Table of Contents

Part One: Conversaciones Bsicas

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Saludos y Despedidas Introducciones Lo Que Quieres Expresiones de Cortesa Profesin y Pas de Origen Preguntas Personales El Tiempo 4 12 16 19 23 27

Part Two: Accin!

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Qu Quieres? Qu Necesitas? Voy a Preguntas Las Direcciones 32 36 39 43

Part Three: Las Descripciones

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Cmo es una persona? Las Emociones El Clima El Tuyo y El Mo 48 52 54 58

Part Four: Vamos a Hacer Compras!

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Las Compras Regateo El Hotel El Restaurante 63 69 71 75

Part Five: La Fiesta!

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Feliz Cumpleaos! Las Citas Juegos y Premios Los Regalos Festejemos! 80 83 87 90 93

Part Six: Las Conversaciones

6.1 Conversar Como Experto 6.2 Los Pasatiempos 6.3 Las Mejores Vacaciones de la Vida -197 101 105

Part Seven: La Vida Familiar

7.1 La Introduccin a la Familia 7.2 Los Deberes 7.3 Las Metas 109 112 115

Authors Note:
If you are reading this book from your computer, you can listen to these words and phrases aloud! Simply position your cursor over a Spanish phrase located in any of the shaded tables. If correctly positioned over the black text, your cursor should turn into a hand with a pointing nger. Click. Listen to the correct pronunciation and try it yourself. You can listen to these words and phrases as often as you need to perfect your listening comprehension and pronunciation.

Rocket Spanish version 1.01

Copyright 2005 by Libros Media Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microlm, xerography, or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of Libros Media Ltd; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews. Published by Libros Media Ltd Level 2 107 Cashel Street, Christchurch, 8001, New Zealand

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and associations. -2-

Part One:

Conversaciones Bsicas
Basic Conversations

In this part of the course, youre going to learn all the basic stuff for having a conversation. Youll learn greetings and goodbyes, how to talk about what you want and need, as well as how to ll out forms, talk about what you do for a living, and more!

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1.1
Hola! Qu tal?

Saludos y Despedidas Greetings and Goodbyes

What do you say when you greet someone in Spanish? You might say, Buenos das!

In this lesson, youre going to learn what each of these greeting means, as well as how to tell someone goodbye. Unlike in America, where two people often meet and start talking without exchanging formal greetings, greetings are incredibly important in Latin American countries. Whether youre talking to a waiter, a taxi driver, or a stranger that you want to ask directions, always preface your request with a polite, Buenos das, seor. If someone says, Buenos das, to you, respond with the same (or the shortened response, Muy buenos). If you dont, your lack of a response can be interpreted as being offensive. So lets take a look at some common greetings. Click on the Spanish phrase in the table to hear the correct pronunciation. You can hear any of the Spanish words and phrases in the tables in this book simply by positioning your cursor over the phrase and clicking. Buenos das. Buenas tardes. Buenas noches. Muy buenos. Hola. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. Good night. A shortened version of the above three greetings, suitable anytime. Hello.

Often, you will hear a greeting appended by one of the following words. seor seorita seora sir (also Mr.) miss maam (also Mrs.)

Dont confuse seora with seorita! Address adult or married women with the term seora; address girls or young women with seorita. -4-

Heres some examples of these words in action. Travel Agent: Buenos das, seor. En qu le puedo ayudar? Traveler: Muy buenos, seora. Estoy buscando la direccin de un buen hotel. Travel Agent: Good morning, sir. How can I help you? Traveler: Very good morning, maam. Im looking for the address of a good hotel. Mr. Gonzales: Buenas noches, Seorita Lopez. Cmo has estado? Miss Lopez: Buenas noches, Seor Gonzales. Estoy muy bien. Mr. Gonzales: Good evening, Miss Lopez. Howve you been? Miss Lopez: Good evening, Mr. Gonzales. Im very well.

Young people are often less formal and greet each other with, Hows it going? For example, a young man might greet a buddy with, Oye, hombre, qu tal? or Hey, man, whats up? When youre meeting a friend or someone youre quite familiar with, you may want to greet with with a simple, Hello, hows it going? You can do so with one of the following phrases:

Cmo ests? Cmo has estado? Cmo te va? Qu haces? Qu pasa? Qu tal? Tanto tiempo que no te he visto!

How are you? Howve you been? Hows it going? What are you doing? Whats happening? Whats up? Its been so long since Ive seen you!

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Some common responses are: Bien. / Muy bien. / Y t? Como siempre. No muy bien. Estoy enfermo/a. Well. / Very well. / And you? As always. Not very well. Im sick. (Use the o ending if you are a man, the a ending if you are a woman.) The same. Bad. Okay, so-so. Nothing. Not much. All good. A little tired. (Use the o ending if you are a man, the a ending if you are a woman.)

Igual. Mal. Ms o menos. Nada. No mucho. Todo bien. Un poco cansado/a.

When you end your conversation, youll want to say goodbye. Use one of the following words and phrases. Adios. Chao. Hasta la vista. Hasta luego. Hasta pronto. Me despido. Me voy. Nos vemos. Tengo que irme. Goodbye. Goodbye. Until we see each other again. Later. See you soon. Ill say goodbye now. Im going. See ya. I have to go.

The easiest way to memorize these words and phrases is to use them wherever possible. Say buenos das to the waiter at the Mexican restaurant. Get a study partner and practice them on each other. If you can watch greetings and farewells between native speakers, do so. Watch a Spanish-language television channel or listen to a Spanishlanguage radio station. Use the resources in the Rocket Spanish language course to familiarize yourself with practicing and hearing these greetings.

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Conversation Time
Now, practice what you have learned by seeing if you can understand the following conversation.

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Hola, Carlos. Hola, Carmona! Cmo te va? Bien, como siempre. Y t? Cmo has estado? Un poco cansado. Ah, lo siento. Bueno, Carlos, me despido. Hasta luego! Nos vemos.

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Hello, Carlos. Hello, Carmona! Hows it going? Good, like always. And you? Howve you been? A little tired. Ah, Im sorry. Well, Carlos, Ive got to say goodbye. Later! See ya.

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1.2

Introducciones Introductions

A big part of meeting people is not just knowing how to greet them and say goodbye its being able to introduce yourself and others. In this lesson, youll learn how to tell others who you are and ask their name. Imagine that you are at a party. A friend grabs your arm and tells you that shed like to introduce you to someone. Friend: You: Juan: You: Juan: You: Juan: You: Te presento a mi amigo, Juan. Encantada. El gusto es mo. Cmo te llamas? Me llamo Ann. Me gusta tu nombre. De dnde eres? Soy de los Estados Unidos. Y t? Soy de Valencia. Eres soltera? Er no.

To understand this conversation, you need to learn some basic introduction phrases. Te presento a Me gustara presentarte a Oye, ste es mi amigo ... Encantado/a. El gusto es mo. Cmo te llamas? Me llamo Mi nombre es De dnde eres? Soy de Id like to introduce you to Id like to introduce you to Hey, this is my friend ... Its a pleasure. The pleasure is mine. Whats your name? My name is My name is Where are you from? Im from

When you are introduced to someone new, be prepared to be asked some rather personal questions! In many regions in Latin America, people dont think anything about asking you whether youre single or married and how old you are. In fact, four extremely common questions youll encounter are:

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Whats your name? Where are you from? How old are you?

Cmo te llamas? De dnde eres? Cuntos aos tienes?

Are you single or married? Eres soltero/a o casado/a?

Youll learn how to answer all these questions by the end of this section. If you look more closely at the last question, youll notice that soltero and casado can end in either a or o. If you are a man, both words will end in o. If you are a woman, both words will end in a. You may want to simply say that you dont understand Spanish very well at that point, if you dont want to answer, or you can say: Soy soltero/a. Im single. Soy casado/a. Im married.

If you are a Spanish learner, you may nd that your ability to answer a few basic questions in Spanish will encourage your new friend to ask you other questions, which you cant understand at all! Whether you want to explain that you dont understand or simply ask the other person if they speak English, here are some useful phrases. Hablas espaol? Hablas ingls? Me entiendes? Entiendo ms de lo que hablo. Estoy aprendiendo espaol. Hablas muy bien. Lo siento, no entiendo. No entiendo espaol muy bien. No hablo espaol. No hablo ingls. No hablo muy bien la lengua. Solo hablo un poco de espaol. Un poco. Do you speak Spanish? Do you speak English? Do you understand me? I understand more than I speak. Im learning Spanish. You speak very well. Sorry, I dont understand. I dont understand Spanish very well. I dont speak Spanish. I dont speak English. I dont speak the language very well. I only speak a little Spanish. A little.

Remember that the word for yes in Spanish is s while the word for no is the same: no.

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When taking your leave of someone that youve just met, it is polite to add one of the following phrases to your farewell. Ha sido un placer. / Fue un placer. Ha sido un gusto. Un gusto conocerte. Its been a pleasure. / It was a pleasure. Its been a pleasure. A pleasure meeting you.

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Conversation Time
Now, practice what you have learned by seeing if you can understand the following conversation.

Carlos: Carmona: Jennifer: Carmona: Jennifer: Carmona: Jennifer:

Carmona, Id like to present you to my friend Jennifer. Hello, Jennifer. A pleasure. The pleasure is mine. Whats your name? Carmona. You speak Spanish very well. Thank you, but I only speak a little. Do you understand a lot? Yes, I understand more than I speak. - 11 -

Carlos: Carmona: Jennifer: Carmona: Jennifer: Carmona: Jennifer:

Carmona, me gustara presentarte a mi amiga Jennifer. Hola, Jennifer. Un gusto. El gusto es mo. Cmo te llamas? Carmona. Hablas espaol muy bien. Gracias, pero solo hablo un poco. Entiendes mucho? S, entiendo ms de lo que hablo.

1.3

Lo Que Quieres What You Want

When youre traveling, you often nd yourself having to ask for a lot of things. Perhaps you need a phone, or want a drink, or need help. In this lesson, youll learn many useful words and phrases you can use to communicate what you want. In Spanish, the most polite way to request something (like a cup of a tea, or a certain dish at a restaurant), is by saying Me gustara... This means, I would like Add the words, por favor, or please, at the end to be courteous. Look at the following examples. Me gustara el pollo, por favor. Id like the chicken, please.

Me gustara un vaso de vino tinto, por favor. Id like a glass of red wine, please.

Me gustara ver el museo.

Id like to see the museum.

Here are some possible things that you might like to request using the phrase, Me gustara

Me gustara un caf. un t. una bebida caliente. una bebida helada. un plato de un vaso de una habitacin. un boleto. hacer un tour. hacer una llamada (internacional). tener Id like a coffee. Id like a tea. Id like a hot drink. Id like a cold drink. Id like a plate / dish of Id like a glass of Id like a room. Id like a ticket. Id like to take a tour. Id like to make an (international) phone call. Id like to have - 12 -

Necesito: I Need
You may also need to express what you need. You may need an extra towel for your hotel room, or two tickets instead of one. To tell someone what you need, youll say Necesito This means, I need. Here are some examples of this word in use. Necesito una toalla, por favor. Necesito la cuenta, por favor. Necesito ir. I need a towel, please. (at a restaurant) I need the check, please. I need to go.

Here are some possible things that you might need. Simply add one of the entries in the rst column to the word, Necesito. Necesito ayuda. algo para comer. algo para tomar. un bao. llamar un taxi. un mdico. las direcciones a el nmero telefnico de... descansar. dormir. I need help. I need something to eat. I need something to drink. I need a bathroom. I need to call a taxi. I need a doctor. I need the directions to I need the telephone number of ... I need to rest. I need to sleep.

Quiero: I Want
Finally, you can also say what you want by using the phrase Quiero Quiero means I want. You may want to go somewhere, want a pair of shoes, or want to take some photos. Here are some examples of this phrase in use. Quiero las gafas. Quiero hacer compras. Quiero ver. I want the sunglasses. I want to go shopping. I want to see. - 13 -

Heres a list of some possible things that you might want. Add one of the entries in the rst column to the word, Quiero.

Quiero estos / esos. uno / dos / tres. caminar. ir a pagar ahora. sacar fotos. salir. volver. I want these / those. I want one / two / three. I want to walk. I want to go to I want to pay now. I want to take photos. I want to get off. I want to return.

When People Ask What You Want

When people want to ask you what youd like, what you need, or what you want, theyll use the exact same verbs with the word qu in front. Qu means what.

Qu te gustara? Qu necesitas? Qu quieres?

What would you like? What do you need? What do you want?

In fact, here are the three most common phrases youll hear from waiters, shop attendants, and other servicepeople when theyre offering to assist you.

Qu le gustara, seor? En qu le puedo ayudar? Qu se le ofrece?

What would you like, sir? How can I help you? What can I offer you?

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Conversation Time
Now, practice what you have learned by seeing how much you can understand of the following conversation. Carlos and Carmona are in a restaurant. They order their food then discuss what they want to do that day. Dont worry if most of the conversation contains unfamiliar words. Just focus on trying to get the gist of what they are doing.

The waiter leaves. Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Qu te gustara hacer hoy? Necesito ir a un banco. Despus, me gustara ver un museo. Necesito las direcciones al museo. No s donde est. Quiero caminar. Bien! No necesito llamar un taxi, entonces.

Waiter: Carlos: Carmona: Waiter: Carlos: Carmona: Mesero:

What would you like to eat? Id like to have the roast beef. Id like the salad. Anything to drink? To drink, Id like a beer. A glass of red wine, please. Good.

The waiter leaves. Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: What would you like to do today? I need to go to a bank. Afterwards, Id like to see a muse I need the directions to the museum. I dont know where it is. I want to walk. Great! I dont need to call a taxi, then. - 15 -

Mesero: Carlos: Carmona: Mesero: Carlos: Carmona: Mesero:

Qu les gustara comer? Me gustara comer la carne asada. A m, me gustara la ensalada. Algo para tomar? Para tomar, me gustara una cerveza. Yo, un vaso de vino tinto, por favor. Bueno.

