Let’s talk! Spanish conversation practice

Podcast episode 91 – SEE ALL EPISODES

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Today I’ve got some great stuff for you.

We’re going to hear another lesson from my Spanish Audio Course. This lesson brings you a dialogue at a hotel, vocabulary audio flashcards, the verbs ‘ser’ and ‘estar’, how to master saying the letter ‘b’, and numbers 26 to 40.

So, let’s listen to Lesson 8 from my Spanish Audio Course.

DIALOGUE

We’re going to hear this lesson’s dialogue twice:

Sr. López: Buenas tardes, quiero una habitación doble.
Recepcionista: ¿Para cuántas noches?
Sr. López: Para cuatro. ¿Tienen habitaciones con baño?
Recepcionista: Sí. Todas las habitaciones tienen baño, televisión, aire acondicionado, teléfono y radio.
Sr. López: Vale.

And here is the dialogue with its translation:

Sr. López: Buenas tardes, quiero una habitación doble.
Mr López: Good afternoon, I want a double room.

Recepcionista: ¿Para cuántas noches?
Receptionist: For how many nights?

Sr. López: Para cuatro. ¿Tienen habitaciones con baño?
Mr López: Four. Do you have any rooms with bathroom?

Recepcionista: Sí. Todas las habitaciones tienen baño, televisión, aire acondicionado, teléfono y radio.
Receptionist: Yes. All the rooms have bathroom, television, air conditioning, telephone and radio.

Sr. López: Vale.
Mr López: OK.

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Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses

VOCABULARY AUDIO FLASHCARDS

Now we’re going to hear the 9 new words and phrases that came up in the dialogue together with their translation:

la noche
the night

el teléfono
the telephone

la televisión
the television

la radio
the radio

cuántas
how many (feminine)

todas
all (feminine)

el aire acondicionado
the air conditioning

quiero
I want

doble
double

Let’s now practise saying those 9 new words. I’ll say them in English. Can you say them to me in Spanish?

all (feminine)
todas

the radio
la radio

I want
quiero

double
doble

how many (feminine)
cuántas

the air conditioning
el aire acondicionado

the telephone
el teléfono

the night
la noche

the television
la televisión

Now that we’re familiar with the new words, let’s hear the dialogue once more. Can you repeat each line after the native speakers?

SPANISH GRAMMAR

In this lesson we’re going to learn more about the verbs ‘ser’ and ‘estar’. We learned these two verbs in lessons 4 and 5. Let’s say them again. Repeat after me:

estoy

estás

está

estamos

estáis

están

soy

eres

somos

sois

son

Have a look at
Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses

So, how do ser and estar compare? Let’s review the rules we saw in Lessons 4 & 5:

‘Ser’ is used to indicate:
1. Unchangeable physical characteristics

Whereas ‘estar’ indicates:
1. Temporary physical appearance

Here are two examples:

Somos morenos. – We’re dark-skinned.
Estamos morenos. – We have a tan.

‘Ser’ is used to indicate:
2. Nationalities and origin

Whereas ‘estar’ indicates:
2. Where people or things are

Here are two examples:

Eres mexicano. – You’re Mexican.
Estás en México. – You’re in Mexico.

‘Ser’ is used to indicate:
3. Permanent conditions

Whereas ‘estar’ indicates:
3. Temporary conditions

For example:

Pablo es muy elegante. – Paul is very elegant.
Pablo está muy elegante. – Paul is looking very elegant.

‘Ser’ also indicates:

4. Time and dates
5. Possession
6. Professions
7. What things are made of

‘Estar’ indicates:

4. Physical conditions
5. Moods and feelings

Here are more examples:

Estamos cansados. – We’re tired.

Son felices. – They’re happy.

Somos fuertes . – We’re strong.

Son aburridos. – They’re boring.

Están aburridos. – They’re bored.

To practise using these two verbs, can you say these 10 sentences in Spanish?

You (tú) are looking very elegant.
Estás muy elegante.

What time is it?
¿Qué hora es?

Margaret is very elegant.
Margarita es muy elegante.

They’re tired.
Están cansados.

We’re happy.
Somos felices.

I’m in California.
Estoy en California.

You (vosotros) are strong.
Sois fuertes.

They’re dark-skinned.
Son morenos.

