La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita para descargar audiolibros en línea.

The library offers a free subscription to download audiobooks online.

Breakdown of La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita para descargar audiolibros en línea.

• una: a
• para: to
• la biblioteca: the library
• ofrecer: to offer
• en línea: online
• descargar: to download
• el audiolibro: the audiobook
• la suscripción: the subscription
• gratuito: free

Questions & Answers about La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita para descargar audiolibros en línea.

What’s the difference between biblioteca and librería? They both look like “library.”

In Spanish (especially in Spain), these are false friends:

• biblioteca = library (a place where you borrow books, usually free)
• librería = bookshop / bookstore (a place where you buy books)

So in this sentence, La biblioteca ofrece… means The library offers…, not The bookstore offers…

Why is it ofrece and not another verb like tiene or da?

Ofrecer literally means “to offer”, and it’s very natural here because:

• La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita…
  = The library offers a free subscription…

You could say:

• La biblioteca tiene una suscripción gratuita…
  = The library has a free subscription… (a bit less “service-like”)

• La biblioteca da una suscripción gratuita…
  = The library gives a free subscription… (possible, but less common in this context)

Ofrecer is the standard verb when speaking about services, benefits, or options available to users.

Why una suscripción and not un suscripción? How do I know the gender?

Noun genders are mostly arbitrary and must be memorized:

• suscripción is feminine, so it takes una, la, esta, etc.
  
  • una suscripción (a subscription)
  • la suscripción (the subscription)

There’s no reliable rule from the ending -ción for gender specifically, but in practice, almost all nouns ending in -ción are feminine:

• la nación, la información, la invitación, la suscripción.

So: una suscripción, never un suscripción.

Why do they use una suscripción (indefinite article)? Could you say La biblioteca ofrece suscripción gratuita without una?

Both are possible, but not equally common in all registers:

• La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita…
  Very natural, neutral Spanish.

• La biblioteca ofrece suscripción gratuita…
  This sounds more like an advertisement headline, more compact, more “banner-style.”

In normal spoken language or full sentences, using the article (una) sounds more natural. Dropping it is typical in short promotional phrases.

Why gratuita instead of gratis? Aren’t they both “free”?

Both relate to “free (of charge),” but they work differently:

• gratis is an invariable adverb/adjective-like word:

  • La suscripción es gratis. – The subscription is free.

• gratuito / gratuita is an adjective that agrees in gender and number:

  • una suscripción gratuita – a free subscription
  • servicios gratuitos – free services

In this sentence, gratuita must agree with the noun:

• una suscripción gratuita (feminine singular)

You couldn’t say una suscripción gratis in this exact structure?
You can, and it’s very common in speech:

• una suscripción gratis – also natural and widely used

But gratuita sounds a bit more formal and “correct” in written language, especially in institutional or informational texts.

Why is the adjective placed after the noun: una suscripción gratuita, not una gratuita suscripción?

In Spanish, adjectives usually go after the noun:

• una suscripción gratuita (normal)
• un libro interesante
• un servicio público

Putting the adjective before the noun (una gratuita suscripción) is either:

• unnatural, or
• a very literary/poetic style when done with other adjectives (not really with gratuita).

So, in normal Spanish, you should say una suscripción gratuita, not una gratuita suscripción.

Why is it para descargar and not something like para que descargues or por descargar?

para + infinitive is used to express purpose: “in order to / to [do something]”.

• …una suscripción gratuita para descargar audiolibros…
  = a free subscription to download audiobooks…
  (purpose of the subscription)

Compare:

• para descargar

  • infinitive
  • General purpose:
    
    • Este programa es para editar fotos. – This program is for editing photos.

• para que + subjunctive

  • Purpose directed at another subject:
    
    • Te doy mi contraseña para que descargues los audiolibros.
      I give you my password so that you (can) download the audiobooks.

• por + infinitive

  • Reason/cause, not purpose:
    
    • Gracias por descargar los audiolibros. – Thanks for downloading the audiobooks.

Here the idea is the purpose of the subscription, so para descargar is the correct and natural choice.

Could it be descargarse audiolibros instead of descargar audiolibros?

In this context, no. You normally use descargar + objeto (no reflexive):

• descargar audiolibros – to download audiobooks
• descargar archivos – to download files

Spanish sometimes uses a reflexive form with technology-related verbs (bajarse, descargarse) in colloquial speech:

• Me voy a bajar esta película.
• Me he descargado la app.

But that’s usually with a person as subject and colloquial. In a neutral, institutional sentence about a service:

• una suscripción para descargar audiolibros…

is the standard, correct way.

Why is audiolibros one word and not libros de audio? Are both correct?

Both are correct, but they are used slightly differently:

• audiolibro / audiolibros (one word)

  • The standard modern term for audiobook(s).

• libros de audio

  • Understandable, but less standard. It sounds more descriptive, like “books of audio.”

Spanish often creates compound nouns by joining two words, especially with audio-:

• audiolibro, audioguía, audiotexto

So audiolibros is the normal, concise term here.

Why is audiolibros plural but una suscripción is singular?

Because:

• There is one subscription (singular):

  • una suscripción

• That subscription allows you to download many possible audiobooks (in general):

  • audiolibros (plural)

Structure-wise:

• una suscripción (singular) para descargar audiolibros (plural)
  = a subscription to download audiobooks

The number (singular/plural) of the noun in the purpose phrase (audiolibros) doesn’t need to match the number of the earlier noun (suscripción).

What does en línea literally mean, and is it common in Spain? Could you say online or por internet instead?

en línea literally = “in line”, but idiomatically it means “online”.

In Spain, you’ll see several options:

• en línea – standard, widely understood, maybe a bit more formal or neutral.
• online – very common in everyday speech and in advertising.
• por internet / en internet – extremely common:
  
  • descargar audiolibros por internet
  • descargar audiolibros en internet

All of these would be understood and acceptable. For a neutral, standard style, en línea or por internet are very typical.

Why does línea have an accent (í)? How is it pronounced?

línea has a written accent because of Spanish stress rules:

• It’s pronounced in three syllables: LÍ-ne-a
• The stress is on the first syllable: LÍ.

Without the accent (linea), the default rule would place stress on ne (second-to-last syllable), which is wrong for this word.

So:

• línea → /ˈli.ne.a/ (LEE-neh-ah)
• Therefore: en línea = /en ˈli.ne.a/

The accent mark only indicates stress, not vowel quality.

What tense is ofrece? Does it mean “offers” or “is offering”?

ofrece is:

• 3rd person singular, present indicative of ofrecer

In English it can cover both:

• The library offers a free subscription…
• The library is offering a free subscription…

Spanish simple present often corresponds to English simple present or present continuous, depending on context.

If you really wanted to emphasize a temporary current action, you could say:

• La biblioteca está ofreciendo una suscripción gratuita…

But in general descriptions of services, simple present (ofrece) is the normal, natural choice.

Can you change the word order? For example, say La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita en línea para descargar audiolibros?

Yes, you can move en línea, but you must keep the sentence clear:

1. Original:

   • La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita para descargar audiolibros en línea.
     (Standard and clear.)

2. Variation:

   • La biblioteca ofrece una suscripción gratuita en línea para descargar audiolibros.
     This now suggests the subscription itself is online, which can also make sense.

3. Less clear / awkward:

   • La biblioteca ofrece en línea una suscripción gratuita para descargar audiolibros.
     Understandable, but wordier, more marked.

The original order is the most natural: it clearly says that what you do online is download audiobooks.