1.4

Expresiones de Cortesa Courteous Expressions

Whether you are traveling to a Latin American country or simply interacting with Latin Americans, acting in a courteous way will win you friends and gain you respect. Latin cultures tend to be more formal and place more emphasis on courtesy than you might be used to. Spend some time with this lesson. Basic phrases like por favor, gracias, de nada, and lo siento are essential to memorize before you travel to a Latin American country. Use them liberally, and youll nd that people will treat you better. Disculpe. Perdn. Permiso. / Con permiso. Por favor. Puedo? Gracias. Muchas gracias. Mil gracias. De nada. Es muy amable. Lo siento. Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me. Please. May I? Thanks. Many thanks. A thousand thanks. Youre welcome. Youre very kind. Im sorry.

Please note that in some parts of the Latin world (like Chile), people dont say Mil gracias. They say, Un milln de gracias, or a million thanks!

Excuse Me
In Spanish, there are three ways to say, Excuse me. disculpe perdn permiso

Each of these words is used in a different context. Unless youre spending a long time in a Latin American country, it is best to just stick with perdn. Perdn is usually used when youre asking for forgiveness, as in, Perdn, lo siento. (Forgive me, Im sorry.) Disculpe is usually used when youre interrupting someone to ask a question. The last word, permiso or con permiso, is used to ask permission to do something. In many Latin American countries, it is considered courteous to ask for permission before entering someone elses house. As you walk through the door, simply say, Permiso. (You dont need to wait for a response!) - 16 -

Formal v. Informal Modes of Address

Until now, youve learned to address people in the informal way. Unlike English, Spanish distinguishes between formal and informal modes of address. Addressing someone formally shows respect. Addressing someone informally shows that you have a familiar, casual relationship. usted formal you t informal you Non-native Spanish speakers often nd it very difcult to tell when to use usted and when to use t. American culture, especially, is very informal, and people move quickly from formal means of address (such as Mr. Beck or Mrs. Taylor) to a rst-name basis. The difference between t and usted is not exactly the same as the difference between using last names and being on a rst-name basis, but it is a good place to start. Heres a general guide to when you should use t and usted. T (informal) children friends family peers Usted (formal) elders people higher in seniority authority gures strangers

Now, lets see how this affects you. Take a look at how some of the phrases youve already learned change when put in the formal mode of address. Can you see any pattern in the way the phrases change? Informal Mode Cmo ests? Te presento a Cmo te llamas? De dnde eres? Hablas ingls? Me entiendes? Formal Mode Cmo est usted? Le presento a Cmo se llama? De dnde es usted? Habla ingls? Me entiende? How are you? Id like to introduce you to Whats your name? Where are you from? Do you speak English? Do you understand me?

Did you notice that in four of the cases above, the last letter s was taken off from the end of the verb? This is not always the casenotice how eres, or you are, changes to es. Note, too, that the word usted was added to some phrases to make it clear who was being addressed. Question: Is the phrase, Es muy amable, in formal or informal mode? Youll learn more about this topic in Lesson 1.4 of the Rocket Spanish Beginners Book. Right now, its enough that you know that Cmo te llamas? and Cmo se llama? are the exact same questionthe rst phrased informally, the second formally. - 17 -

Conversation Time
Now, practice what you have learned by seeing how much you can understand of the following conversation. Carlos stops a woman on the street and asks for the time.

Carlos: Woman: Carlos: Woman:

Disculpe, seorita. Me puede decir la hora? Claro. Son las cinco y viente. Muchas gracias, seorita. Es muy amable. De nada.

Carlos: Woman: Carlos: Woman:

Excuse me, miss. Can you tell me the time? Of course. Its 5:20. Many thanks, miss. Youre very kind. Youre welcome.

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1.5

Profesin y Pas de Origen Profession and Country of Origin

Lets get back to introductions. When youre meeting someone for the rst time, chances are theyll ask you what you do, why youre in their country, and where youre from. You already learned the phrase, De dnde eres? In this lesson, youll learn more about how to answer this question, as well as to tell people what you do for a living. For the moment, pretend that you are planning a trip to a Latin American country. Wouldnt it be useful to be able to tell anyone you meet where youre from, what you do, and why youre visiting their country? I recommend that you dont depend on someone asking you the questions below. Instead, take the initiative and prepare a small speech that you can use when you meet someone for the rst time. The topics below are great conversation starters. Not only do they break the ice, but they also show the other person that you have some uency with the language and are willing to try to converse with them in Spanish.

Where are you from?

The question, Where are you from? can be asked in two different ways: Informal: De dnde eres? Formal: De dnde es?

The rst question is suitable to ask at a party, club, or among young people. The second question is more appropriate for a work colleague, host parents, or anyone you wish to show respect. The answer will always begin with Soy de

This means, I am from You can add one of the country names below to complete the sentence. (Youll nd more in the Beginners Vocabulary Supplement.) Soy de Alemania. Australia. Canad. Espaa. Francia. Gran Bretaa. Inglaterra. los Estados Unidos. Nueva Zelanda. Im from Germany. Im from Australia. Im from Canada. Im from Spain. Im from France. Im from Great Britain. Im from England. Im from the United States. Im from New Zealand. - 19 -

What do you do?

If someone wants to ask you what you do, theyll use one of the following questions.

Qu haces? En qu trabajas? Cul es tu trabajo/profesin?

What do you do? In what do you work? Whats your job / profession?

Fortunately, you dont need to learn many new vocabulary words to answer! Your answer will begin with Soy (I am). Complete the sentence by choosing a profession from the table below. Pick from the Male column if you are a man, the Female column if you are a woman.

Soy Male abogado. artista. contador. enfermero. estudiante. gerente. ingeniero. doctor. misionero. msico. negociante. periodista. programador. secretario. Female abogada. artista. contadora. enfermera. estudiante. gerente. ingeniera. doctora. misionera. msica. negociante. periodista. programadora. secretaria. Profession Im a lawyer. Im an artist. Im an accountant. Im a nurse. Im a student. Im a manager. Im an engineer. Im a doctor. Im a missionary. Im a musician. Im a businessman/ woman. Im a reporter. Im a programmer. Im a secretary.

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Qu haces aqu?
Qu haces? doesnt just mean, What do you do? It also can mean, What are you doing? Similarly, you may hear the question, Qu haces aqu?, which means, What are you doing here? This gives you an opening to explain that youre studying abroad, or visiting friends, or here on business. Heres a list of possible questions you might be asked.

Qu haces aqu? Qu haces en [country or city]? Ests de vacaciones?

What are you doing here? What are you doing in [country or city]? Are you on vacation?

Your answer will begin with, Estoy. Estoy also means, I am. Create your answer by adding one of the following endings. Estoy de vacaciones. estudiando. de viaje. aqu por negocios. Im on vacation. Im studying. Im traveling. Im here on business.

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Conversation Time
Now, see if you can understand the following conversation. Carlos and Carmona have gone away for the weekend to enjoy the sun in Acapulco. While sitting outside by the pool, Carmona strikes up a conversation with a lady sunbathing next to her.

Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer:

Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman:

Its very sunny, isnt it? Yes. Im very hot. Are you on vacation? No. Im here on business. In what do you work? Im a reporter. Im from Germany, and Im traveling through all of Latin America for an exclusive report. How cool. And you? What are you doing in Acapulco? Im on vacation with my spouse. How great. - 22 -

Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer:

Hace mucho sol, no? S. Tengo mucho calor. Ests de vacaciones? No. Estoy aqu por negocios. En qu trabajas? Soy periodista. Soy de Alemania, y estoy viajando por todo Latinoamrica para un reportaje exclusivo. Qu chvere. Y t? Qu haces en Acapulco? Estoy de vacaciones con mi esposo. Qu bien.

1.6

Preguntas Personales Personal Questions

In this chapter, youre going to look again at how to answer personal questions like how old you are and whether or not youre married or single. Youre going to learn how to say how many siblings you have, if you have children, and what your address and phone number are. Being able to give personal details like these will be very useful for lling out forms or sharing your contact details. Youll have to know something about numbers to be able to complete this lesson. Fortunately, you can answer most questions in this chapter (with the exception of your age) with the basic numbers from one to ten. 12345uno dos tres cuatro cinco 678910seis siete ocho nueve diez

Lets go through a list of some of the most common questions you might be asked, whether youre lling out a registration form in a hotel or at the consulate getting a new passport. In these situations, youll be address with the formal form of you. So, though you have seen some of these questions before, all the questions below are expressed formally. Personal Questions Cmo se llama? De dnde es usted? Cul es su nacionalidad? Cuntos aos tiene? Cundo naci? Cul es su fecha de nacimiento? Tiene hermanos? Cuntos hermanos tiene? Tiene hijos? Cuntos hijos tiene? Tiene esposo/a? Es soltero/a o casado/a? Cul es su direccin? Cul es su nmero telefnico? Cul es su nmero de celular? Cul es su nmero de pasaporte? Whats your name? Where are you from? Whats your nationality? How old are you? When were you born? When is your date of birth? Do you have siblings? How many siblings do you have? Do you have children? How many children do you have? Do you have a spouse? Are you single or married? What is your address? What is your telephone number? What is your cell phone number? What is your passport number?

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Please note that when a word ends with o/a you should choose the o ending if you are a man and the a ending if you are a woman. For example, a man will be asked, Es soltero o casado? while a woman will be asked,Es soltera o casada? Just remember that with the question, Do you have a spouse? the o/a ending will be chosen according to the gender of the spouse. A woman will be asked, Tiene esposo? while a man will be asked, Tiene esposa?

Answers
When youre responding, you can follow one of the simple formats below. Just insert the appropriate information in the bracket. Cmo se llama? De dnde es usted? Cul es su nacionalidad? Cuntos aos tienes? Cundo naci? Cul es su fecha de nacimiento? Tiene hermanos? Cuntos hermanos tiene? Tiene hijos? Cuntos hijos tiene? Tiene esposo/a? Es soltero/a o casado/a? Cul es su direccin? Cul es su nmero telefnico? Cul es su nmero de celular? Me llamo [your name]. Soy de [country name]. Soy [nationality]. Tengo [number] aos. Nac el [day] de [month] de [year]. Mi fecha de nacimiento es el [day] de [month] de [year]. S, tengo hermanos. OR No, no tengo hermanos. Tengo [number] hermanos. S, tengo hjios. OR No, no tengo hijos. Tengo [number] hijos. S, tengo esposo. OR No, no tengo esposo. Soy soltero/a. OR Soy casado/a. Mi direccin es [your address]. Mi nmero telefnico es [your number]. Mi nmero de celular es [your number].

Cul es su nmero de pasaporte? Mi nmero de pasaporte es [your number].

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Filling out Forms

If you nd yourself being asked to ll out forms with your personal details, you wont get the complete questions that youve studied above. Instead, youll get short words or phrases.

Nombre Nacionalidad Gnero Edad Fecha de nacimiento Estado civil Direccin Nmero telefnico Nmero de celular Nmero de pasaporte

Name Nationality Gender Age Date of birth Marital status Address Telephone number Number of mobile Passport number

Example Jane Doe EE.UU. mujer 35 22 de febrero de 1970 casada Casilla 99-99-99, Quito 555-555 055-555-555 1111111

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Conversation Time
Now, see if you can understand what you have learned. Carlos is checking into a hotel, and the receptionist is asking him for some personal details.

Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista:

Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist:

Id like a room, please. Very well. Can you give me your name, please? Of course. My name is Carlos Morales. Whats your nationality? Im American. Where are you from? My sister is from Chicago. Im from Denver. Ah, how cool. Well, sir. Can you give me a contact number? Yes. The number of my cell phone is 022-222-222. Very good. And your address? In the United States? Yes. 9999 Main Street, in the city of Denver, in the state of Colorado. Your passport number? 5555555 Thank you. - 26 -

Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista:

Me gustara una habitacin, por favor. Muy bien. Puede darme su nombre, por favor? Claro. Mi nombre es Carlos Morales. Cul es su nacionalidad? Soy estadounidense. De dnde eres? Mi hermana es de Chicago. Soy de Denver. Ah, que chvere. Bueno, seor. Me puede dar un nmero de contacto? S. El nmero de mi celular es 022-222-222. Muy bien. Y su direccin? En los Estados Unidos? S. 9999 Main Street, en la ciudad de Denver, en el estado de Colorado. Su nmero de pasaporte? 5555555. Gracias.

1.7

El Tiempo The Time

I hope youre ready to talk about the time, because Im going to give you lots to talk about! In this lesson, youll learn dozens of useful words and phrases to use to talk about the time. Youll learn essential questions that youll need to ask if youre traveling, how to talk about the time in conversation, and how to schedule a date. Lets start out with the most basic components of time: how to talk about minutes, seconds, and hours.

Units of Time
segundo minuto hora da semana mes ao second minute hour day week month year

Have you practiced your numbers? If you have, you know that Sesenta segundos es un minuto. Sesenta minutos es una hora. Veinticuatro horas es un da. Un mes tiene veintiocho, veintinueve, treinta, o treinta y un das. Doce meses es un ao.

- 27 -

10 Essential Questions for Travelers

If youre going to travel to a Spanish-speaking country, youre going to need to know how to ask when a musuem opens, when your tour bus arrives at your hotel, or when your ight leaves. So take some time to memorize the essential questions for travelers below. Cundo abre? Cundo cierra? Cundo comienza? Cundo termina? Cundo salimos? Cundo llegamos? Cundo paramos? Cundo comemos? Cundo sale (llega) el bus? el tren? el vuelo? Cundo es el concierto? el viaje? el vuelo? la exhibicin? When does it open? When does it close? When does it start? When does it end? When do we leave? When do we arrive? When do we stop? When do we eat? When does the bus leave (arrive)? the train leave (arrive)? the ight leave (arrive)? When is the concert? the trip? the ight? the exhibit?

