Spanish version

Es <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Monday" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">lunes</span> por la tarde.

Lorenzo trabaja en una tienda de <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="sandwiches" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">bocadillos</span> en Huesca.

Sale del trabajo y va al <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="newsstand" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">quiosco</span>.

—Quiero el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="newspaper" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">periódico</span>, por favor.

—¿Y quiere un <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="ticket" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">billete</span> de lotería, <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Spanish national lottery" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">La Primitiva</span>? El <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="prize" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">premio</span> es muy grande.

—Sí, quiero uno.

—¿Qué <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="numbers" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">números</span>?

—Siete, diecinueve, veintitrés, treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos, cuarenta y ocho.

—Aquí está su billete.

Cuatro días después, Lorenzo está en el trabajo.

Hay muchos clientes.

—Hola. Queremos cinco bocadillos, por favor. Tres de jamón, uno de tortilla y uno de <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="cheese" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">queso</span>.

—Muy bien. Son veintiséis euros.

Una <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="hour" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">hora</span> después, es su hora de <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="break" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">descanso</span>.

Come un bocadillo. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="opens" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Abre</span> el periódico.

Mira la <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="page" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">página</span> de lotería. Ve los números <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="winning" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">ganadores</span>.

Saca su billete del bolsillo. Los números son <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="same" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">iguales</span>. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="all" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Todos</span>.

—¡Son mis números! ¡Soy rico!

—Lorenzo, ¿qué pasa? —dice su <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="boss" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">jefe</span>.

—¡Ciento veintisiete <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="millions" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">millones</span> de euros! ¡Soy <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="millionaire" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">millonario</span>!

Lorenzo sale de la tienda muy rápido.

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="invites" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Invita</span> a veinticinco amigos a un restaurante muy <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="expensive" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">caro</span>.

Comen. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="they drink" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Beben</span> <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="wine" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">vino</span> caro.

El camarero trae la <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="bill" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cuenta</span>.

—Son cuatro mil quinientos euros, señor.

—Lorenzo... es muy caro, ¿no? —dice un amigo.

—¿Caro? No, no. ¡Es muy <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="cheap" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">barato</span>!

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="pays" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Paga</span> con su <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="credit card" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">tarjeta de crédito</span>.

El <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Saturday" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">sábado</span>, Lorenzo <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="goes shopping" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">va de compras</span>.

Entra en una tienda de relojes.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="how much does it cost?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Cuánto cuesta</span> ese reloj?

—Ocho mil euros.

—Perfecto. Quiero el reloj.

Va a una tienda de ropa.

—¿Este <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="coat" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">abrigo</span>? ¿Cuánto cuesta?

—Tres mil doscientos euros.

—Sí, lo compro.

Compra <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="shoes" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">zapatos</span>. Mil quinientos euros.

Compra una chaqueta. Dos mil euros.

El domingo, Lorenzo camina por la calle.

—Señor, por favor. Tengo hambre. Necesito dinero para comer —dice un <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="man" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">hombre</span>.

Lorenzo saca su <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="wallet" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">billetera</span>.

—Toma. Mil euros.

—¿¿Mil euros?? ¡Muchas gracias, señor!

El lunes por la <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="morning" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">mañana</span>, Lorenzo entra en el quiosco.

—Hola. Aquí está mi billete. Soy millonario.

El vendedor sonríe.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="seriously?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿En serio?</span> <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Congratulations!" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¡Felicidades</span>, señor! <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="let's see" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">A ver</span>...

El vendedor mira el billete. Mira el ordenador y dice:

—Señor... este billete no tiene premio.

—¡¿Qué?! ¡¿Cómo?! ¡Es imposible!

—Los números son del <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Thursday" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">jueves</span>. Su billete es del sábado.

Lorenzo no habla. Está muy nervioso.

El vendedor mira el ordenador otra vez.

—Ah, espere. Tengo buenas <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="news" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">noticias</span>.

—¿De verdad?

—Este billete tiene tres números correctos. ¡Gana trece euros!

—¿¿Trece... euros??

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="better than nothing, right?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Mejor que nada, no?</span>

Spanish story with English translation

Es lunes por la tarde.

It is Monday afternoon.

