¿Podría usted hacerme una fotocopia en la papelería de la esquina? La fotocopiadora de mi universidad está averiada.

Podría is the conditional form of poder and is often used to make a request more polite and less direct.

• ¿Puede usted...? = Can you...?
• ¿Podría usted...? = Could you...?

In English, could often sounds more polite than can, and the same idea applies here. In Spain, this is a normal courteous way to ask for help.

No, it is not strictly necessary, because the verb form podría already shows who is being addressed in context. But usted is added for politeness, formality, or emphasis.

So:

• ¿Podría usted hacerme una fotocopia...? sounds formal and polite.
• ¿Podría hacerme una fotocopia...? is also correct and common.

Using usted fits well if you are speaking to someone you do not know well, such as a shop worker.

Hacerme is made up of:

• hacer = to make / to do
• me = for me / to me

So hacerme una fotocopia means to make me a photocopy, or more naturally in English, to make a photocopy for me.

The pronoun me is attached to the infinitive hacer, which is very common in Spanish:

• hacerme = to do/make for me
• decirme = to tell me
• traerme = to bring me

Yes, you could, but hacerme una fotocopia is more natural and more common.

Compare:

• hacerme una fotocopia = the usual, idiomatic way
• hacer una fotocopia para mí = understandable, but less natural in everyday speech

Spanish very often prefers an indirect object pronoun like me, te, le, etc., rather than using para + person.

Yes. Fotocopia is a feminine noun, so it takes:

• una fotocopia
• la fotocopia

This is because nouns ending in -a are often feminine, and fotocopia follows that pattern.

By contrast:

• la fotocopiadora = the photocopier / copy machine
  This is also feminine.

They are related but mean different things:

• fotocopia = photocopy (the copy itself)
• fotocopiadora = photocopier / copy machine (the machine)

So in the sentence:

• hacerme una fotocopia = make me a photocopy
• La fotocopiadora ... está averiada = the photocopier is broken

This is a useful distinction, because English learners sometimes confuse the copy with the machine.

In Spain, papelería usually means a stationery or paper-goods shop, but many papelerías also offer services such as:

• photocopying
• printing
• school supplies
• office materials

So en la papelería de la esquina makes perfect sense as a place where someone could get a photocopy made.

This phrase means at the stationery shop on the corner.

Breakdown:

• en = in / at
• la papelería = the stationery shop
• de la esquina = of the corner / on the corner

In English, we usually say on the corner, but Spanish commonly uses de la esquina in this kind of expression.

So literally it is closer to the stationery shop of the corner, but naturally it means the stationery shop on the corner.

Because averiada describes a temporary state or condition: the machine is broken right now.

Spanish uses:

• estar for states and conditions
• ser for identity, classification, and more permanent characteristics

So:

• La fotocopiadora está averiada = The photocopier is broken
• La fotocopiadora es grande = The photocopier is big

A broken machine is considered a condition, so estar is the correct verb.

Averiada means broken, out of order, or not working properly, especially for machines or devices.

For example:

• La impresora está averiada = The printer is broken.
• El ascensor está averiado = The lift is out of order.

Rota can also mean broken, but averiada is especially common for mechanical or electrical things that are not functioning.

So for a photocopier, averiada sounds very natural.

In Spanish, possessives like mi, tu, su, nuestro, etc. usually replace the article.

So you say:

• mi universidad = my university
• not la mi universidad

This works the same way as in English.

Spanish uses two question marks:

• ¿ at the beginning
• ? at the end

This is standard Spanish punctuation and helps the reader know from the start that the sentence is a question.

So:

• ¿Podría usted hacerme una fotocopia...?

The same happens with exclamations:

• ¡Qué bien!

Yes, hacer una fotocopia is completely natural and standard.

Depending on the region or situation, you may also hear things like:

• sacar una fotocopia
• hacer una copia

But hacer una fotocopia is very clear, neutral, and widely understood in Spain.

For a learner, it is an excellent phrase to know and use.

With an infinitive like hacer, the pronoun can attach to the end:

• hacerme una fotocopia

That is the natural form here.

If the sentence were built differently, the pronoun could appear before a conjugated verb. For example:

• ¿Me podría hacer una fotocopia?

This is also correct and very common.

So both of these are possible:

• ¿Podría usted hacerme una fotocopia?
• ¿Me podría usted hacer una fotocopia?

The meaning is the same; the difference is mainly word order and style.

Because it gives the current reason for the request: the photocopier is broken now.

• La fotocopiadora de mi universidad está averiada = the university photocopier is currently out of order

The present tense is natural because it explains the present situation. It is like saying:

• I’m asking because the machine is broken at the moment.

If you wanted to refer to the past, you would change the tense:

• estaba averiada = was broken