- 28 -

Conversational Topics
With the lessons youve learned so far, youre able to cover quite a lot of ground in introductory conversations. You may nd yourself being asked, When did you arrive here? or, When do you go back to your own country? The following list gives you an idea of some questions that you might get asked, or the phrases that you might hear. Remember that the questions dont require a complicated answer: simply respond with either a date or a time. Cundo vuelves a tu pas? Cundo llegaste? Por cunto tiempo ests aqu? Hace cunto tiempo ests aqu? Por cunto tiempo hablas espaol? Cundo ser? Qu hora es? Cul es la fecha hoy? Estoy atrasado. Estoy temprano (tarde). Tengo prisa. When do you return to your country? When did you arrive? How long are you here? How long have you been here? How long have you spoken Spanish? When will it be? (hypothetical, conjecture) What time is it? Whats the date today? Im late. I am early (late). Im in a hurry.

Scheduling a Date
If you need to schedule a meeting with a friend, youll need to know some phrases for setting up a meeting at a certain day and time. Here are some useful phrases to know.

Cundo nos encontramos? Cundo es mejor para ti? A qu hora? Qu da? en la maana / tarde / noche n de semana entre semana temprano tarde en punto medioda medianoche

When will we meet? When is best for you? At what time? What day? in the morning / afternoon / night weekend during the week early late on the dot noon midnight

- 29 -

Los Meses The Months

enero febrero marzo abril mayo junio julio agosto septiembre octubre noviembre diciembre January February March April May June July August September October November December

Las Estaciones The Seasons

primavera verano otoo invierno spring summer autumn winter

Los Das de la Semana The Days of the Week

lunes martes mircoles jueves viernes sbado domingo Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

La Fecha The Date

Talking about the date can be confusing if youre not used to placing the day of the month before the name of the month. In Spanish, you dont say, July 12, 1994. You will say, the 12 of July of the year 1994. Try saying it yourself. Its written out for you below. el doce de julio del ano mil novecientos noventa y cuatro To talk about the date, youre going to have to be quite good with numbers. The basic format of a date is: el [day] de [month] del ao [year] You can also shorten this to: el [day] de [month] de [year] Can you tell me in Spanish when your birthday is? Cul es tu fecha de nacimiento?

- 30 -

Part Two:

Accin!
Action!

In this part of the course, youre going to learn how to ask more complex questions. Youll learn how to talk about what youre doing and what youre going to do. Youll learn to ask for directions and about what happened. By the end of the lesson, you should be able to use verbs and understand what others are doing.

- 31 -

2.1

Qu Quieres? Qu Necesitas?
What Do You Want? What Do You Need?

In Lesson 1.3, you learned how to talk about what you want, need, and would like. In this lesson, youll learn to add verbs to these phrases so that you can talk about what you want to do and need to do.

Lo Que Me Gustara Hacer What Id Like to Do

Qu te gustara? What would you like? If you want to talk about what youd like to do, all you have to do is add a verb to the end of the phrase, Me gustara (I would like). For example,

Me gustara hacer compras. hacer turismo. visitar el centro comercial. el centro histrico. el museo. el palacio real. la iglesia. la playa. las montaas. viajar (a Espaa). pagar la cuenta. ir (a la playa). Id like to go shopping. Id like to go sightseeing. Id like to visit the shopping center. the historic district. the museum. the royal palace. the church. the beach. the mountains. Id like to travel (to Spain). Id like to pay the bill. Id like to go (to the beach).

- 32 -

Lo Que Necesito Hacer What I Need to Do

Qu necesitas? What do you need? You can talk about what you need to do with the verb necesitar. Just start your sentence with Necesito (I need) and complete it with one of the following verbs.

Necesito comer. tomar (algo). descansar dormir. irme. I need to eat. I need to drink (something). I need to rest. I need to sleep. I need to go (or leave).

Lo Que Quiero Hacer What I Want to Do

Qu quieres hacer? What do you want to do? You can talk about what you want to do with the verb querer. Use the following table to complete the sentence, Quiero (I want).

Quiero acampar. bucear. esquiar. hacer ciclismo. ir de excursin (en las montaas). jugar (voleibol). leer. montar a caballo. nadar (en una piscina, en el mar). ir de pesca. sacar fotos. surfear. tomar el sol. I want to go camping. I want to scuba dive. I want to ski. I want to go biking. I want to go hiking (in the mountains). I want to play (volleyball). I want to read. I want to ride a horse. I want to swim (in a pool, in the sea). I want to go shing. I want to take photos. I want to surf. I want to sunbathe.

- 33 -

Lo Que Me Gusta Hacer What I Like to Do

Qu te gusta hacer? What do you like to do? Youll learn how to talk about what you like in Lesson 6.2, but for now it might be useful to know a little bit about the phrase, Me gusta If someone asks you what you like to do (as opposed to what you would like to do), you can answer using any one of the verbs above, starting with, Me gusta. For example, Me gusta nadar. Me gusta acampar. Me gusta leer. I like to swim. I like to camp (go camping). I like to read.

It is important not to confuse me gustara with me gusta. me gustara me gusta I would like I like

Use Me gusta... to talk about your hobbies and what you enjoy doing. Use Me gustara... to talk about what you would like to do now or in the future.

- 34 -

Conversation Time

Carmona:

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona:

What would you like to do today, Carmona? Id like to visit the royal palace. Thats ne. I want to take pictures. Me, too. Afterwards, I need to rest. Im tired. While you rest, I want to go hiking in the mountains. I like to go hiking. I want to go, too. What do you want to do? Do you want to rest or to go hiking with me? Well, I dont need to rest.

- 35 -

Heres a conversation to practice your reading comprehension. Carlos is asking Carmona what she wants to do today.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Qu te gustara hacer hoy, Carmona? Me gustara visitar el palacio real. Est bien. Quiero sacar fotos. Yo tambin. Despus, necesito descansar. Estoy cansada. Mientras descansas, quiero ir de excursin en las montaas. A m me gusta ir de excursin. Quiero ir tambin. Qu quieres hacer? Quieres descansar o ir de excursin conmigo? Bueno, no necesito descansar.

2.2

Voy a
Im Going To

Qu vas a hacer este n de semana? What are you going to do this weekend? Its easy to talk about what youre going to do in Spanish. All you have to do is add the words Voy a before a verb. For example, Voy a trabajar. Voy a jugar. Voy a dormir. Im going to work. Im going to play. Im going to sleep.

You can also talk about where youre going with the same phrase. Voy a la playa. Voy a Mxico. Voy a la casa. Im going to the beach. Im going to Mexico. Im going home.

You can even talk about when youre going. Voy maana. Voy el sbado. Voy en la tarde. Im going tomorrow. Im going Saturday. Im going in the afternoon.

as well as how youre going to get there! Voy en carro propio. Voy a pie. Voy con Margarita. Im going in my own car. Im going on foot. Im going with Margarita.

The phrase Im going to is one of the most useful phrases youll learn in Spanish. Youll use it all the time. Lets take a look at some ways in which you might use this useful phrase below.

- 36 -

Voy a

Qu Vas a Hacer?

What are You Going to Do?

ir maana. salir. bailar. hacerlo.

to go tomorrow. to leave or go out. dance. to do it.

Voy

A Dnde Vas?

Where are You Going?

a la playa. al centro comercial. al cine. al club. al hotel. al supermercado. a Espaa. a Valencia.

to the beach. to the shopping center. to the cinema. to the club. to the hotel. to the supermarket. to Spain. to Valencia.

Voy

Cundo Vas?

When are You Going?

en la maana. en la tarde. a las ocho. el sbado (domingo, etc) maana. la prxima semana. en dos semanas. en dos aos.

in the morning. in the afternoon. at 8 oclock. Saturday (Sunday, etc). tomorrow. next week. in two weeks. in two years.

Voy

Cmo Vas?

How are You Going (to get there)?

a pie. con (alguien). en bus. en carro. en tren.

on foot. with (someone). by bus. by car. by train.

- 37 -

Conversation Time

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

When are you going to Barcelona? Im going January 22. How are you getting there? Im going to drive. Are you going in your own car? No. Im going with Miguel. Were going in his car. When youre in Barcelona, I am going to go out. Where to? I dont know. Maybe to a club with my friends. Dont have too much fun! - 38 -

Heres a conversation to practice what you have learned. Carlos has a business trip to Barcelona, and Carmona wants to know the details.

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Cundo vas a Barcelona? Voy el 22 de enero. Cmo vas? Voy a manejar. Vas en carro propio? No. Voy con Miguel. Vamos en su carro. Cuando t ests en Barcelona, yo voy a salir. A dnde? No s. Tal vez a un club con las amigas. No te diviertas mucho!

2.3

Questions

Preguntas

Asking questions is fun in Spanish! Usually, all you will need is one word to communicate what you need to know. Youve already learned how to ask many questions in Spanish. Cmo te llamas? De dnde eres? Qu haces? Cundo es? Cuntos hijos tienes? Whats your name? (Literally, how are you called?) Where are you from? (Literally, from where are you?) What do you do? When is it? How many children do you have?

Each of these questions includes a word that signals you are asking a question. Cmo? Dnde? Qu? Cundo? Cuntos? How? Where? What? When? How many?

If you take some time to memorize these and just a few more question words, youll be able to ask anything, including the reporters ve: who, what, when, where, and how. Who? What? When? Where? How? How much? Which? Quin? Qu? Cundo? Dnde? Cmo? Cunto? Cul?

- 39 -

Lets take a look at how these words work in some very basic questions. Quin es? Qu es? Cundo es? Dnde est? Cmo es? Cmo est? Cunto es? Cul es? Who is it? What is it? When is it? Where is it? What is it like? How is it? (How are you?) How much is it? Which is it?

Once you memorize the eight questions above, you can ask pretty much anything! Nonetheless, if you do nd yourself needing to form more complex questions, youll nd the list below useful.

Quin? Who?

Quin llam? Con quin? Quin est encargado? Para quin? Quin ms? Quin viene?

Who called? With whom? Who is in charge? For whom? Who else? Who is coming?

Qu? What?

Qu es? Qu es esto (eso)? Qu hago? Qu pas? Qu tipo? Qu ms? Qu traigo? Qu quieres? Qu necesitas?

What is it? What is this (that)? What do I do? What happened? What kind? What else? What do I bring? What do you want? What do you need?

- 40 -

Cundo? When?

Cundo es? Cundo pas? Cundo sale (llega)? Cundo abre (cierra)? Cundo vamos?

When is it? When did it happen? When does it leave (arrive)? When does it open (close)? When do we go?

Dnde? Where?

Dnde est? A dnde? De dnde? A dnde vamos? De dnde viene?

Where is it? Where to? From where? Where are we going? Where do you come from?

Cmo? How?

Cmo?

What? (if you dont understand what someone has just said and want them to repeat it) How are you? What sort of person is he (she)? How did it go? Like this? How is it done? (How does one do it?) Like for what? How do you say in Spanish?

Cmo ests? Cmo es l (ella)? Cmo fue? Cmo as? Cmo se hace? Cmo para qu? Cmo se dice en espaol?

Cunto? How much?

Cunto es? Cunto cuesta? Cuntos? Por cunto tiempo?

How much is it? How much does it cost? How many? For how long?

Cul? Which?

Cul es? Cul quieres? Cul es mejor?

Which is it? Which do you want? Which is best?

- 41 -

Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona:

Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona:

Good morning, sir. Good monrning. How can I help you? I need to buy some tickets. But rst, I need information. When is the game? The game is Saturday at six oclock in the afternoon. Who is playing? The Chilean wolves play against the Andean Bulls. How much does a ticket cost? There are three kinds. A ticket in Section A costs $35. A ticket in Section B costs $25. A ticket in Section C costs $10. Which is the best? Section A is the best, because it is in the shade. Section B is in the sun. What is Section C like? There are no seats in Section C. You must stand. How long is the game? A game lasts two hours. Very well. I want two tickets. What kind? Section B. Fine. Fifty dollars, please. Thank you. - 42 -

Conversation Time
Buying a ticket requires asking a lot of questions, as Carmona discovers as she goes to buy tickets to a soccer game as a surprise for Carlos. Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Buenos das, seor. Muy buenos. En qu le puedo ayudar? Necesito comprar unos boletos. Pero primero, necesito informacin. Cundo es el partido? El partido es el sbado, a las seis de la tarde. Quin juega? Los Lobos Chilenos juegan contra los Toros Andinos. Cunto cuesta un boleto? Hay tres tipos. Un boleto en la seccin A cuesta $35. Un boleta en la seccin B cuesta $25. Un boleto en la seccin C cuesta $10. Cul es el mejor? La seccin A es la mejor, porque est en la sombra. La seccin B est en el sol. Cmo es la seccin C? No hay asientos en la seccin C. Toca estar de pie. Por cunto tiempo es el partido? Un partido dura dos horas. Muy bien. Quiero dos boletos. Qu tipo? La seccin B. Vale. Cincuenta dlares, por favor. Gracias.

2.4

Las Direcciones Directions

Dnde est?

Asking for directions is easy. All you ask is,

followed by the name of the place youre going to. Even though asking for directions is easy, understanding the directions you are given is not. Thats why, in this lesson, youre going to learn a variety of words and phrases related to directions.

Lugares Places
Heres a list of some places you might like to go and places you may pass on the way to getting there. agencia de viajes avenida baos pblicos calle centro comercial centro histrico comisara correo esquina estacin de tren hospital iglesia informacin museo palacio (real) parque plaza servicios higinicos (SS.HH.) redondel torre travel agent avenue public restrooms street shopping center historic center police station post ofce corner train station hospital church information museum (royal) palace park square public restrooms (hygienic services) roundabout tower

- 43 -

Direcciones Directions
Here are some useful words and phrases to locate you in what direction you need to take. a la izquierda a la derecha derecho recto al nal al oeste al este al norte al sur Est muy lejos. Est muy cerca. to the left to the right straight straight at the end to the west to the east to the north to the south Its very far away. Its very close.

