At the Electronics Store
Use these phrases to confidently ask about specs, compare models, and navigate purchases at an electronics store.
Key Phrases
Oye, ¿qué móvil me recomiendas que tenga buena cámara?
casualHey, what phone do you recommend that has a good camera?
Use 'oye' informally; the subjunctive 'tenga' is used because you are looking for a phone with a specific, unconfirmed trait.
Estoy buscando un portátil nuevo, pero no estoy seguro de cuál elegir.
neutralI'm looking for a new laptop, but I'm not sure which one to choose.
'Portátil' is common in Spain; in Latin America, you will usually hear 'computadora portátil' or 'laptop'.
¿Podría aconsejarme sobre qué ordenador es el más rápido?
politeCould you advise me on which computer is the fastest?
Using the conditional form 'podría' makes your requests significantly more polite.
¿Cuánta memoria RAM tiene y cuánto le dura la batería normalmente?
neutralHow much RAM memory does it have and how long does the battery usually last?
'Durar' (to last) is the standard verb Spanish speakers use for battery life.
¿Este modelo va bien de espacio o se llena enseguida?
casualDoes this model have good storage space or does it fill up right away?
'Ir bien de' is a very natural conversational way to ask if something has enough of a specific feature.
¿Me puedes explicar cuál es la diferencia principal entre estos dos?
neutralCan you explain to me what the main difference between these two is?
A direct and standard way to ask a salesperson to compare two items.
Me gustaría saber por qué esta marca es más cara que la otra.
politeI would like to know why this brand is more expensive than the other one.
'Me gustaría saber' is a polite, indirect way to ask a question that might otherwise sound too blunt.
¿Este cable es compatible con los auriculares que compré el año pasado?
neutralIs this cable compatible with the headphones I bought last year?
Uses a relative clause ('que compré'), which is very common when describing something you already own.
¿Sabes si este mando sirve para la consola que ya tengo?
casualDo you know if this controller works for the console I already have?
'Servir para' is frequently used to mean 'to work for' or 'to be compatible with'.
¿Lo tienen rebajado o este es el precio definitivo?
casualDo you have it on sale or is this the final price?
'Tener rebajado' means to have something on sale or discounted.
¿Me podría decir si el precio final ya incluye el IVA?
politeCould you tell me if the final price already includes VAT?
IVA is the value-added tax, which is the equivalent of sales tax in Spanish-speaking countries.
También necesito una funda que proteja bien la pantalla de la tablet.
neutralI also need a case that protects the tablet's screen well.
The subjunctive 'proteja' is necessary here because you are stating a requirement for an item you haven't found yet.
¿Viene con el cargador incluido o lo tengo que comprar aparte?
casualDoes it come with the charger included or do I have to buy it separately?
'Comprar aparte' is the standard conversational way to say 'buy separately'.
¿Me darían un recibo por si necesito usar la garantía más adelante?
neutralWould you give me a receipt in case I need to use the warranty later?
'Por si' (just in case) is a very common everyday expression that triggers the indicative mood here.
¿Podría explicarme cómo funciona la política de devoluciones, por favor?
politeCould you explain to me how the return policy works, please?
A formal but very practical way to make sure you can return an item if it doesn't work out.
Oye, me acabo de dar cuenta de que a este altavoz le falta un cable.
casualHey, I just realized that this speaker is missing a cable.
'Darse cuenta de' (to realize) is an essential pronominal verb for reporting issues you've just noticed.