Tienda de bicicletas usadas

Question

I've been shopping for a used bicycle in Merida, Yucatan. Whenever I say "Tienda de bicicletas usadas" or something like that, I seem to confuse whoever I am speaking with. Am I missing something?

Welcome to SpanishDict. - rac1, Jan 18, 2017

Gracias! - pg3t, Jan 18, 2017

Answer 1

Theoretically it seems to me that it should work. But try saying something like : "de segunda mano", or even " un vendador de bicicletas de segunda mano (quiero comprar una)" - that might help clear up any ambiguity in the word "used". Everything I see says that usado should be valid in Mexico though. Maybe they don't have shops dedicated to used bicycles there?

We have some Mexican members and maybe they can add some insight, I am not a native speaker.

I searched the more findable used car:

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/used

2 (second-hand) [+clothing, car] usado

a used car un coche de segunda mano

http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=used car

used car n (second-hand motor vehicle)

auto usado nm + adj

(MX) carro usado nm + adj

coche usado nm + adj

(ES) coche de segunda mano grupo nom

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/used-car.657123/

what's the best way of saying used car? Would coche de segunda mano be ok?

aliciamaravillas, Sep 25, 2007

anieSenior Member Spain, spanish

¡Perfecto¡

CubanboySenior Member Cuba Spanish

Hola.

Auto/coche usado (o de uso)/segunda mano.

"Maybe they don't have shops dedicated to used bicycles there?" This seems the likely explanation. - jtaniel, Jan 18, 2017

Answer 2

"Maybe they don't have shops dedicated to used bicycles there?" This seems the likely explanation. - jtaniel

I agree.

It´s better to say: .... bicicletería (que también maneje bicicletas de segunda mano).

Answer 3

When I was in a small town in Spain trying to buy a fishing rod, I wasn't sure if they had "tackle shops" like they do in the US, where the whole store was about fishing, so I asked, "Hay una tienda donde puedo comprar equipo para pescar?" I was directed to what we call a "sporting goods store" which had stuff for a lot of sporting and outdoor activities, including fishing.

I find that if you think of alternate ways to say things in English, you'll find a way to be understood in Spanish. (And vice-versa.) It might not be the sexiest way to say it, but if you get your point across, then I'm fine with that.

So in your example, you could try, "Hay una tienda donde puedo comprar una bicicleta usada/de segunda mano?"