bodega

American  

[boh-day-guh, baw-the-gah] / boʊˈdeɪ gə, bɔˈðɛ gɑ /

noun

• bodegas
  plural

1. a small, independent or family-owned grocery store, usually located in a densely populated urban environment, traditionally serving a Hispanic clientele.

2. (in Spain)

   1. a wineshop.

   2. a warehouse for storing or aging wines.

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bodega British  

/ boˈðeɣa, bəʊˈdiːɡə /

noun

1. a shop selling wine and sometimes groceries, esp in a Spanish-speaking country

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bodegas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bodega

First recorded in 1845–50 bodega for def. 2; 1965–70 bodega for def. 1; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish “wine cellar, wine shop,” from Latin apothēca “storehouse”; see apothecary

Explanation

A bodega is a small corner store or market that sells groceries and wine. Many bodegas are located in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods of large cities. If you visit New York City, you'll see bodegas, little shops where people buy groceries and small items. A bodega is kind of like a convenience store such as 7-11 — it's small and more convenient than a supermarket. If you just need a few items, the bodega is the place to stop. The word bodega means "wine shop" in Spanish, and it shares a root with the French boutique: the Greek apotheke, or "store."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bodega bodegas

Mr. Marte started working as a bodega worker at 18.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

She started filling up her son’s closet, and soon enough, she found herself selling her other finds out of a bodega in her garage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

The sequence in Episode 2, when the bodega is raided and people are dragged away by the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, that was filmed before Los Angeles, before Minnesota — before all of it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

Praised for warding off pests, so-called bodega cats are also a cultural fixture for New Yorkers, some of whom are now pushing to enshrine legal rights for the little store helpers.

From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026

Now, on the East Side, we passed in front of a busy bodega.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

You may miss stocking up in well-lit superstores but enjoy getting to know shopkeepers who run tiny bodegas.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

But bodegas also sell milk and bread, and they fear they will be driven out of business by government discounts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

By night, darkness enveloped the streets, but electricity and reparto music bloomed sporadically from bodegas and bars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

Simba, a large cat with thick ginger and white fur, is one of thousands of felines that live in New York's corner shops known as "bodegas" -- even if their presence is illegal.

From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026

Beatriz’s mom owns several bodegas, so she has the money to buy the most expensive fabrics in Puerto Rico and dress her up all nice.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

Related Words

• convenience store
• trading post