El libro está en la balda de arriba, junto al diccionario.

Spanish uses two verbs for to be: ser and estar.

Here, está is used because the sentence is talking about the location of the book. For location, Spanish normally uses estar:

• El libro está en la balda = The book is on the shelf
• Madrid está en España = Madrid is in Spain

Es would be wrong here because ser is used for identity, description, origin, profession, and similar ideas, not for where something is located.

Balda means a shelf board or shelf. In Spain, it is a common word for one individual shelf inside a bookcase, cupboard, or unit.

A learner should know that Spanish has several related words:

• balda = one shelf
• estante = shelf, or sometimes shelving unit
• estantería = bookcase / shelving unit

So in this sentence, la balda de arriba means the top shelf or more literally the shelf above.

In Spain, balda sounds very natural here.

In Spanish, de arriba works like a set phrase meaning the one above / the upper one.

So:

• la balda de arriba = the upper shelf / the shelf above
• la balda de abajo = the lower shelf / the shelf below

You normally would not say la balda arriba in this meaning.

The de is part of the expression and helps connect the noun to its position.

Yes. La balda superior is also correct and means the upper shelf.

The difference is mostly style:

• la balda de arriba = more everyday, conversational
• la balda superior = slightly more formal or descriptive

Both are good Spanish.

Both can be possible, but they are used a little differently.

• en la balda is the most natural way to say that something is on a shelf
• sobre la balda emphasizes the idea of being on top of the shelf surface

In many everyday contexts, Spanish uses en where English uses on:

• Está en la mesa = It is on the table
• Está en la cama = It is on the bed
• Está en la balda = It is on the shelf

So even though English says on the shelf, Spanish often prefers en.

Junto a means next to, beside, or close to.

In the sentence:

• junto al diccionario = next to the dictionary

It is a very common way to express position.

You may also hear:

• al lado del diccionario = next to the dictionary

Both are correct, though junto a can sound a little more compact and neat.

Because a + el contracts to al.

So:

• a + el = al
• de + el = del

Examples:

• junto al diccionario = next to the dictionary
• voy al colegio = I go to school
• la portada del libro = the cover of the book

This contraction is mandatory with el.

But it does not happen with la:

• junto a la mesa = next to the table

Spanish uses definite articles (el, la, los, las) more often than English does.

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about specific things:

• el libro = the book
• la balda de arriba = the upper shelf
• el diccionario = the dictionary

Even when English might sometimes leave an article out in other contexts, Spanish often keeps it.

Also, each noun has grammatical gender:

• libro is masculine → el libro
• balda is feminine → la balda
• diccionario is masculine → el diccionario

On its own, arriba usually means up, upstairs, or above.

But in the phrase de arriba, it describes which shelf we mean:

• la balda de arriba = the shelf above / the top shelf

So here it is not a separate adverb standing alone. It is part of a phrase modifying balda.

Compare:

• Está arriba = It is upstairs / up there
• la balda de arriba = the upper shelf

Yes. Spanish allows some flexibility.

The original sentence is very natural:

• El libro está en la balda de arriba, junto al diccionario.

You could also say:

• El libro está junto al diccionario, en la balda de arriba.

Both are correct. The difference is mainly in what comes first in the description. The original version first gives the main location, then adds extra detail.

It is acceptable, because junto al diccionario adds extra positional information after the main location.

With the comma, the sentence feels like:

• The book is on the top shelf, and more specifically, next to the dictionary.

Without the comma, it is also fine:

• El libro está en la balda de arriba junto al diccionario.

In everyday writing, both versions can appear. The comma just creates a small pause.

They are very similar, and in many cases they mean the same thing:

• junto al diccionario
• al lado del diccionario

Both can be translated as next to the dictionary.

A small difference in feel:

• junto a can sound a bit more direct or compact
• al lado de is extremely common in everyday speech

A learner can safely use either one.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

el LEE-bro es-TA en la BAL-da de a-RREE-ba, HOON-to al deek-syo-NA-rio

A few useful points for Spain:

• j in junto is a strong throaty sound
• c before i in diccionario is pronounced like th in much of Spain: dith-yo-NA-rio
• stress falls on:
  • li in libro
  • tá in está
  • bal in balda
  • rri in arriba
  • na in diccionario

So in much of Spain, diccionario sounds roughly like deek-thyo-NA-rio.