We’re bored.
Estamos aburridos.

They’re boring.
Son aburridos.

Have a look at
Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses

SPANISH PRONUNCIATION

In this lesson we’re going to practise saying the letter ‘b’. Please repeat after me: ba, be, bi, bo, bu.

1. The Spanish ‘b’ and the English ‘b’ sound very similar, but not exactly the same.

2. The Spanish ‘b’ is softer, less ‘explosive’ than the English ‘b’.

3. The Spanish ‘b’ at the beginning of a word is stronger than in the middle.

Listen to these five Spanish words which look very similar in English but don’t sound the same:

probable
blusa
barbero
bárbaro
cable

Let’s now practise saying these five words. Repeat them after me:

probable

blusa

barbero

bárbaro

cable

And here are 4 words with the letter ‘b’ from this lesson’s dialogue. Repeat after me:

buenas

habitación

doble

baño

To sum up, let’s hear the dialogue one last time:

SPANISH LEARNING TIP

Learning a foreign language fast and well is less difficult than we often imagine, and there are some techniques that can dramatically bring in good results.

In my experience both as a teacher and as a language learner the key to success is regular reviewing of the lessons you’ve already gone through. Regular reviewing will improve your listening and speaking skills, it will boost your motivation and confidence, and it will give you the solid basic knowledge you need to learn fast.

Far from being a waste of time, reviewing is the most important exercise in language learning.

SPANISH NUMBERS

Now we’re going to learn numbers 26 to 40. This recording is also part of my Spanish Audio Course.

Let’s hear the Spanish numbers 26 to 29. Repeat after me:

26 – veintiséis

27 – veintisiete

28 – veintiocho

29 – veintinueve

And once again:

26 – veintiséis

27 – veintisiete

28 – veintiocho

29 – veintinueve

Notice how numbers 26 to 29 are a compound of veinte (twenty), plus numbers six to nine.

26 – veintiséis

27 – veintisiete

28 – veintiocho

29 – veintinueve

Let’s say 26 to 29 once again:

26 – veintiséis

27 – veintisiete

28 – veintiocho

29 – veintinueve

Have a look at
Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses

Let’s now go through numbers 30 to 39:

30 – treinta

31 – treinta y uno

32 – treinta y dos

33 – treinta y tres

34 – treinta y cuatro

35 – treinta y cinco

36 – treinta y seis

37 – treinta y siete

38 – treinta y ocho

39 – treinta y nueve

Let’s say them once again. Repeat after me:

30 – treinta

31 – treinta y uno

32 – treinta y dos

33 – treinta y tres

34 – treinta y cuatro

35 – treinta y cinco

36 – treinta y seis

37 – treinta y siete

38 – treinta y ocho

39 – treinta y nueve

Notice how numbers 31 to 39 are a compound of treinta (thirty), plus numbers one to nine.

31 – treinta y uno

32 – treinta y dos

33 – treinta y tres

34 – treinta y cuatro

35 – treinta y cinco

36 – treinta y seis

37 – treinta y siete

38 – treinta y ocho

39 – treinta y nueve

Let’s say 30 to 39 again:

30 – treinta

31 – treinta y uno

32 – treinta y dos

33 – treinta y tres

34 – treinta y cuatro

35 – treinta y cinco

36 – treinta y seis

37 – treinta y siete

38 – treinta y ocho

39 – treinta y nueve

Finally, let’s say number 40. Repeat after me:

40 – cuarenta

And once again:

40 – cuarenta

Have a look at
Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses

Let’s now say 20, 30 and 40:

20 – veinte

30 – treinta

40 – cuarenta

PRONUNCIATION TIP

Remember that the letter v sounds like a b in Spanish. Make sure you’re saying it correctly:

20 – veinte

21 – veintiuno

29 – veintinueve

To finish, let’s say numbers 26 to 40 once again. Repeat after me:

26 – veintiséis

27 – veintisiete

28 – veintiocho

29 – veintinueve

30 – treinta

31 – treinta y uno

32 – treinta y dos

33 – treinta y tres

34 – treinta y cuatro

35 – treinta y cinco

36 – treinta y seis

37 – treinta y siete

38 – treinta y ocho

39 – treinta y nueve

40 – cuarenta

Find out more about my Spanish courses.

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