Understanding Spanish Conversation Deck 5 Flashcards
Pagar/Prestar
To pay money/to lend attention.
Los niños prestan atención a su maestro.
The children pay attention to their teacher.
Pedazo/Trozo
Piece of something when not useful in its own right & has clear distinction between part and whole/ 3-D chunk of something useful in its own right, not distinction between part and whole
Un Trozo de madera
A piece of wood. (useful in its own right)
Un pedazo de tu dedo
A piece of your finger. (not useful in its own right, part of a whole)
Rebanada
Piece/Slice of food like pizza, bread, cake. (trozo also used)
Nadita
Small piece, bite of something (a small nothing)
Planear/Pensar
To plan/ to think, but can be used for plan or intend
Pienso irme mañana.
I am planning (thinking about) on leaving tomorrow.
Hago planes para el futuro.
I am making plans for the future.
Jugar/Tocar
To play (a game)/To “touch” or play an instrument
Juega fútbal./Toca su guitarra.
He plays football./He plays the guitar.
Estoy bien seguro.
I am pretty sure.
El hombre es bien alto.
The man is pretty tall.
La arena está bien caliente.
The sand is pretty hot.
Pues
Then, well, so, since, because. . .
Tengo hambre. Pues coma.
I am hungry. Then eat. (as solution)
No sé lo que decirte pues.
I don’t know what to tell you then. (as filler word)
Pues, yo llegué aquí primero.
Well, I got here first. (providing emphasis)
Pues, no estudiaste.
Well, you didn’t study. (providing emphasis)
¡Pues claro!
Well of course! (providing emphasis)
Pues sí.
Well yes.
Pues no.
Well no.
Pues, no lo sabía.
Well I didn’t know.
Pues, equivocaste.
Well, you were wrong.
Pues, entiendes la idea.
Well, you get the idea.
No puedo caminar pues estoy barracho.
I can’t walk (right now) pues estoy borracho. (pues=because)
No puedo tomar ahora mismo pues tengo que ir al trabajo.
I can’t drink right now since I have to go to work.
pues=since
Digale, pues ella necesita saber eso.
Tell her, because/since she needs to know that.
Querías leerlo, pues aquí está la revista.
You wanted to read it, so here is the magazine. (pues= so) (Pues here takes the place of así que)
Poner/Meter
Putting something anywhere/Putting one or more things INTO something else.
Ponga la galleta en el plato.
Put the cookie on the plate.
Meta la galleta en el jarro.
Put the cookie in the jar. (could use poner here also)
Pongase la chaqueta.
Put your jacket on. (ponerse)
Me pongo los pantalones la misma manera como tú.
I put on my pants the same way you do.
Darse cuenta de
“to realize” or “to be come aware”
Yo me doy cuenta de que estás cansado.
I realize that you are tired.
Ella se dio cuenta de que llegaste cuando hiciste tanto ruido.
She realized that you arrived when you made so much noise.
Yo supé que los Cubs ganaron cuando miraba las noticias.
I found out that the Cubs won when I was watching the news. (Saber in the past tense means “I found out”)
¿De verdad?
Really?
¿En serio?
Seriously?
Regresar/Volver
To return
Voy a regresar/volver a casa del trabajo luego.
I am going to return home from work later.
Mi hijo regresa/vuelve de México hoy.
My son returns from Mexico today.
Ya vengo./Ya regreso.
I’ll be right back.
La vuelta/El regreso
The return
Ami vuela/regreso nos vamos.
On my return we (will) leave.
Devolver
Give back/return an object
Ya devuelvo el bolígrafo que me prestaste.
I have already returned the pen you lent me.
¿Devolviste a la biblioteca el libro?
Did you return the book to the library?
Cambiar
give in return/exchange ( usually=to change)
Te llevo al trabajo cada dia si me das dinero por gasolina a cambio
I (will) take you to work each day if you give me money for gasoline in return (or in exchange for)
Mismo/Igual
when two or more things are the same (person, place, thing), identity/when two or more things have some or many of the same characteristics, appearance, also equal
Viste la misma persona en la bodega.
I saw the (exactly) the same person at the grocery store.
Te parede son iguales.
They look alike. (The look alike to you, but are not the same person)
Yo también./Yo igual.
Me too.
Ahorrar/Guardar/Salvar
To save (money)/To save (the last doughnut)/To save a life
Ahorro plata para irme en vacaciones.
I save money in order to go on vacation.
Mi esposa guarda el último dónut para nuestro hijo.
My wife is saving the last doughnut for out son.
El médico salvó la vida de alguien ayer.
The doctor saved someone’s life yesterday.
Lo hice por yo mismo.
I did it by myself.
Tu mismo (a)/él mismo/ella misma/nosotros mismos/nosotras mismas
Yourself/himself/herself/ourselves
Agrees in kind and number
Bueno/Pues/O sea
Well. . . or Um. . .
Bueno, yavoy a la escuela
Well, I’m going to school now.
Pues/Bueno/O sea me gustaría pero estaré muy ocupada.
Um . . .I would like to but I will be very busy.
Es que. . .
It’s that. . .
Es que John está borracho.
It’s that John is drunk.
Es que John no puede dejar de tomar.
It’s that John can’t stop drinking.
La verdad es que. . .
The truth of the matter is. . . OR The truth is . . . OR Actually. . .
La verdad es que estoy enfermo.
The truth is or Actually I am sick.
Voy a trabajar mañana. ¿Qué dijiste? Que voy a trabajar mañana.
I am going to work tomorrow. What did you say? That I am going to work tomorrow.(Que=that)
Que no se permite nadar en el lago.
That no one is permitted to swim in the lake. (Que=that)
Vete. ¿Qué? Que te vayas.