Est en una lnea recta. Its in a straight line. Est ubicado... Its located... Se encuentra all. Its found there.

Mandatos Commands
When someone gives you directions, theyll tell you that you need to take such-andsuch street, turn left, then follow another street. Words like take, turn, and follow are commands. Here are some of the most common.

Coga. Cruza. Curva. Dobla. Gira. Pase. Siga. Vaya.

Take. Cross. Curve. Turn. Turn. Pass. Follow. Go.

- 44 -

Seales de Trnsito Road Signs

Just in case youre driving in a Spanish-speaking country, it might be useful to know what the words mean in the trafc signs that you encounter.

aparcamiento ceda el paso cuidado despacio desvo una va / doble va obras parada (de buses) parqueadero peligro direccin nica / todas direcciones

parking place yield, give way caution slow detour one way / two ways road construction, roadworks (bus) stop parking lot danger only direction / all directions

- 45 -

Conversation Time
See if you can understand the following conversation, in which Carmona stops to ask for directions to the post ofce.

Carmona: Hombre:

Carmona:

Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man:

Carmona:

Excuse me, sir. Where is the post ofce? The post ofce is on Columbus Street. Where is Columbus Street? You dont know it? Well, its located behind the bus station. Where is the bus station? Look do you see that street? Take a left. Follow the street until the roundabout. From there, go right until the bus station. Columbus Street, where youll nd the post ofce, is on the other side of the station. Thank you, sir. Youre very kind. - 46 -

Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre:

Disculpe, seor. Dnde est el correo? El correo est en la calle Coln. Dnde est la calle Coln? No conoce? Bueno, est ubicado atrs de la estacin de buses. Dnde est la estacin? Mire ve esa calle? Coge una izquierda. Siga la calle hasta el redondel. De all, vaya a la derecha hasta la estacin de los buses. La calle Coln, donde se encuentra el correo, est al otro lado de la estacin. Gracias, seor. Muy amable.

Part Three:

Las Descripciones
Descriptions

Can you explain what youre like in Spanish? In this section, youll learn how to describe yourself and others. Youll learn how to talk about how youre feeling and whether youre hot or cold. Youll also learn to describe the weather, tell when something is yours, and much more!

- 47 -

3.1

Cmo es una persona? What is someone like?

If youve been robbed and the policeman asks you what the thief looked like, could you tell him? Perhaps El ladrn fue muy rpido y muy feo. The thief was very fast and ugly? If not, chances are you dont know many description words. In this lesson, youre going to learn how to answer the question, Cmo es una persona? What is a person like?

Cmo es? Whats he/she like?

Dont confuse the question, Cmo es? with Cmo est? Cmo es Maria? Cmo est Maria? means means what is Maria like? how is Maria right now?

If youre asking what a person is like, you might hear anything as the answer. A person may be short, fat, tall, skinny, blonde, brunette, nice, mean, rich, or poor. All of these qualities are descriptions. Lets think about how we might describe a person. Take Maria for an example. Maria tiene

HAIR
pelo corto. pelo largo. pelo mediano. pelo liso. pelo ondulado. pelo rizado (also crespo). pelo castao. pelo negro. pelo rubio. pelo rojo. Maria has short hair. Maria has long hair. Maria has medium-length hair. Maria has straight hair. Maria has wavy hair. Maria has curly hair. Maria has brown hair. Maria has black hair. Maria has blond hair. Maria has red hair.

EYES
ojos azules. ojos verdes. ojos castaos Maria has blue eyes. Maria has green eyes. Maria has brown eyes. - 48 -

Maria es

HAIR
morena. pelirroja. rubia.

(For men) moreno. pelirrojo. rubio. Maria is dark-skinned, dark-haired. Maria is a redhead. Maria is a blonde.

HEIGHT
alta. baja. alto. bajo. Maria is tall. Maria is short.

WEIGHT
aca. delgada. gorda. aco. delgado. gordo. Maria is skinny. Maria is thin. Maria is fat.

ABILITIES
lenta. rpida. fuerte. dbil. lento. rpido. fuerte. dbil. Maria is slow. Maria is fast. Maria is strong. Maria is weak.

FEATURES
bonita. hermosa. guapa. fea. n/a n/a guapo. feo. Maria is pretty. Maria is beautiful. Maria is good-looking. Maria is ugly.

PERSONALITY
abierta. alegre. amable. callada. chistosa. divertida. grosera. abierto. alegre. amable. callado. chistoso. divertido. grosero. Maria is open. Maria is cheerful. Maria is nice. Maria is quiet. Maria is funny, humorous. Maria is fun. Maria is rude.

- 49 -

horrible. inteligente. malcriada. paciente. perezosa. seria. simptica. sosticada. tmida. trabajadora. valiente.

horrible. inteligente. malcriado. paciente. perezoso. serio. simptico. sosticado. tmido. trabajador. valiente.

Maria is horrible. Maria is intelligent. Maria is bad-mannered. Maria is patient. Maria is lazy. Maria is serious. Maria is kind. Maria is sophisticated. Maria is shy. Maria is hard-working. Maria is brave.

WEALTH
pobre. rica. de clase media. pobre. rico. de clase media. Maria is poor. Maria is rich. Maria is middle class.

- 50 -

Conversation Time
With all these descriptions, you can describe anyone! As Carmona found out when she was trying to explain to Carlos

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

I met a new friend today. How great. Whats her name? Her name is Andrea, and she is a lawyer. She must be rich. No, she isnt rich. She is like us. Shes middle class. Is she pretty? Yes. She is blond and has blue eyes. Where is she from? She is from the United States. Shes very shy, really. I dont believe it. An American lawyer that pretty? She doesnt have any reason to be shy! - 51 -

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Conoc a una nueva amiga hoy. Que bueno. Cmo se llama? Se llama Andrea, y es abogada. Debe ser rica. No, no es rica. Es como nosotros. Es de clase media. Es bonita? S. Es rubia, y tiene ojos azules. De dnde es? Es de los Estados Unidos. Es muy tmida, en realidad. No lo creo. Una abogada americana tan bonita? No tiene por qu ser tmida!

3.2

Las Emociones Feelings

You didnt learn many ways to answer the question, Cmo ests? in lesson 1.1. Now that you know a bit more Spanish, you can try answering in a bit more complex way. Maybe you want to say that youre worried, busy, bored, or happy. Its easy to do! Add one of the words in the following table to Estoy

Estoy aburrido. asustado. avergonzado. cansado. celoso. contento. emocionado. enfadado. enojado. feliz. nervioso. ocupado. preocupado. sorprendido. tranquilo. triste. aburrida. asustada. avergonzada. cansada. celosa. contenta. emocionada. enfadada. enojada. feliz. nerviosa. ocupada. preocupada. sorprendida. tranquila. triste. Im bored. Im frightened. Im embarrassed. Im tired. Im jealous. Im happy, content. Im excited. Im enraged. Im angry. Im happy. Im nervous. Im busy. Im worried. Im surprised. Im calm. Im sad.

You can also talk about some common feelings with the word, Tengo The following are the most commonly used. Tengo miedo. prisa. vergenza. Im scared. Im in a hurry. Im embarrassed.

- 52 -

Conversation Time
See if you can recognize emotions with this conversation. Carlos and Carmona are in a hurry to get to the soccer game, and theyre stuck in trafc.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona:

Qu coraje! Tengo prisa. Estoy emocionada. Va a ser un buen partido! Por mi parte, estoy enojado con este trco. Tranquilo, tranquilo. Llegaremos. Estoy contenta estar aqu contigo. Estoy cansado de todo este trco. Basta, Carlos.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona:

How infuriating! Im in a hurry. Im excited. Its going to be a good game! For me, Im angry with this trafc. Calm down, calm down. Well arrive. Im happy being here with you. Im tired of all this trafc. Thats enough, Carlos.

- 53 -

3.3

El Clima The Weather

Knowing how to ask about the weather is extremely important if youre traveling. Youll need to know what sort of weather gear to pack and whether to plan to go outside or stay inside. In this lesson, youll learn a variety of questions, phrases, and words to describe the weather as well as weather-related clothing.

Cmo est el clima? Whats the weather like?

In Lesson 3.3 of the Beginners Book, youll learn more about how to ask what the weather is like. For now, just review some of the most common. Cmo est el clima? Cmo est el clima all? Cmo est por afuera? Cmo est por adentro? Qu tiempo hace? Qu tiempo hace en Barcelona? Cul es el pronstico del tiempo para hoy? Here are a few possible responses. Est granizando. Est haciendo una tormenta. Est helado. Est hmedo. Est lloviendo. Est lloviznando. Est nevando. Est nublado. Est despejado. Hace (mucho) sol. Hace (mucho) calor. Hace (mucho) fro. Hace (muy) buen clima. Hace (muy) mal clima. Me parece que va a llover/nevar Va a llover/hacer sol/hacer fro Vamos a estar adentro. Vamos a estar afuera. Its hailing. Its storming. Its icy. Its damp. Its raining. Its drizzling. Its snowing. Its cloudy. Its clear. Its (very) sunny. Its (very) hot. Its (very) cold. The weather is (very) good. The weather is (very) bad. It seems to me that its going to rain/ snow Its going to rain/be sunny/be cold Were going to be inside. Were going to be outside. - 54 Hows the weather? Hows the weather over there? Whats it like outside? Whats it like inside? Whats the weather like? Whats the weather like in Barcelona? Whats the weather forecast for today?

Palabras para el Clima Words for the Weather

Here are some basic weather conditions that you might hear. aguacero arco iris brisa granizos hielo inundacin llovizna lluvia neblina niebla nieve nube rayo relmpago terremoto tormenta trueno downpour rainbow breeze hail ice ood drizzle rain mist, light fog fog snow cloud ray of lightning lightning earthquake storm thunder

La Temperatura The Temperature

You read the temperature, la temperatura, on a thermometer, or un termmetro. Be careful with this word, however. La temperatura usually refers to body temperature rather than the temperature outside. Ask what temperature it is outside with the following phrase:

Cuntos grados hacen? How many degrees is it?

The word for degrees is grados. Your answer will be in degrees Celsius, or grados centgrados. A sample answer is

Hacen once grados centgrados. It is 11 degrees Celsius.

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Tienes Calor o Fro? Are You Hot or Cold?

If the weather is no good, you may want to say that youre hot, cold, wet, or miserable! Here are some useful phrases. Tengo fro. Tengo calor. Estoy mojado. (for men) Estoy mojada. (for women) Me voy a enfermar. Im cold. Im hot. Im wet. Im going to get sick.

Ropa para el Mal Clima Clothes for Bad Weather

Part of dealing with weather conditions is having the appropriate clothing. If youre unclear about what clothing you should bring, ask Qu tipo de ropa debo traer? What sort of clothing should I bring? Answers may include: Un abrigo. Unas botas de caucho. Unas botas de cuero. Una bufanda. Una chaqueta. Crema del sol. Unas gafas. Una gorra. Un impermeable. Un paraguas. Ropa caliente. Ropa liviana. Unas sandalias. Un sombrero. Un suter. Un traje de bao. A coat. Some rubber boots. Some leather boots. A scarf. A jacket. Sunscreen. Some sunglasses. A baseball cap. A raincoat. An umbrella. Warm clothing. Light clothing. Some sandals. A hat. A sweater. A swimsuit.

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Conversation Time
Now youre ready to hear some of these words and phrases in a conversation! Listen as Carlos and Carmona sit through a freezing soccer match.

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Aye, how cold it is! Its freezing. Are you cold? Do you want my jacket? No, Im ne. I have a hat and a scarf. Look. Now its hailing! Where is the raincoat? Here it is. What terrible weather! It looks like its going to snow. Lets go inside. Its too cold here.

- 57 -

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Ai, qu fro! Est helado. Tienes fro? Quieres mi chaqueta? No, estoy bien. Tengo un sombrero y una bufanda. Mira. Ahora est granizando! Dnde est el impermeable? Aqu est. Qu mal clima! Me parece que va a nevar. Vamos adentro. Hace demasiado fro aqu.

3.4

El Tuyo y El Mo Yours and Mine

There are so many situations in which you need to talk about to whom something belongs. For example You are sitting on a park bench, and an old lady sitting next to you nudges you and points to a jacket that has been dropped on the ground. Is that yours? Es suyo? You are checking in at the airport, and the customs inspector asks you, Are those bags yours? Son esas las maletas suyas? You are on a bus, and the passenger next to you takes your backpack from the overhead rack and starts to leave with it. Excuse me! you say. That backpack is mine. Perdn, esa mochila es ma.

In this lesson, youre going to learn how to say all of these phrases, so that you can make sure that you dont lose your possessions.

De Quin Es? Whose is it?

Asking to whom something belongs is easy in Spanish. De quin es? Whose is it? With this phrase, you can ask who the coat belongs to, or who the seat belongs to, or who the lovely voice belongs to. If you want to be more specic than just, Whose is it? you can add a noun at the end to create questions like Whose is the coat? Whose house is it? Lets look at some examples. De quin es el abrigo? el asiento? la maleta? la mochila? ste? se? Whose coat is this? Whose seat is this? Whose suitcase is this? Whose backpack is this? Whose is this? Whose is that?

The answer can take a variety of forms. You might wish to say, The coat is Daniels. The coat is hers. The coat is mine.

Lets look at each of these in turn. - 58 -

 El abrigo es de Daniel.
The coat is Daniels. If you want to say that something belongs to one person in particular, you will use Es de followed by the name. De quin es el abrigo? Es de Daniel. Whose coat is this? Its Daniels. De quin es la casa? Es la casa de los seores Hernndez. Whose house is this? Its the house of Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez. De quin son las maletas? Las maletas son de la Seorita Lpez. Whose suitcases are these? The suitcases are Miss Lopezs.

