What does -ería generally mean on the end of a word in Spanish?

In Spanish, the suffix "-ería" generally signifies a place or business related to the word it's attached to.

Here's a breakdown of how it works:

Basic Meaning:

* Place: A location where a specific activity or trade takes place.

* Business: A shop or establishment that specializes in the related goods or services.

Examples:

* Librería: Book store (from "libro" - book)

* Panadería: Bakery (from "pan" - bread)

* Ferretería: Hardware store (from "ferretería" - hardware)

* Peluquería: Hair salon (from "peluquero" - hairdresser)

* Zapatería: Shoe store (from "zapato" - shoe)

Exceptions:

* Cafetería: This one refers to a café, but it's more about the act of drinking coffee than the actual place itself.

* Crónica: This word means "chronicle" or "history" and doesn't relate to a place or business.

Overall, -ería is a useful suffix to remember for identifying locations or shops related to a specific activity.