Lorenzo trabaja en una tienda de bocadillos en Huesca.

Lorenzo works at a sandwich shop in Huesca.

Sale del trabajo y va al quiosco.

He leaves work and goes to the kiosk.

—Quiero el periódico, por favor.

"I want the newspaper, please."

—¿Y quiere un billete de lotería, La Primitiva? El premio es muy grande.

"And do you want a lottery ticket, La Primitiva? The prize is very big."

—Sí, quiero uno.

"Yes, I want one."

—¿Qué números?

"What numbers?"

—Siete, diecinueve, veintitrés, treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos, cuarenta y ocho.

"Seven, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty-one, forty-two, forty-eight."

—Aquí está su billete.

"Here is your ticket."

Cuatro días después, Lorenzo está en el trabajo.

Four days later, Lorenzo is at work.

Hay muchos clientes.

There are many customers.

—Hola. Queremos cinco bocadillos, por favor. Tres de jamón, uno de tortilla y uno de queso.

"Hello. We want five sandwiches, please. Three ham, one omelet, and one cheese."

—Muy bien. Son veintiséis euros.

"Very well. That's twenty-six euros."

Una hora después, es su hora de descanso.

One hour later, it is his break time.

Come un bocadillo. Abre el periódico.

He eats a sandwich. He opens the newspaper.

Mira la página de lotería. Ve los números ganadores.

He looks at the lottery page. He sees the winning numbers.

Saca su billete del bolsillo. Los números son iguales. Todos.

He takes his ticket out of his pocket. The numbers are the same. All of them.

—¡Son mis números! ¡Soy rico!

"They are my numbers! I'm rich!"

—Lorenzo, ¿qué pasa? —dice su jefe.

"Lorenzo, what's happening?" says his boss.

—¡Ciento veintisiete millones de euros! ¡Soy millonario!

"One hundred twenty-seven million euros! I'm a millionaire!"

Lorenzo sale de la tienda muy rápido.

Lorenzo leaves the shop very quickly.

Invita a veinticinco amigos a un restaurante muy caro.

He invites twenty-five friends to a very expensive restaurant.

Comen. Beben vino caro.

They eat. They drink expensive wine.

El camarero trae la cuenta.

The waiter brings the bill.

—Son cuatro mil quinientos euros, señor.

"That's four thousand five hundred euros, sir."

—Lorenzo... es muy caro, ¿no? —dice un amigo.

"Lorenzo... it's very expensive, isn't it?" says a friend.

—¿Caro? No, no. ¡Es muy barato!

"Expensive? No, no. It's very cheap!"

Paga con su tarjeta de crédito.

He pays with his credit card.

El sábado, Lorenzo va de compras.

On Saturday, Lorenzo goes shopping.

Entra en una tienda de relojes.

He enters a watch store.

—¿Cuánto cuesta ese reloj?

"How much does that watch cost?"

—Ocho mil euros.

"Eight thousand euros."

—Perfecto. Quiero el reloj.

"Perfect. I want the watch."

Va a una tienda de ropa.

He goes to a clothing store.

—¿Este abrigo? ¿Cuánto cuesta?

"This coat? How much does it cost?"

—Tres mil doscientos euros.

"Three thousand two hundred euros."

—Sí, lo compro.

"Yes, I'll buy it."

Compra zapatos. Mil quinientos euros.

He buys shoes. One thousand five hundred euros.

Compra una chaqueta. Dos mil euros.

He buys a jacket. Two thousand euros.

El domingo, Lorenzo camina por la calle.

On Sunday, Lorenzo walks down the street.

—Señor, por favor. Tengo hambre. Necesito dinero para comer —dice un hombre.

"Sir, please. I'm hungry. I need money to eat," says a man.

Lorenzo saca su billetera.

Lorenzo takes out his wallet.

—Toma. Mil euros.

"Here. One thousand euros."

—¿¿Mil euros?? ¡Muchas gracias, señor!

"One thousand euros?? Thank you very much, sir!"

El lunes por la mañana, Lorenzo entra en el quiosco.

On Monday morning, Lorenzo enters the kiosk.

—Hola. Aquí está mi billete. Soy millonario.

"Hello. Here is my ticket. I'm a millionaire."