El abrigo es de ella.
The coat is hers. You can also replace the persons name with a personal pronoun like he, she, we, and they. De quin es el asiento? Es de l. Whose seat is this? Its his. De quin es la habitacin? Es de nosotros. Whose room is this? Its ours. De quin son los boletos? Son de ellos. Whose tickets are these? Theyre theirs.

El abrigo es mo.
The coat is mine. If you want to say that something is mine or yours, you have to learn some new words. mo tuyo suyo Lets look at some examples. De quin es la mochila? Es ma. De quin es ste? Es mo. De quin es el plato? Es suyo. Whose backpack is it? Its mine. Whose is this? Its mine. Whose plate (of food) is it? Its yours. mine yours (informal) yours (formal)

You can also use these words to tell someone that its yours, not theirs, or vice versa. Es mo, no es suyo. Es suyo, no es mo. Its mine, its not yours. Its yours, its not mine. - 59 -

Es de ellos, no de nosotros. Es de Anita, no de Carla.

Its theirs, not ours. Its Anitas, not Carlas.

Tu Abrigo, Mi Abrigo Your Coat, My Coat

One nal way in which you can talk about whats yours is by putting the word mi in front of a noun. mi celular mi hotel mi pasaporte mi vuelo mis llaves my cellphone my hotel my passport my ight my keys

If you want to talk about your ight, keys, or hotel, just put the word tu (informal) or su (formal) in front of a noun. tu celular tu hotel su pasaporte su vuelo sus llaves your cellphone your hotel your passport your ight your keys

Here are some common sentences that you might hear. At the airport: Su pasaporte, seor? Your passport, sir? At the hotel: Aqu estn sus llaves. Here are your keys. At the travel agency: Su vuelo sale a las ocho. Your ight leaves at eight oclock.

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Conversation Time

She picks up a key lying on the window sill. Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: De quin es esta llave? Es ma. No es tuya. Vale.

She sets the key down again, sighing. Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Dnde estar? No est en el bolsillo de tu abrigo? Voy a ver. Ah! Aqu est. Qu felicidad! Qu bueno.

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona:

Carlos, do you have my key? No, I dont have your key. Why? Because I dont know where it is.

She picks up a key lying on the window sill. Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Whose key is this? Its mine. Its not yours. Okay.

She sets the key down again, sighing. Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Where could it be? It isnt in the pocket of your coat? Ill look. Ah! Here it is. What happiness! How great. - 61 -

Now that you know how to talk about what belongs to you and what belongs to someone else, lets see if you can understand this new vocabulary in the context of a conversation. Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos, tienes mi llave? No, no tengo tu llave. Por qu? Porque no s donde est.

Part Four:

Vamos a Hacer Compras!

Were Going to Go Shopping

By now, you should know quite a few basic words and phrases in Spanish. With what you know already, you can communicate in a variety of situations. Sometimes, though, youll need a bit more specialized vocabulary. From this section on, youre going to learn useful words and phrases for more specic situations: for buying, for traveling, for social engagements, and more. Right now, lets learn about shopping!

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4.1

Las Compras Shopping

If youre going to go shopping, you need to know your numbers perfectly. Depending on whether youre talking about dollars (Ecuador, El Salvador), pesos (Mexico, Chile), or euros (Spain), you need to be able to ask how much something costs and understand the response. Knowing numbers is especially important when bargaining. Youll learn more about bargaining in the next section. To begin with, lets talk about money. Money in Spanish is: el dinero la plata (literally silver an informal term for money)

There are many currencies in Latin America, from the real (Brazil) to the bolivar (Venezuela) to the nuevo sol (Per). The three most common are the dollar, the peso, and the euro. Here they are in Spanish.

Currencies

Las Monedas dlares (un dlar) centavos (un centavo) euros (un euro) pesos (un peso) dollars cents euros pesos

Unlike in English, you cant say that something that costs $1.25 is one twenty-ve. In Spanish, youll have to say the complete phrase: it is one dollar and twenty-ve cents. Cuesta un dlar y veinte cinco centavos. If the currency is pesos, you may nd yourself dealing with very large numbers, such as 15,000 pesos. Remember that cien = a hundred mil = a thousand un milln = a million

The question How much does it cost? can be asked in several ways. Cunto cuesta? Cunto vale? Qu precio tiene?

The most common is the rst phrase: Cunto cuesta? - 63 -

The answer will usually start with Cuesta followed by the money amount. For example, Cunto cuesta? How much does it cost? Cunto cuestan los zapatos? How much do the shoes cost? Cunto cuesta un caf? How much does a coffee cost? Cuesta diez dlares y veinte centavos. It costs $10.20. Cuestan ochenta dlares. They cost $80. Cuesta dos euros y cincuenta centavos. It costs 2.50.

Cunto cuesta el pasaje de bus? El pasaje cuesta mil pesos. How much does the bus fare cost? The fare costs 1,000 pesos.

Las Tiendas Shops

When you go shopping, youre probably looking for a certain type of shop. You may need a grocery store, a department store, or a clothing store. Here are some types of shops that you might need to nd. el almacn el centro comercial el correo el mercado el supermercado el vendedor la carnicera la farmacia la lavandera la librera la panadera la pastelera la tienda la tienda de msica la tienda de ropa store, department store shopping center post ofce market supermarket vendor the butcher pharmacy laundromat bookstore bakery pastry shop store, shop music store clothing store

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Comprar y Vender To Buy and to Sell

Once youve found the right shop, you need to nd what youre looking for. Use the following words and phrases to nd what you need, gure out how much it costs, tell the vendor how many you want, and explain how youd like to pay. Busco Cunto cuesta? Cuesta cada uno. Cuntos? Cuntos quiere? Para cuntas personas? Tiene ms? Quiere probrselo? Lo llevo. Im looking for How much does it cost? Each one costs How many? How many do you want? For how many people? Do you have more? Would you like to try it on? Ill take it.

Como Pagar How to Pay

Cmo desea pagar? Por crdito. Por cheque. Por cheque de viajero. En efectivo. Puedo pagar con cheque de viajero? Cul es el nmero de su tarjeta de crdito? Puede rmar aqu? How would you like to pay? By credit. By check. By travelers cheque. With cash. Can I pay with a travelers cheque? What is your credit card number? Can you sign here?

Los Mtodos de Pagar Methods of Payment

el cheque el cheque de viajero la tarjeta de crdito el recibo, la factura check travelers cheque credit card receipt

Once you know the basics of buying, you can buy clothing, food, souvenirs, or anything! For right now, see if you can put your new vocabulary to use in purchasing clothing. - 65 -

La Ropa Clothing
el bolsillo el suter el vestido la camisa la camiseta la falda las mangas la ropa interior los pantalones los pantalones cortos sin mangas pocket sweater dress shirt t-shirt skirt sleeves underwear trousers, pants shorts sleeveless

Los Colores Colors

rojo, colorado, tinto naranja, tomate, anaranjado amarillo verde azul morado, prpura negro gris blanco (azul) oscuro (azul) claro red orange yellow green blue purple black gray white dark (blue) light (blue)

- 66 -

El Estilo Style
Qu talla lleva? talla talla mediana talla pequea, talla chica talla grande Es muy grande. Es muy pequeo. Es muy corto. Es muy largo. Me queda bien. Me queda mal. Es de muy buena calidad. Es de muy mala calidad. What size do you wear? size medium size small size large size Its very large. Its very small. Its very short. Its very long. It looks good on me. It looks bad on me. Its very good quality. Its very bad quality.

La Tela Fabric
Es de algodn. Es de lana. Es de seda. Es muy liviano. Es muy no. Es muy grueso. Pica. Its made of cotton. Its made of wool. Its made of silk. Its very light. Its very ne. Its very thick. It itches.

- 67 -

Conversation Time

Carmona tries on the dress. Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona:

Es muy corta. Es el estilo. Tiene otro estilo? Claro. Tengo sta. Qu bonita! La tiene en una talla mediana? S. La llevo. Gracias!

Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man:

Good afternoon, maam. How can I help you? Im looking for a red dress. Here we have many dresses. What do you think of this one? I dont know. Its very light. Is it silk? No, no. Its cotton. Ah. Can I try it on? Of course. The dressing rooms are there.

Carmona tries on the dress. Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Man: Carmona: Its very short. Its the style. Do you have another style? Of course. I have this one. How pretty! Do you have it in a medium? Yes. Ill take it. Thank you! - 68 -

See if you can understand the following conversation, in which Carmona tries on a dress at a shop. Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Carmona: Hombre: Buenas tardes, seora. Cmo le puedo ayudar? Busco una falda roja. Aqu tenemos muchas faldas. Qu piensa de sta? No s. Es muy liviana. Es de seda? No, no. Es de algodn. Ah. Puedo probrmela? Claro. Los vestidores estn all.

4.2

Regateo Bargaining

Bargaining is a way of life in many Latin American countries, so it may be worth your while to invest some time in learning how to do it. Here are some bargaining tips: The best places to bargain are markets. However, if prices are marked, they are probably precios jos, or xed prices. The best time to get a real bargain is when the markets are about to close for the day. Just remember that the selection may be less, because the best items usually go quickly. Bargaining is expected in most traditional markets, so never agree to the rst offered price. Make sure you know what a fair price is for the item you want. Ask a local if possible. Decide how much you want to pay in advance. Sometimes, if you cant agree on a price and end up walking away, the vendor will capitulate and offer you a super-low price. Always be courteous. Some small conversation sets up a comfortable environment for bargaining to begin. Your rst offer should usually be about half of the original offer. If you buy in quantity, ask for a discount. If a price is reasonable, accept it. Dont quibble over a few cents if it doesnt make that much difference to you.

When you bargain, youre going to need to know some basic vocabulary. Es muy caro. Es muy barato. Hay algo ms barato? Le doy comprar vender recuerdos regalos precio un buen precio un precio jo descuento liquidacin rebaja rebajar regatear todos precios rebajados ventas Its very expensive. Its very cheap. Is there something less expensive? Ill give you to buy to sell souvenirs gifts, presents price a good price a xed price discount sale discounted prices to reduce price to bargain all prices reduced sales - 69 -

Conversation Time

Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona: Vendor: Carmona:

Good morning, sir. Good morning, maam. How pretty this sweater is. Yes. Its very good quality. Is it wool? Of course. Would you like to try it on? No, thank you. Do you have one in a small? Yes. Are there other colors? I have the sweater in brown, black, and cream. I like this one. What price does it have? It costs $15. Its very expensive. Ill give you $8. No, Im sorry. $13 is okay. Thirteen! Theres no way. $10. $12. I cant reduce it any more. Yeah, okay. - 70 -

See if you can understand this conversation, in which Carmona haggles with a street merchant for a wool sweater. Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Vendedor: Carmona: Buenos das, seor. Buenas das, seora. Qu lindo el suter. S. Es de muy buena calidad. Es de lana? Claro que s. Quiere probrselo? No, gracias. Tiene uno de talla pequea? S. Hay otros colores? Tengo el suter en color caf, negro, y crema. Me gusta ste. Qu precio tiene? Cuesta 15 dlares. Es muy caro. Le doy $8. No, lo siento. $13 est bien. Trece! No hay como. $10. $12. No puedo rebajarlo ms. Ya, est bien.

4.3

El Hotel The Hotel

When youre traveling to a foreign country, youll need to be able to reserve a room at a hotel. In this lesson, youll learn all the necessary vocabulary to do so in Spanish. Lets start out with some basic questions that you might want to ask about a hotel before you make a reservation for a room. Cunto cuesta la noche? Cunto cuesta una habitacin? Tiene bao privado? Tiene agua caliente? Ofrece un desayuno gratis? A qu hora necesito desocupar la habitacin? Pago ahora o despus? How much is a night? How much is a room? Does it have a private bathroom? Does it have hot water? Does it offer a free breakfast? At what time do I need to check out of the room? Do I pay now or later?

When you ask how much a room is, the receptionist at the hotel will need to know for how many people and for how many nights. Para cuntas personas? Por cuntas noches? For how many people? For how many nights?

The receptionist may also ask whether you want a single room or double room. una individual una doble Your answer may look like this. Para dos personas Por una noche. For two people. For one night. a single room a double room

If you decide that you want to reserve a room, tell the receptionist: Quiero hacer una reservacin. Una reservacin is a reservation. I want to make a reservation.

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Two useful words to know at this point are la habitacin, the room, and disponible, or available. The receptionist may respond: Tengo una habitacin disponible. No tengo ninguna habitacin disponible. I have an available room. I dont have a room available.

Make sure to refer to Lesson 1.6 for information on how to ll out the guest register. Lesson 4.1 includes information on how to pay for your hotel room. Once youve checked in, the receptionist will give you your key and tell you what room number youre in. la llave Estoy en la habitacin nmero 5. You may wish to know where the following are: Dnde est la recepcin? el ascensor? la piscina? el restaurante? Where is reception? Where is the elevator? Where is the swimming pool? Where is the restaurant? the key Im in room number 5.

Directions will be given with reference to oors. planta baja primer piso segundo piso tercer piso cuarto piso ground oor rst oor second oor third oor fourth oor

If your room isnt equipped with all the facilities youd like, here are some useful phrases. Necesito ms toallas. Necesito ms jabn. Necesito ms papel higinico. Necesito una manta ms. Necesito sbanas limpias. I need more towels. I need more soap. I need more toilet paper. I need one more blanket. I need clean sheets.

