Spanish School Supplies — Classroom Vocabulary from Pencils to Backpacks

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Key takeaways

School supplies in Spanish are los útiles escolares or los materiales escolares.

Regional variation matters: el bolígrafo (pen — Spain) vs la pluma (pen — Mexico), la goma (eraser — Spain) vs el borrador (eraser — Latin America).

Key items: el lápiz (pencil), el cuaderno (notebook), la mochila (backpack), la regla (ruler).

Classroom phrases: "Necesito un lápiz" (I need a pencil), "¿Me prestas...?" (Can you lend me...?)

School subject names are not capitalized in Spanish: matemáticas, historia, ciencias.

It's the first day of school or the start of a new semester and you need to gather your supplies. Or you're helping a Spanish-speaking child with their school list. Or you're in a Latin American country and need to find a stationery shop and ask for specific items.

School supply vocabulary is practical, visual, and easy to learn — each item connects directly to a physical object you can point to and use daily. It's also one of the most commonly taught vocabulary sets for beginners because it appears in classroom instructions, school lists, and everyday academic conversation.

This guide covers writing tools, paper and notebooks, art supplies, technology, classroom objects, school subjects, and the most useful phrases for school situations in Spanish.

Writing tools — útiles de escritura

Spanish	English	Example
el lápiz	pencil	Necesito un lápiz con punta. — I need a sharpened pencil.
el bolígrafo / la pluma	pen (Spain / Latin America)	¿Me prestas tu bolígrafo? — Can you lend me your pen?
el marcador / el rotulador	marker (Latin America / Spain)	Usa el marcador rojo para resaltar. — Use the red marker to highlight.
el resaltador / el marcatextos	highlighter	Resalta los datos importantes con el resaltador. — Highlight the important information with the highlighter.
el sacapuntas	pencil sharpener	¿Dónde está el sacapuntas? — Where is the pencil sharpener?
la goma / el borrador	eraser (Spain / Latin America)	Se me perdió el borrador. — I lost my eraser.
el corrector / el liquid paper	correction fluid / white-out	Pasé el corrector sobre el error. — I put correction fluid over the mistake.

Regional note: La pluma (Mexico, most of Latin America) and el bolígrafo (Spain) both mean "pen," but using the wrong one regionally can cause confusion. Similarly, la goma is the eraser in Spain (but also means rubber/elastic), while el borrador is used across Latin America. El borrador in Spain refers to the blackboard eraser, not the rubber eraser.

Paper and notebooks — papeles y cuadernos

Spanish	English	Example
el cuaderno	notebook	Cada asignatura tiene su cuaderno. — Each subject has its own notebook.
la libreta	small notebook / notepad	Anoto los deberes en la libreta. — I write down the homework in my notepad.
el papel	paper	Necesito una hoja de papel. — I need a sheet of paper.
la hoja	sheet (of paper)	Dame tres hojas para el examen. — Give me three sheets for the exam.
la carpeta	folder / binder	Guarda las hojas en la carpeta. — Keep the sheets in the folder.
el archivador	ring binder / filing binder	Organizo mis apuntes en el archivador. — I organize my notes in the binder.
la agenda / el planificador	planner / agenda	Apunto los exámenes en la agenda. — I write down the exams in my planner.
el libro de texto / el libro	textbook / book	No traje el libro de matemáticas. — I didn't bring the math textbook.

Measuring, cutting and organizing tools

Spanish	English	Example
la regla	ruler	Dibuja una línea recta con la regla. — Draw a straight line with the ruler.
las tijeras	scissors	Necesito las tijeras para el proyecto. — I need the scissors for the project.
el pegamento / la cola	glue / glue stick	Pega las imágenes con pegamento. — Glue the images with glue.
la calculadora	calculator	¿Puedo usar la calculadora en el examen? — Can I use a calculator on the exam?
el compás	compass (for drawing circles)	Necesito el compás para geometría. — I need the compass for geometry.
el transportador	protractor	Mide el ángulo con el transportador. — Measure the angle with the protractor.
el clip / el sujetapapeles	paper clip	Usa un clip para juntar las hojas. — Use a paper clip to hold the sheets together.
la grapa / la engrapadora	staple / stapler	Engrapa el trabajo antes de entregarlo. — Staple the work before handing it in.

