibido el aparcamiento = Parking (the act) is forbidden.
El aparcamiento está lleno = The car park is full.

How do I put this in the past or future?

Past ongoing/background: Ayer el aparcamiento estaba lleno.
Past completed state/event: Ayer el aparcamiento estuvo lleno todo el día.
Future: Mañana el aparcamiento estará lleno / Va a estar lleno. Use estaba for a descriptive background; estuvo for a bounded, completed timeframe.

What’s the usual verb for “to park” in Spain?

Aparcar is the go-to verb: No puedo aparcar; el aparcamiento está lleno. Estacionar exists but is more formal/legal. Parquear is Latin American and not used in Spain.