- 72 -

Here are a few nal words that might come in handy.

una cama matrimonial agua caliente / agua fra un bao privado / compartido desayuno gratis privacidad tranquilo bullicioso limpio sucio calefactor aire acondicionado

a double bed (for two people) hot water / cold water a private / shared bathroom free breakfast privacy peaceful, quiet noisy clean dirty heater air conditioning

- 73 -

Conversation Time

Carlos: Recepcionista:

Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist: Carlos: Receptionist:

I need a room. Very well, sir. For how many people? For two. How much will it cost? It will cost $79.00. Thats okay. How would you like to pay? By credit, by check, or with cash? By credit. Whats your credit card number? Here it is. What is your name? My name is Carlos Morales. Very well. I need your telephone number and address, please. My telephone number is 555-555, and my address is number 265, Santiago Street, in the city of Pueblo Rojo. Thank you, sir. Here is your key. Youre in room number 105. Welcome. - 74 -

Carlos is trying to reserve a room for himself and Carmona. See if you can understand the following conversation. Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Carlos: Recepcionista: Necesito una habitacin. Muy bien, seor. Para cuntas personas? Para dos. Cunto cuesta? Cuesta setenta y nueve dlares. Est bien. Cmo desea pagar? Por crdito, por cheque, o en efectivo? Por crdito. Cul es el nmero de su tarjeta de crdito? Aqu est. Cmo se llama usted? Me llamo Carlos Morales. Muy bien. Necesito su nmero telefnico y direccin, por favor. Mi nmero telefnico es 555-555, y mi direccin es nmero 265, la Calle Santiago, en la ciudad de Pueblo Rojo. Gracias, seor. Aqu est su llave. Est en la habitacin nmero 105. Bienvenido.

4.4

El Restaurante The Restaurant

Once you learn how to order at a restaurant in Spanish, you can practice your Spanish locally. Most major cities have Spanish, Mexican, or Latin American restaurants. Dont be embarrassed about telling the waiter or waitress that youre learning Spanish (Estoy aprendiendo espaol). Most Spanish-speakers enjoy sharing their native language with you. This lesson will take you step by step through the process of ordering at a restaurant. When you arrive at a restaurant, you may want to see the menu. Puedo ver el men? The maitre d may ask you Tiene reservaciones? You can answer, S, tengo reservaciones. No, no tengo reservaciones. If you want to make reservations, ask for Una mesa para dos. or for how ever many people you like. Once youve looked at the menu and decided what you want to order, the waiter (el camarero or el mesero) or the waitress (la camarera or la mesera) will ask you, Qu le gustara comer? Qu le gustara tomar? Or, they might ask you: Algo para tomar? Algo para comer? Something to drink? Something to eat? What would you like to eat? What would you like to drink? A table for two. Yes, I have reservations. No, I dont reservations. Do you have reservations? Can I see the menu?

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The word comer means to eat. The word tomar means to drink. In response, you might ask, Qu me recomienda? What do you recommend?

If you want to know what the daily specials or soup of the day are, ask: Cul es el especial del da? Cul es la sopa del da? The waiter may tell you Nos especializamos en We specialize in Whats the daily special? Whats the soup of the day?

Platos Fuertes Main Dishes

bistec chuleta carne de res pollo pavo pescado mariscos hamburguesa sopa crema de ensalada vegetales papas (patatas) papas fritas pur de papas papas al horno If you order meat, the waiter will ask you, Cmo lo desea? How would you like it? steak chop beef chicken turkey sh seafood hamburger soup cream of salad vegetables potatoes French fries mashed potatoes baked potatoes

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How would you like your steak? Here are some options. Notice that there are several ways of saying each. rare medium rare well-done poco hecha medio hecha bien hecha casi cruda medio cruda bien cocinada

If there are options, like side dishes, the waiter may ask you: Cul preere? You can answer, Preero I prefer Which would you prefer?

Bebidas Drinks
agua mineral cerveza jugo (de naranja, de manzana) leche vino blanco vino tinto mineral water beer juice (orange, apple) milk white wine red wine

Once your order arrives, you may have this to say about your food. Est caliente. Est fra. Qu rico! Qu delicioso! When you nish your meal, tell the waiter: La cuenta, por favor. The check, please. Its hot. Its cold. How delicious! How delicious!

You may want to leave una propina, or a tip.

- 77 -

Mesera: Carlos: Mesera: Carmona: Carlos: Mesera: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Mesera: Carlos: Mesera:

Buenas noches. Qu se les ofrece? Buenas noches. Cul es el especial del da? Es pescado frito, un plato muy rico. No quiero mariscos. Me gustara una ensalada. Vale. Bueno, a m me gustara el pescado. Quieren algo para tomar? Qu quieres, Carmona? Quiero un vaso de vino blanco. Igual para m. Algo ms? No, gracias. Bueno. Si me necesitan, llmenme.

Maitre d: Carlos: Maitre d: Carlos: Maitre d:

Good evening. Do you have reservations? No, we dont have reservations. Hmm. For how many people? For two. Yes, we have a table for two. Follow me, please.

Carlos and Carmona are seated at a table. Waitress: Carlos: Waitress: Carmona: Carlos: Waitress: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Waitress: Carlos: Waitress: Good evening. What can I offer you? Good evening. Whats the daily special? It is fried sh, a very delicious dish. I dont want seafood. Id like a salad. Okay. Well, for me, Id like the sh. Do you want something to drink? What do you want, Carmona? I want a glass of white wine. The same for me. Anything else? No, thank you. Good. If you need me, call. - 78 -

Conversation Time
Now, lets put everything you learned into practice! Listen as Carlos and Carmona order at a restaurant. Mesero: Carlos: Mesero: Carlos: Mesero: Buenas noches. Tienen reservaciones? No, no tenemos reservaciones. Hmm. Para cuntas personas? Para dos. S, tenemos una mesa para dos. Sganme, por favor.

Carlos and Carmona are seated at a table.

Part Five:

La Fiesta!
The Party

Who wants to know how to party? In this section of the course, youll learn all the vocabulary you need to know about giving a party, buying presents, planning games, and more. Youll even learn how to tell someone youre late for their party, useful when you nd yourself running behind! So lets party!

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5.1

Feliz Cumpleaos! Happy Birthday!

Parties are a big deal in Latin America. Birthday parties are fun occasions for children and adults alike, with presents, birthday cake, dancing, and games. Birthday party traditions vary among countries and families, just as they do in the U.S., but three characteristics that are distinctive of Latin American celebrations are: 1. The Breaking of the Piata In birthday celebrations in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, birthday celebrations often include the breaking of a piata. A piata is a decorated gure, such as an animal or a cartoon character, fashioned from cardboard and paper mache. It is lled with candy, tiny trinkets, or coins and hung at head level. Blindfolded children take turns striking at the piata with a stick until it breaks, upon which all the children scramble for the candy. 2. La Quinceaera For Latin American girls, their most important birthday is not sweet sixteen but fteen. In Spanish, fteen is quince, so a girls fteenth birthday is called a quinceaera. The quinceaera marks the girls formal entrance into society as a woman. Theyre magical occasions with music, dancing, food, and wine owing all night. The girl, dressed in formal gown and tiara, is the star of the night. 3. El Da de Santo The only thing better than one birthday party is two! Kids in Latin America often enjoy two special celebrations: their birthday (the day on which they were born) and their Saints Day. In the Catholic calendar, every day is assigned to a particular saint. Your Saint Day is the day of the saint who has the same name as you.

Ests Invitado! Youre Invited!

Lets say that someone has just invited you to a party! Heres what they might say. Voy a dar una esta. Ests invitado. Te invito. Puedes venir? You can answer, S, puedo venir a tu esta. No, no puedo venir. Yes, I can come to your party. No, I cant come. - 80 Im going to give a party. Youre invited. I invite you. Can you come?

You may also want to ask a few questions about the party, like Para qu es? Para quin es? Cuntos aos va a cumplir? Es una sorpresa? Cundo es la esta? Dnde est la esta? Cuntas personas vienen? Quin ms viene? Qu traigo? You can conclude with, No puedo esperar! I cant wait! Whats it for? Whos it for? How old is he or she going to be? Is it a surprise? When is the party? Where is the party? How many people are coming? Who else is coming? What do I bring?

A Quin Invito? Who Do I invite?

If youre giving a party yourself, you may want to ask yourself, Who is coming to my party? Quin viene a mi esta? Chances are your guest list will include some of the following people. Los Invitados amigos parejas vecinos compaeros de trabajo hermanos padres abuelos nietos primos sobrinos tos The Guests friends partners neighbors co-workers brothers and sisters parents grandparents grandchildren cousins nieces and nephews aunts and uncles

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Conversation Time

Elena:

Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena:

Hello, Elena! Hi, Carmen. Whats new? Well, I have a surprise. Carlos turns thirty-two Saturday. Really? How great. Are you going to have a party? Of course. And youre invited! Thank you, Carmona. Can I help you? Yes. I need a lot of help. Are you going to invite many people? Im going to invite all our friends and family. So many people! What can I bring? Can you bring a small plate of something to eat? Of course I can. What else? Nothing else. My parents are going to bring a chicken, and my aunt and uncle are going to bring a big cake. Cool! I cant wait. - 82 -

Carmona is planning a surprise birthday for Carlos, and she enlists the help of her friend Elena. Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Hola, Elena! Hola, Carmen. Qu hay de nuevo? Bueno, tengo una sorpresa. Carlos cumple treinta y dos aos el sbado. S? Qu bueno. Vas a tener una esta? Claro. Y ests invitado! Gracias, Carmona. Te puedo ayudar? S. Necesito mucha ayuda. Vas a invitar a muchas personas? Voy a invitar a todos nuestros amigos y familia. Tantas personas! Qu puedo traer? Puedes traer un plato pequeo de algo para comer? Claro que s. Qu ms? Nada ms. Mis padres van a traer un pollo, y mis tos van a traer una torta gigante. Chvere! No puedo esperar.

5.2

Las Citas Dates

If youre scheduling a party, an appointment, or a date, you need to know how to set up meeting times in Spanish! In this lesson, youre going to learn about how to write up an invitation. First of all, here are three types of dates you might need to schedule: una cita una esta una reunin a date, an appointment a party a meeting, a reunion

The word cita can be a bit confusing to English speakers. Whereas we clearly distinguish between a personal date and a professional appointment, the same word (cita) means both in Spanish. That means that you actually make a date with your doctor. Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Tengo una cita con mi novio. I have a date with my boyfriend. The word reunin also has two meetings: meeting and reunion (in the sense of a class reunion). For example, Necesitamos tener una reunin pronto. We need to have a meeting soon. Tengo una reunin familiar en febrero. I have a family reunion in February.

Las Invitaciones Invitations

Whether youre planning a meeting, a date, or a party, you have to know when and where to meet. You should also know who is coming, what the purpose of the meeting is, and whether food or drink will be offered. Here are a few useful words to start you on your planning. invitar las invitaciones los invitados preparar las preparaciones planear los planes to invite the invitations the guests to prepare the preparations to plan the plans - 83 -

If you want to convince people to attend your party, you have to make it sound fun. The phrases below will help you do that. Es un da muy especial (para nosotros). Va a ser un da espectacular. Va a ser muy divertido. Vamos a celebrar. Vamos a divertirnos. Vamos a festejar. Its a very special day (for us). It will be a spectacular day. It will be very fun. Were going to celebrate. Were going to have fun. Were going to party.

If youre writing up a party invitation, here is a sample format:

Te invito a mi esta! Tema: Vestido formal Fecha: El 2 de junio Hora: 5:30pm Lugar: La casa de Anita No faltes!

Im inviting you to my party! Theme: Formal dr Date: June 2 Time: 5:30pm Place: Anitas house Dont miss it!

Heres another sample format for a birthday party.

Anita cumple 23 aos! Cundo? El 2 de junio, 5:30pm Dnde? Su casa Qu llevo? Vestido formal Qu traigo? Solo t mismo Te veo alli! Anitas turning 23! When? June 2, 5:30pm Where? Her house What Do I Wear? Formal dr What Do I Bring? Just yourself Ill see you there!
- 84 -

Cundo Nos Encontramos? When Should We Meet?

If youre planning to meet up, youll need to schedule a time. Here are some possible questions you might hear. A qu hora comienza? A qu hora termina? A qu hora nos reunimos? Cundo te veo? Cundo nos vemos? What time does it start? What time does it end? What time should we meet? When will I see you? When will we see each other?

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Conversation Time

Ven a celebrar con nosotros! Este n de semana, por solo un da, es el cumpleaos de un hombre muy especial. Comida, bebidas, baile, juegos, y amigos! Dnde: 115 Calle Mariposa Cundo: 15 de agosto, 7:30pm Les esperamos! Cuntas invitaciones tenemos que escribir? Ciento veinte. En serio? S. Tenemos muchos amigos!

Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona:

Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona:

How are the preparations going for the party? Theyre going very well. The party is going to be very fun. Great. Its a special day for Carlos. We need to celebrate! Thats right. What do we need to do today? Can you help me with the invitations? Of course. Each invitation has to say Come celebrate with us! This weekend, for only one day, is the birthday of a very special man. Food, drinks, dance, games, and friends! Where: 115 Buttery Street When: August 15, 7:30pm Were waiting for you!

Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona:

How many invitations do we have to write? One hundred twenty. Serious? Yes. We have many friends!

- 86 -

Elena has arrived at Carmonas house to help her with the preparations for the birthday party. Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Cmo van las preparaciones para la esta? Van muy bien. La esta va a ser muy divertida. Que bueno. Es un da muy especial para Carlos. Necesitamos celebrarlo! As es. Qu necesitamos hacer hoy? Puedes ayudarme con las invitaciones? Claro. Cada invitacin tiene que decir

5.3

Juegos y Premios Games and Prizes

One of the most fun parts of any party is playing games! In this lesson, youll learn some fun words, like game and prize. Lets start out with some basic words related to games. rbitro competencia deportes equipo (favorito) juego jugador partido pelota referee competition sports (favorite) team game player game (in sports) ball

Be careful with the difference between juego and partido, since they both mean game. Juego refers to types of games, such as frisbee or Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Partido is used in sports to refer to a game of football, volleyball, etc. With these words, you can say sentences like: Necesitamos ms jugadores. Mi equipo favorito juega maana. No tengo una pelota para jugar. We need more players. My favorite team plays tomorrow. I dont have a ball to play.