Art and craft supplies

Spanish	English	Example
los colores / las crayolas	colored pencils / crayons	Trae tus colores para la clase de arte. — Bring your colored pencils for art class.
la pintura	paint	La pintura acuarela está en el cajón. — The watercolor paint is in the drawer.
el pincel	paintbrush	Limpia el pincel después de pintar. — Clean the paintbrush after painting.
el cartón / la cartulina	cardboard / poster board	El proyecto es en cartulina de colores. — The project is on colored poster board.

Technology and modern classroom items

Spanish	English	Example
la computadora / el ordenador	computer (Latin America / Spain)	Necesito la computadora para hacer la tarea. — I need the computer to do homework.
la tableta	tablet	Los alumnos usan tabletas en clase. — Students use tablets in class.
el USB / la memoria USB	USB drive / flash drive	Guarda el trabajo en el USB. — Save the work on the USB drive.
los audífonos / los auriculares	headphones (Latin America / Spain)	Usa los audífonos para el ejercicio de escucha. — Use the headphones for the listening exercise.

Classroom objects and furniture

Spanish	English	Example
la pizarra / el pizarrón	blackboard / whiteboard (Spain / Latin America)	El profe escribió en la pizarra. — The teacher wrote on the board.
el escritorio	desk	Pon el libro sobre el escritorio. — Put the book on the desk.
la silla	chair	Siéntate en tu silla. — Sit in your chair.
el pupitre	student desk (old-style school desk)	Los pupitres están en fila. — The student desks are in a row.
el proyector	projector	El proyector no funciona bien. — The projector isn't working well.
el mapa	map	Señala España en el mapa. — Point to Spain on the map.
el reloj	clock	Mira el reloj — ya son las tres. — Look at the clock — it's already three.
el basurero / la papelera	trash can / waste basket (Latin America / Spain)	Tira eso al basurero. — Throw that in the trash can.

Carrying supplies — the backpack and bag

la mochila — backpack (universal across all Spanish-speaking countries)
la lonchera / la fiambrera — lunchbox (Latin America / Spain)
el estuche / la cartuchera — pencil case (Spain / Latin America)
la bolsa — bag (general)

Example sentences:

Guarda tus útiles en el estuche. — Put your supplies in the pencil case.
No olvides la lonchera. — Don't forget your lunchbox.
La mochila pesa mucho hoy. — The backpack is very heavy today.

School subjects in Spanish

Spanish	English	Example
las matemáticas / la matemática	math / mathematics	Las matemáticas son mi asignatura favorita. — Math is my favorite subject.
el español / la lengua	Spanish / language arts	En lengua aprendemos a escribir bien. — In language arts we learn to write well.
las ciencias	science	La clase de ciencias es muy interesante. — Science class is very interesting.
la historia	history	Mañana hay examen de historia. — There's a history test tomorrow.
la geografía	geography	En geografía estudiamos los continentes. — In geography we study the continents.
el inglés	English	La clase de inglés empieza a las nueve. — English class starts at nine.
la educación física	physical education / PE	Tenemos educación física en el gimnasio. — We have PE in the gym.
las artes / la plástica	arts / art class (Spain)	En artes hacemos manualidades. — In arts we do crafts.
la música	music	En música tocamos instrumentos. — In music we play instruments.

Grammar note: School subjects are not capitalized in Spanish: matemáticas, historia, inglés. This differs from English where subject names like "English" are always capitalized. The only exception is Educación Física, which is sometimes written with capitals as a formal subject title.

Useful classroom phrases

Asking for supplies:

Necesito un lápiz / un bolígrafo. — I need a pencil / a pen.
¿Me prestas tu regla? — Can you lend me your ruler?
¿Tienes una goma / un borrador? — Do you have an eraser?
Se me olvidó mi cuaderno. — I forgot my notebook.
Me falta papel. — I'm missing paper / I don't have paper.