Go away. What? That you go away.
En fin
So, anyhow. Used to steer the conversation back to the original point or to lead off a concluding thought. (and finally)
Por cierto
“For certain” used to change the subject.
Por cierto. ¿Ya podemos comer? Tengo hambre.
For sure, Certainly, Can we eat now? I am hungry.
Ser/Estar
To be, more permanent/To be more temporary
El café es caliente.
El café está frío.
The coffee is hot. (normal state of being, generally accepted as true)
That particular cup of coffee is cold b/c coffe is normally hot.
El cielo es azul.
El cielo está nublado.
The sky is blue. (normal state of being, generally accepted as true)
The sky is cloudy now, but usually blue.
Nueva York es una ciudad emocionante.
Nueva York está aburrida esta noche.
New York is and exciting city. (normal state of being, generally accepted as true)
New York is boring tonight compared to what it usually is.
La sopa está caliente.
Means that the soup is hotter than one would expect since soup is generally hot.
Suzie es bonita./ Suzie está bonita.
Suzie is normally/generally beautiful./ Suzie is more beautiful than she normally is.
El chocolate es dulce.?El chocolate está dulce.
Chocolate is always/generally sweet. This chocolate is sweeter than normal chocolate.
Estoy en España. Estás en Panamá. Ella y yo estamos a la playa.
I am in Spain. You are in Panama. She and I are at the beach. Use estar for location.
La fiesta es a la casa de José.
The party is at José’s house. (Exception)
El partido de Cubs es a Wrigley Field.
The Cubs game is at Wrigley Field. (Exception)
Yo soy de Cuba.
I am from Cuba. (Use “ser” when talking about origin; origin does not change).
Son las dos.
It is two o’clock. ( use “ser” when referring to date or time)
Hoy es lunes, mañana es martes, y ayer es domingo.
Today is Monday, tomorrow is Tuesday. ( use “ser when referring to date or time)
Soy médico.
I am a doctor. (Use “ser” when talking about occupation) (no need to use “el, la, un, una” when talking about occupations)
Ella es abogada.
She is a lawyer. (Use “ser” when talking about occupation) (no need to use “el, la, un, una” when talking about occupations)
Tú eres me amigo./ Ella es mi esposa./ Yo soy tu hermano.
You are my friend. / She is my wife./ I am your brother.(Use “ser” for relationships).
Yo estoy leyendo un libro bueno ahorita.
I am reading a good book right now. (Use “estar” and present participle (“ing” in English) to refer to an action in progress.
Ya estoy trabajando.
I’m already working. (Use “estar” and present participle (“ing” in English) to refer to an action in progress.
Estoy nadando a la playa./ Mado a la playa.
I am swimming at the beach./ I swim at the beach ( like normally all the time, but can. . . be used to say the same. Best to use “ing” to make it clear.)
(Use “estar” and present participle (“ing” in English) to refer to an action in progress.
Bajo/Corto
Someone or something is not tall./Something is not long
El estudiante es bajo.
The student is short. (need to agree in gender and number)
El cabello de la niña es corto.
The girl’s hair is short. (need to agree in gender and number)
Firmar/Señal/ Letrero
Signing a contract. . ./A sign, signal indication etc/street sign, parking sign
Firmo todos los contractos por mi familia.
I sign all the contracts for my family/
Es una mal señal que te duele el estómago después de comer.
It’s a bad sign that your stomach hurts after eating.
Desde/Ya que/como
Since
El perro no ha comido desde ayer.
The dog has not eaten since yesterday.
El perro no ha comido desde que comiste.
The dog has not eaten since you ate. (“desde que” is used to say something hasn’t happened since a specific event.)
Ya que el pero no ha comido, déle algo comer.
Como el perro no ha comido, déle algo comer.
Puesto que el perro no ha comido, déle algo comer.
Pues el perro no ha comido, déle algo comer.
Since the dog has not eaten, give him something to eat.
“Puesto que” is more formal. “Pues” less formal.
Yo me salté la clase./Usted se saltó el desayuno./Ella se saltó la cita dentista.
I skipped the class/ You skipped breakfast./She skipped the dentist appt.
Así que/Pues/Tan/Tanto(a)
So/So much
¿Así que fuiste a la playa con mi novia?
¿Pues fuiste a la playa con mi novia?
So you went to the beach with my girlfriend?
Eres tan bonita.
Este árbol es tan alto.
Tu perro es tan inteligente.
You are so beautiful.
This tree is so tall.
Your dog is so intelligent.
Ella tiene tanto dinero.
Ella ha vivido en tantos lugares.
She has so much money.
She has lived in so many places.
Pasar/Gastar
To spend time/To spend money.
Ella pasa su tiempo libre en su casa e el campo.
She spends her time (passes her time) in her house in the country.
Ella tiene que gastar dinero para comprar gasolina.
She has to spend money in order to buy gasoline.
Todavía/Aún/seguir/Quieto
Still/Still/Still/Still (as in not moving).
Estoy enfermo todavía.
Estoy enfermo aún.
I am still sick.
Sigo enfermo
I am still sick. ( means “to follow” but used as “to continue” also.)
Ella sigue perdida.
Sigues joven.
She is still lost.
You are still young.
Sigo comiendo.
Ella sigue dormiendo.
Siguen luchando.
I am still eating.
She is still sleeping.
They are still fighting.
Sigo (or tadavía) con carro.
I still have a car.
Sigo sin creerte./ No te creo todavía.
I still don’t believe you.
Sigo sin carro./No tengo carro todavía.
I still don’t have a car.
Me quedé quieto cuando ví el léon.
I remained still when I saw the lion.