Ganadores y Perdedores Winners and Losers

Once you play a game, you need to be able to talk about who won, who lost, or who got the grand prize. Here are some useful words to express the outcome of a game. el ganador ganar perder el premio el gran premio el ttulo nacional the winner to win to lose prize grand prize the national title

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el primer puesto (also lugar) el segundo puesto (also lugar) el tercer puesto (also lugar) el ltimo puesto (also lugar)

rst place second place third place last place

To express who won or lost, you need to be able to speak in the past tense. Here are a few sample sentences using the words in the list above. Gan la competencia. Gan el gran premio. Mi equipo gan el ttulo. Ganamos el partido. I won the competition. I won the grand prize. My team won the title. We won the game.

Los Juegos Games

Qu juegas t? What do you play? You can answer the question with one of the following: Juego a las cartas. Juego bsquetbol. Juego bisbol. Juego ftbol americano. Juego ftbol. Juego golf. Juego tenis. Juego voleibol. I play cards. I play basketball. I play baseball. I play American football. I play football (soccer). I play golf. I play tennis. I play volleyball.

If you play music, make sure that you dont use jugar. Use tocar instead. Toco el clarinete. Toco el piano. Toco el teclado. Toco el trombn. Toco los tambores. (also la batera) Toco la auta. Toco la guitarra. Toco la trompeta. I play the clarinet. I play the piano. I play the keyboard. I play the trombone. I play the drums. I play the ute. I play the guitar. I play the trumpet.

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Conversation Time

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

My favorite team plays Saturday. With who? With the Bears. Its going to be a spectacular game! When does it start? It starts at ve thirty. When does it end? Well, a game is 90 minutes, so it would be seven oclock. Ah! Okay. Why? Because ... my friend Elena is coming at seven thirty. Elena can watch the game, too. She doesnt want to watch the game. She doesnt like it. Fine. - 89 -

Carlos, unaware that Carmona is planning a surprise birthday party for him on Saturday, is planning to watch the football. She has to convince him otherwise.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Mi equipo favorito juega el sbado. Con quin? Con Los Osos. Va a ser un partido espectacular! A qu hora comienza? Comienza a las cinco y media. A qu hora termina? Bueno, un partido es noventa minutos, entonces sera las siete. Ah! Est bien. Por qu? Porque ... mi amiga Elena viene a las siete y media. Elena puede ver el partido tambin. No quiere ver el partido. No le gusta. Bueno.

5.4

Los Regalos Presents

Although the party games may be the most fun part of a party for the guests, the best part of a birthday for the man/woman of honor is arguably the presents! The following words and phrases will help you select the perfect gift. Qu quiere para su cumpleaos? Qu le doy? Necesito comprar un regalo. Estoy buscando un regalo de cumpleaos. El regalo es para un hombre una mujer un nio una nia What does he/shewant for his/her birthday? What do I give him/her? I need to buy a present. Im looking for a birthday present. The present is for... ...a man. ...a woman. ...a boy. ...a girl.

Regalos Tpicos Typical Presents

Here are some typical presents that you might give to children, women, or men. Para Nios For Children bicicleta cachorro gatito juguete mueca oso de peluche pelota Para Mujeres For Women anillo animal peluche bombones collar perfume pulsera rosas ring stuffed animal chocolate bonbons necklace perfume bracelet roses - 90 bicycle puppy kitten toy doll teddy bear ball

Para Hombres For Men colonia boletos a un partido de su equipo favorito calcetines camisa corbata maquinilla elctrica reloj cologne tickets to a game of his favorite team socks shirt tie electric razor watch

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Elena: Carmona:

Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona:

What can I buy Carlos for his birthday? What does he want? I dont know. He doesnt want anything. Maybe a tie? A tie! Im his wife. I need to buy something more expensive. A silk tie? No, no. I want to give him a special gift. A watch? He already has a watch. Tickets to a concert? Ah! Now I know. I am going to buy tickets to a game of his favorite team. You already went to a game of his favorite team. Yes, but Carlos always wants to go to the games! - 92 -

Conversation Time
Carmona is agonizing over what she should buy Carlos for his birthday. She enlists the help of her friend Elena to make a decision. Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Elena: Carmona: Qu le puedo comprar a Carlos para su cumpleaos? Qu quiere? No s. No quiere nada. Tal vez una corbata? Una corbata! Soy su esposa. Necesito comprarle algo ms caro. Una corbata de seda? No, no. Quiero darle un regalo especial. Un reloj? Ya tiene un reloj. Boletos a un concierto? Ah! Ahora s. Voy a comprar boletos a un partido de su equipo favorito. Ustedes ya fueron a un partido de su equipo favorito. S, pero Carlos siempre quiere ir a los partidos!

5.5

Festejemos! Lets Party!

When youre ready for a party, youve got to have all the elements in place: the cake, the candles, the balloons. In this lesson, youre going to learn basic party vocabulary. Youll also learn how to deal with late guests, or how to explain that youll be arriving late yourself.

Los Componentes de una Fiesta Ideal The Components of an Ideal Party

Heres a list of 10 essential elements for a perfect party. muchos invitados la torta, el pastel sabor de chocolate (vainilla) helado velas dulces, golosinas regalos juegos globos serpentinas many guests the cake chocolate (vanilla) avor ice cream candles sweets presents games balloons streamers

Qu Hacemos en la Fiesta? What Do We Do at the Party?

Here are ve activities that you may nd people doing at a party. Estamos bailando. Estamos comiendo. Estamos conversando. Estamos jugando. Estamos tomando. Were dancing. Were eating. Were talking (conversing). Were playing. Were drinking. (Usually refers to alcoholic beverages)

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Estoy Atrasado! Im Late!

If you end up running late to a party, a meeting, or a date, youre going to have to inform the host! Here are some useful phrases to have on hand in case of problems. Estoy atrasado. Estoy en el camino. Estoy all en X minutos. Te veo pronto. Puedes esperarme? Im late. Im on my way. Ill be there in X minutes. Ill see you soon. Can you wait for me?

- 94 -

Carmona: Sara:

Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara:

Good evening. Hello, Carmona! Hi, Sara! How are you? Fine, thanks. How is Carlos? Hes very happy with his party. Is he opening presents? Not yet. Were eating cake and ice cream. Im late. I have a present for Carlos. I am going to be there in twenty minutes. No problem, Sara. Well wait for you. Thanks, Carmona. See you soon!

- 95 -

Conversation Time
The esta is in full swing, and Carmonas friend Sara calls her to tell her shell be late.

Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara: Carmona: Sara:

Buenas noches. Hola, Carmona! Hola, Sara! Cmo ests? Bien, gracias. Cmo est Carlos? Est muy feliz con su esta. Est abriendo los regalos? No todava. Estamos comiendo torta y helado. Estoy atrasada. Tengo un regalo para Carlos. Voy a estar all en veinte minutos. No hay problema, Sara. Te esperamos. Gracias, Carmona. Hasta pronto!

Part Six:

Las Conversaciones
Conversations

In this section of the course, youre going to learn how to have a more extended conversation than youve had previously. Youll learn how to talk about your hobbies, how to thank someone for a fabulous vacation, and how to explain what countries youve been to.

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6.1

Conversar Como Experto

Have a Conversation like an Expert

When you started this course, you learned some conversation starters like, Whats your name? Where are you from? Unfortunately, after exchanging personal details like how many brothers or sisters you have, a conversation can often run dry. Thats why, in this section, youre going to learn how to keep a conversation going. Imagine that youve taken a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, and youve met someone youd like to talk with further. Heres a review of some basic questions that you might be asked or might want to ask. Cmo te llamas? De dnde eres? De qu parte? Eres de aqu? Ests de vacaciones? Ests de viaje? Hace cunto tiempo que llegaste? Por cunto tiempo ests aqu? Qu haces? En qu trabajas? Te gusta aqu? Whats your name? Where are you from? From what part? (A common follow-up question.) Are you from here? Are you on vacation? Are you traveling? How long ago did you arrive? For how long are you here? What do you for a living? Do you like it here?

One great way to get to know someone better is to talk about what you have in common. You may want to talk about places youve both been, or hobbies that you share, or people you know in common. To do this, you need to know how to use the two verbs conocer and saber. Youll use conocer to talk about places that youve been to or know well. Youll also use it to talk about people you know. Youll use saber to talk about things you know how to do. Youll learn more about saber in the next lesson. For now, well concentrate on the myriad ways you can use conocer.

Dnde Has Estado? Where Have You Been?

How do you tell someone where youve been? Often, when youre traveling, people will want to know where else youve been, what parts of their country youve visited, and where exactly you live. Here are some possible answers. Conozco Valencia. He estado en Valencia. I know Valencia. (Ive been there before.) Ive been in Valencia. - 97 -

He ido a Valencia. He viajado a Valencia. He visitado Valencia. Soy de Valencia.

Ive gone to Valencia. Ive traveled to Valencia. Ive visited Valencia. Im from Valencia.

The easiest way to talk about where youve been is to use the word conocer. Literally, conocer means to know. But, when used to refer to locations, it means to have been there or to know a place well. Youll often hear this word in conversations. Your friend may be talking about somewhere that he or she has been, then ask you, Have you been there? Conoces? Here are some more examples of this question in use. Conoces frica? Amrica del Sur? Espaa? Europa? Los Estados Unidos? mi casa? la ciudad? el restaurante La Cueva? Have you ever been to Africa? Have you ever been to South America? Have you ever been to Spain? Have you ever been to Europe? Have you ever been to the U.S.? Have you ever been to my house? (Do you know where it is?) Have you been to the city? (Do you know it well?) Have you ever been to the restaurant The Cave?

Your answer will start with Conozco S, conozco tu casa. Yo conozco Pars. No conozco ese restaurante. Yes, Ive been to your house before. I have been to Paris. I havent been to that restaurant before.

A Quin Conozco? Who Do I Know?

You can also use conocer to talk about who you know. For example, a friend may be talking about a favorite band and ask you, Los conoces? Do you know them? Are you familiar with their music? Or you may see someone that seems familiar, but youre not sure if youve met them before. You can ask, Te conozco? Do I know you? It can be a bit confusing at times to know whether conocer refers to knowing people personally or just being familiar with them. Here are some more examples of this versatile word in use. - 98 -

Conoces el grupo Los Lobos Chilenos? a mi hermana? a nuestro presidente? a Anita? a Antonio? a la seora Torres? al seor Romero? Are you familiar with the group The Chilean Wolves? Do you know my sister? Do you know our president? Do you know Anita? Do you know Antonio? Do you know Mrs. Torres? Do you know Mr. Romero?

A common follow-up question might be, How do you know So-and-So? Cmo conoces a ? How do you know ?

If you dont know someone personally, you can clarify yourself by saying: He escuchado el nombre. Ive heard the name.

Notice that if you are talking about a person, you always use the phrase: Conoces a ? That is because, in Spanish, you must always include an a before talking about a human being.

Un Gusto Conocerte A Pleasure Meeting You

Thats not the end of this useful word! Conocer can also be used to talk about meeting someone. Youll hear it most often in the phrase Un gusto conocerte, a pleasure meeting you.

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Conversation Time
In this conversation, Carmona is at her friend Marias party. She is walking to the bathroom when she bumps into someone who seems familiar.

Mujer: Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer:

Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman: Carmona: Woman:

Excuse me! I didnt see you. Its okay. Dont I know you? Could be. How do you know Maria? Shes a friend from school. And you? I work with Maria. Ah! Youre from South Africa, arent you? Yes. How do you know? Maria told me that she works with a very nice foreign woman. Ah, yes. Ive been to South Africa. My husband Carlos and I went there on vacation. Serious? What part? To Johannesburg. How great that youve been to my country. - 100 -

Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer: Carmona: Mujer: Carmona:

Perdn! No te vi. Est bien. No te conozco? Puede ser. Cmo conoces a Maria? Es una amiga de escuela. Y t? Yo trabajo con Maria. Ah! Eres de Sudfrica, no? S. Cmo sabes? Maria me dijo que trabaja con una mujer extranjera muy linda. Ah, s. Yo conozco Sudfrica. Mi esposo Carlos y yo fuimos all por vacaciones. En serio? A qu parte? A Johannesburgo. Qu bueno que conoces mi pas.

6.2

Los Pasatiempos Pasttimes

In addition to talking about places youve been to and people you know in common, a great way to establish common ground with someone knew is to talk about hobbies you have in common. In this lesson, youll learn how to do exactly that. First of all, lets get some basic vocabulary out of the way. las actividades favoritas los pasatiempos los ratos libres ser acionado a favorite activities pastimes, hobbies free time to be a fan of

Qu Te Gusta Hacer? What Do You Like to Do?

If you want to know what another persons hobbies are, you rarely come out and say, What are your hobbies? Cules son tus pasatiempos? More often, people say, Qu te gusta hacer? What do you like to do? Or this variation: Qu te gusta hacer en tus ratos libres? What do you like to do in your free time? You may answer that you like shing, or swimming, or reading, or clubbing. Here are some things that you may enjoy doing. Me gusta cantar. cocinar. correr. coser. escuchar msica. hacer ejercicio. jugar bsquetbol. jugar bisbol. leer. I like to sing. I like to cook. I like to run. I like to sew. I like to listen to music. I like to exercise. I like to play basketball. I like to play baseball. I like to read.

- 101 -

nadar. pescar. sacar fotos. surfear la internet. tocar msica. trabajar en la huerta. ver la televisin / pelculas. viajar.

I like to swim. I like to sh. I like to take photographs. I like to surf the internet. I like to play music. I like to garden. I like to watch television / movies. I like to travel.

You can talk about what you love doing by exchanging the phrase Me encanta for Me gusta. Me encanta ... I love ... Only use this phrase for inanimate objects or activities. (If you want to say that you love a person, youll use quiero or amo.) Me encanta leer. Me encanta la msica. Me encanta tu vestido. I love to read. I love the music. I love your dress.