Common classroom instructions:

Abran el libro en la página 25. — Open the book to page 25.
Saquen una hoja de papel. — Take out a sheet of paper.
Guarden sus cosas. — Put away your things.
Escriban la fecha en el cuaderno. — Write the date in your notebook.
Entreguen los trabajos. — Hand in your work.

How to practice school supply vocabulary in Spanish

Label your supplies: Put Spanish sticky notes on every item on your desk — el lápiz, la regla, las tijeras. Visual and physical association builds vocabulary faster.
Make your school shopping list in Spanish: Write your back-to-school list entirely in Spanish — this is immediately practical.
Practice classroom commands: Learn the instructions your teacher or professor might give — Abran el libro, Saquen una hoja, Entreguen el trabajo.
Connect supplies to subjects: Link vocabulary — el compás goes with geometría, el mapa goes with geografía.
Use AI conversation practice: Apps like Promova offer classroom conversation scenarios — talking about subjects, discussing homework, and describing classroom situations — helping you use school vocabulary naturally in context.

Summary

School supply vocabulary in Spanish centers on los útiles escolares and covers writing tools, notebooks, art supplies, technology, and classroom objects. Key items every Spanish learner should know: el lápiz (pencil), el bolígrafo/la pluma (pen), el cuaderno (notebook), la mochila (backpack), and la regla (ruler).

Regional differences appear throughout — la goma vs el borrador for eraser, el bolígrafo vs la pluma for pen, la computadora vs el ordenador for computer. Knowing which region you're in helps you use the most natural term.

School subjects are not capitalized in Spanish (matemáticas, historia, inglés). The most practical classroom phrases are for asking to borrow supplies — ¿Me prestas...? — and understanding teacher instructions like Saquen una hoja and Entreguen el trabajo.

FAQ

What are school supplies called in Spanish?

School supplies in Spanish are los útiles escolares or los materiales escolares. You might also hear los materiales de clase (classroom materials) or los útiles de escritorio (desk supplies). In everyday conversation, people often just name the specific item — el lápiz (pencil), el cuaderno (notebook) — rather than using the umbrella term.

How do you say "pencil" and "pen" in Spanish?

"Pencil" in Spanish is el lápiz (plural: los lápices). "Pen" is el bolígrafo (Spain) or la pluma (Mexico/Latin America). Both bolígrafo and pluma refer to pens, but regional preference is strong — using bolígrafo in Mexico or pluma in Spain might earn a confused look. The ink pen used for calligraphy is specifically la plumilla.

What are classroom objects in Spanish?

Common classroom objects in Spanish include: la pizarra/la pizarrón (blackboard/whiteboard), el escritorio (desk), la silla (chair), la ventana (window), la puerta (door), el mapa (map), el proyector (projector), el borrador (eraser/blackboard eraser), and el reloj (clock). These words appear in classroom instructions and school conversations.

How do you say "backpack" in Spanish?

"Backpack" in Spanish is la mochila — this is consistent across all Spanish-speaking countries. Example: Pon tus libros en la mochila (Put your books in the backpack). The word la mochila is also used for hiking backpacks and everyday bags carried on the back, not just school bags.

What are school subjects in Spanish?

Common school subjects in Spanish include: las matemáticas (math), el español/la lengua (Spanish/language arts), las ciencias (science), la historia (history), la geografía (geography), el inglés (English), la educación física (PE), las artes (arts), la música (music), and la biología (biology). Subject names are not capitalized in Spanish.

How do you say "I need" in Spanish when asking for school supplies?

To say "I need" in Spanish when asking for supplies: Necesito un lápiz (I need a pencil), Me falta un cuaderno (I'm missing a notebook), ¿Tienes una goma? (Do you have an eraser?), ¿Me prestas tu regla? (Can you lend me your ruler?), and Se me olvidó mi mochila (I forgot my backpack). The phrase necesito + item is the most direct way to ask.