Qu Sabes Hacer? What Do You Know How to Do?

Often, if you like one activity a lot, youll want to share it with your new friends. You can see if they know how to do it, too, by asking: Sabes ? Do you know how to ? For example, Sabes bucear? esquiar? jugar? jugar ftbol? usar la computadora? Do you know how to scuba dive? Do you know how to ski? Do you know how to play? Do you know how to play soccer? Do you know how to use a computer?

- 102 -

If you want to say that you know how to scuba dive or ski, youd say S bucear. S esquiar. S jugar ftbol. I know how to scuba dive. I know how to ski. I know how to play soccer.

You can also use s to talk about more complex things you know how to do. S cocinar una torta. S como hacerlo. S que decir. I know how to bake a cake. I know how to do it. I know what to say.

- 103 -

Conversation Time
Lets see if you can follow this conversation, in which Carlos is talking with his friend Digeo about what they would like to do if they had more free time.

Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos:

Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos:

You know, Carlos, I need more free time. Me too, friend. I need more time to go biking. Well, as far as Im concerned, Id like to stay at home more. Rest. Drink more beer, watch more television. Serious? Man, you gotta live life. And do what? Look, you can play soccer, you can go hiking, you can I dont like exercise. Okay. So, what do you know how to do? Me? Everything. ..Well, I know how to sh. You have to go shing more, then. I know how to drink beer. Everyone in the whole world knows how to drink beer. Yes, but Im an expert. - 104 -

Diego: Carlos: Diego: Carlos:

Sabes, Carlos, necesito ms tiempo libre. Yo tambin, amigo. Necesito ms tiempo para hacer ciclismo. Bueno, por mi parte, me gustara quedarme en casa un poco ms. Descansar. Tomar ms cerveza, ver ms televisin. En serio? Hombre, hay que vivir la vida. Y hacer qu? Mira, puedes jugar ftbol, puedes ir de excursin, puedes No me gusta el ejercicio. Vale. Entonces, qu sabes hacer? Yo? Todo. Bueno, s pescar. Tienes que salir a pescar ms, entonces. S tomar cerveza. Todo el mundo sabe tomar cerveza. S, pero yo soy experto.

6.3

Las Mejores Vacaciones de la Vida The Best Vacations of Ones Life

If you spend any length of time abroad, youll have a lot of goodbyes to say when you leave. In this lesson, youll learn how to tell someone how wonderful your vacation was and thank them for everything.

Las Vacaciones Ideales The Ideal Vacation

If youre going to explain how wonderful your vacation was, you need to know why. What are some of the components of a perfect vacation? Well, for me they are Hace mucho sol. Hace calor. No tengo que despertarme temprano. Me levanto tarde todos los das. Me quedo todo el da en la playa. Mis mejores amigos estn conmigo. Tomo el sol, nado, y buceo. Como mucho. Tomo mucho. No tengo que trabajar. Its very sunny. Its hot. I dont have to get up early. I get up late everyday. I spend all day at the beach. My best friends are with me. I sunbathe, swim, and scuba dive. I eat a lot. I drink a lot. I dont have to work.

Does that sound like your ideal vacation? If it has been the perfect vacation, you can tell people: Estas han sido las mejores vacaciones de mi vida. Espero volver pronto. No quiero irme. No quiero que se terminen estas vacaciones. This has been the best vacation of my life. I hope to come back soon. I dont want to go. I dont want this vacation to end.

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Agradecimiento Gratitude
When youre leaving a place, whether youve stayed there several days or several weeks, youll need to say goodbye to the new friends you have made. If you want to thank them for their hospitality, use the phrase Gracias por Thank you for Or, you might want to say Muchas gracias por Many thanks for Here are some examples. Gracias por todo. la comida tan rica. mostrarme tu pas. ser un buen amigo / una buena amiga. tu compaa. un tiempo maravilloso. vuestra hospitalidad. Thanks for everything. Thanks for the delicious food. Thanks for showing me your country. Thanks for being a good friend. Thanks for your company. (informal) Thanks for a marvelous time. Thanks for your hospitality. (plural)

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Conversation Time

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

I love vacation. Me, too. This place is marvelous. Yes, I dont have to work. We can stay all day at the beach. Well, until I run out of beer! Hmm. As far as Im concerned, I dont want to go. Me neither. This is one of the best vacations of my life. We have to thank Diego for everything. Of course! Diego is a very good friend. His hospitality and company have been superb. And what delicious food! What do we do now? I dont know Do you want a beer? - 107 -

Carlos and Carmona are on vacation at the beach. While Carmona sits under an umbrella with her book, Carlos reaches into his cooler for one more cold drink.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Me encantan las vacaciones. A m tambin. Este lugar es maravilloso. S, no tengo que trabajar. Podemos quedarnos todo el da en la playa. Bueno, hasta que se me acaben las cervezas! Hmm. Por mi parte, no quiero irme. Yo tampoco. Estas son unas de las mejores vacaciones de mi vida. Tenemos que darles gracias a Diego por todo. Claro! Diego es un muy buen amigo. Su hospitalidad y compaa han sido estupendas. Y qu rica la comida! Qu hacemos ahora? No s.... Quieres una cerveza?

Part Seven:

La Vida Familiar
Family Life

In this nal section of the course, youre going to learn about what makes family life tick. A host family experience is an essential component of any immersion learning course, so if you see yourself living with a Spanish-speaking family in the future, this section is essential! Youll learn about chores and the home. Youll even learn how to argue and how to talk about your goals and dreams.

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7.1

La Introduccin a la Familia Introduction to the Family

By this stage in the course, you know how to greet and carry on a conversation with one person. But what happens when youre in a group? Introductions are much simpler when youre just introduced to one person at a time, but youll nd that things get tricky when you are introduced to a group of people at once. Usually, youll have to greet each person in the group individually, and if youve just memorized one Spanish phrase for Nice to meet you, youll nd it wearing thin after about the fth time you say it! Thats why its important to be familiar with a variety of phrases you can use during introductions. Encantado. / Encantada. Mucho gusto. El gusto es mo. Un gusto conocerte. Un placer. Un placer conocerte. A pleasure, delighted. A great pleasure. The pleasure is mine. A pleasure meeting you. A pleasure. A pleasure meeting you.

You can also use one of the classic greetings below. Hola. Buenos das. Buenas tardes. Buenas noches. Hello. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening.

La Vida Familiar Family Life

You may discover that Latin American families seem a bit different from your own. There is no typical Latin American family, due to the variety of cultures within Latin America and the shift from traditional to more modern lifestyles. Nevertheless, some broad generalizations can be made. Latin American families are often quite large, closely knit, and bound in common traditions like church-going. More often than not, you will nd the grandparents living in the family house, rather than living by themselves. Children usually live with their parents until they marry which can lead to the strange situation of seeing 30-year-old bachelors still living with their folks! Heres a list of family members in Spanish. - 109 -

Male Members of the Family

esposo marido padre pap, papi hermano hermano mayor hermano menor hijo abuelo to sobrino primo nieto cuado spouse (husband) husband father dad (nickname) brother older brother younger brother son grandfather uncle nephew cousin grandson brother-in-law

Female Members of the Family

esposa mujer madre mam, mami hermana hermana mayor hermana menor hija abuela ta sobrina prima nieta cuada spouse (wife) wife mother mom (nickname) sister older sister younger sister daughter grandmother aunt niece cousin granddaughter sister-in-law

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Conversation Time
A special event has occurred in Carlos life, and in this conversation he shares it with Carmona.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Carmona, we have to go see my family. Why? My older brother had his rst son. Ah, how fabulous! Were aunts and uncles! Of course! Hes my parents rst grandchild. Whats he called? My new nephew is called Simon. What a pretty name. Yes, my sister-in-law chose the name. Carlos, when will we give Simon a cousin? Ha, ha. - 111 -

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Carmona, tenemos que ir a ver a mi familia. Por qu? Mi hermano mayor tuvo su primer hijo. Ah, qu fabuloso! Somos tos! Claro! Es el primer nieto de mis padres. Cmo se llama? Mi nuevo sobrino se llama Simn. Qu lindo nombre. S, mi cuada eligi el nombre. Carlos, cundo le daremos a Simn un primo? Ja, ja.

7.2

Los Deberes Chores

Rarely will you nd a messy or dirty house in Latin America, as el hogar (the home) is something that Latinos pride themselves for. Traditionally, the wife (la esposa) and the children (los hijos) are responsible for keeping the house in order. But when things get out of control, you might hear the following: La casa est desordenada. La casa est sucia. The house is messy. The house is dirty.

Then, this is what you have to do to get it back in order again. Tengo que barrer el piso. cocinar la cena. hacer la cama. hacer las compras. lavar el carro. lavar la ropa. lavar los platos. limpiar la casa. ordenar la casa. (also arreglar la casa) pasar la aspiradora. sacar la basura. At last, everything is clean. Todo est limpio. La casa est limpia. La casa est ordenada. (also arreglada) The house is clean. The house is tidy I have to sweep the oor. I have to cook the meal. I have to make the bed. I have to do the shopping. I have to wash the car. I have to wash clothes. I have to wash the dishes. I have to clean the house. I have to pick up the house. I have to vacuum. I have to take out the garbage.

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La Casa The House

When you are invited into someones house, you will may get the grand tour of their home (el hogar). Here is a list of some of the places. bao cocina comedor dormitorio habitacin, cuarto sala pasillo escalera bathroom kitchen dining room bedroom room living room hallway stairs

Las Discusiones Arguments

Like any family, Latin families get into arguments about chores! Latin people can be very passionate, so there is no telling when you might accidentally (or deliberately!) get yourself into an argument. Here are some phrases that you might need to have on hand in the heat of the discussion. Tienes razn. Lo siento, es mi culpa. Es tu culpa. Es tu responsabilidad. No es mi culpa. No sabes nada. No te entiendo. Puedes hacer lo que quieras. Youre right. Im sorry, its my fault. Its your fault. Its your responsibility. Its not my fault. You dont know anything. I dont understand you. You can do what you want.

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Conversation Time

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona:

Hey, Carmona. What happened in the kitchen? Im sorry. Im going to sweep the oor. You know, the house is very dirty. Well, thats your fault. Why? Youre really messy and you dont do anything at home. I take out the garbage every week! And nothing else. You dont know anything. You know, Im not cleaning any more. Im going to watch television. You can do what you want. Exactly! And you, go wash the dishes! - 114 -

Like all married couples, Carlos and Carmona get into arguments from time to time.

Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona:

Oye, Carmona. Qu pas en la cocina? Lo siento. Voy a barrer el piso. Sabes, la casa est muy sucia. Bueno, eso es tu culpa. Por qu? T eres muy desordenado y no haces nada en casa. Yo saco la basura todas las semanas! Y nada ms. No sabes nada. Sabes, yo no limpio ms. Me voy a ver la televisin. Puedes hacer lo que quieras. Exacto! Y t, a lavar los platos!

7.3

Las Metas Goals

An important part of life is dreaming about the future. Couples create dreams together and encourage their children to imagine what they will be someday. It is easy to talk about what you would like to do someday in Spanish. In fact, youll already know how to do it! Just use the phrase, Me gustara. Lets start out with some basic vocabulary. las aspiraciones las metas los objetivos los planes para el futuro los sueos aspirations goals objectives plans for the future dreams

If you want to talk about achieving your aspirations, goals, or dreams, use either of these verbs: lograr realizar to achieve to achieve, to fulll

Talking about your plans for the future can be an excellent conversation topic. Someone may ask you, What would you like to do in the future? Qu te gustara hacer en el futuro?

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Your answer could look like one of the following. Me gustara casarme. comprar una casa. ganar la lotera. ganar mucho dinero. hablar otra idioma. ser doctor / abogado / actor / atleta profesional. ser famoso. ser presidente. ser rico / millonario. ser superhroe. tener hijos. tener negocio propio. tener una carrera. viajar a otros pases. volver a estudiar. Id like to get married. Id like to buy a house. Id like to win the lottery. Id like to earn a lot of money. Id like to speak another language. Id like to be a doctor / lawyer / actor/ professional athlete. Id like to be famous. Id like to be president. Id like to be rich / a millionaire. Id like to be a superhero. Id like to have children. Id like to have my own business. Id like to have a career. Id like to travel to other countries. Id like to go back to school.

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Conversation Time
Carmona has been wondering whether or not she and Carlos should have greater aspirations than simply one vacation a year at the beach.

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Carlos, we need to have goals. For what? To achieve our dreams! Okay. Dont you have aspirations? Of course. Id like to win the lottery. Nothing else? Well, the truth is that I would like to buy a house. Hah! With what money? With what I win in the lottery. Dont be silly! For me, Id like to go back to school. What for? To be a lawyer. Now, thats a dream! - 117 -

Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos: Carmona: Carlos:

Carlos, necesitamos tener metas. Para qu? Para lograr nuestros sueos! Bueno. No tienes aspiraciones? Claro que s. Me gustara ganar la lotera. Nada ms? Bueno, la verdad es que me gustara comprar una casa. Ja! Con qu dinero? Con lo que gane en la lotera. No seas tonto! A m, me gustara volver a estudiar. Para qu? Para ser abogada. Eso s que es un sueo!

So Long!
Youve reached the end of the Rocket Spanish Conversation Course. This course has provided you with a wealth of information about frequently-used phrases in Spanish. Dont just stop your studies here, though. An understanding of the grammatical concepts behind the language can help you not only remember how to say the phrases included but also create new ones of your own. Spanish is such a fun language to speak that I hope you have piles of opportunities to use what you have learned here. Remember that Spanish, just like English, can be used to joke, to tease, to irt, to chat up people, and much more! With a sense of humor and some creativity, youll may easily nd yourself enjoying Spanish just as much as you enjoy speaking English. Until next time! Hasta la prxima!

Mauricio

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