El vendedor sonríe.

The seller smiles.

—¿En serio? ¡Felicidades, señor! A ver...

"Really? Congratulations, sir! Let's see..."

El vendedor mira el billete. Mira el ordenador y dice:

The seller looks at the ticket. He looks at the computer and says:

—Señor... este billete no tiene premio.

"Sir... this ticket has no prize."

—¡¿Qué?! ¡¿Cómo?! ¡Es imposible!

"What?! How?! It's impossible!"

—Los números son del jueves. Su billete es del sábado.

"The numbers are from Thursday. Your ticket is from Saturday."

Lorenzo no habla. Está muy nervioso.

Lorenzo doesn't speak. He is very nervous.

El vendedor mira la computadora otra vez.

The seller looks at the computer again.

—Ah, espere. Tengo buenas noticias.

"Ah, wait. I have good news."

—¿De verdad?

"Really?"

—Este billete tiene tres números correctos. ¡Gana trece euros!

"This ticket has three correct numbers. You win thirteen euros!"

—¿¿Trece... euros??

"Thirteen... euros??"

—¿Mejor que nada, no?

"Better than nothing, right?"

Illustration of a girl stacking triangular cards, representing the key Vocabulary Flashcards
Part 2

Vocabulary Flashcards

Instructions
Illustration of a person going through a circular frame, representing the story challenge
Part 3

Story Challenge

Instructions
Review Story
Illustration of a girl assembling puzzle pieces, representing the patterns challenge
Part 4

Patterns Challenge

Instructions

Challenge

Flashcards

Illustration of a girl sitting with headphones and a book, representing the listening challenge
Part 5

Listening Challenge

Instructions
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Part 6

Writing Challenge

Instructions

Elena

Solo

Discussion

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Example: Los clientes compran cinco bocadillos. Tres de jamón, uno de tortilla y uno de queso. El total es veintiséis euros

Notes:

  • "Veintiséis" is one word. All numbers from 16 to 29 are written together: dieciséis, diecisiete, veintiuno, veintiséis.
  • "Compran" because los clientes is plural. One client "compra," multiple clients "compran."
  • "Uno de tortilla" but "un bocadillo." Uno shortens to "un" before a masculine noun, but stays "uno" when the noun is implied.

Example: ¿Cuánto cuesta el reloj? ¿Cuánto cuesta el abrigo? ¿Cuánto cuestan los zapatos?

Notes:

  • "¿Cuánto cuesta?" is the essential shopping phrase in Spanish. You'll use it constantly.
  • "Cuesta" for one thing, "cuestan" for more than one. Los zapatos are always plural in Spanish (like "pants" in English), so: "cuestan."
  • Notice the item comes after the verb: ¿Cuánto cuesta EL RELOJ? Not "el reloj cuánto cuesta."

Example: No es barato. Es muy caro. Soy estudiante. Solo tengo cuarenta y ocho euros

Notes:

  • "Barato" (cheap) and "caro" (expensive) are opposites. Lorenzo thinks 4,500 is barato. Most people disagree.
  • From 30 onward, numbers split into separate words: cuarenta y ocho (48), treinta y uno (31). Compare with the 16-29 range where they're one word.
  • "Solo" before the verb works like "only" in English. "Solo tengo cuarenta y ocho euros" = I only have 48 euros. You'll see it everywhere in everyday Spanish.

Example: Tengo siete números. El premio es un millón de euros. El billete cuesta dos euros. Gano trece euros

Notes:

  • "Un millón DE euros." Millions always need "de" before the noun. You'd never say "un millón euros."
  • "Gano" comes from "ganar" (to win/to earn). Regular AR verb: gano, ganas, gana, ganamos, ganan. You'll also hear it for salary: "gano dos mil euros al mes" (I earn two thousand euros per month).

Example: Lorenzo está en un restaurante con veinticinco amigos. La cuenta es cuatro mil quinientos euros. Es muy caro. Lorenzo paga con la tarjeta de crédito

Notes:

  • "Lorenzo está en un restaurante" uses ESTAR (where he is right now), but "la cuenta es cuatro mil quinientos" uses SER (what the bill amounts to). Two different jobs, two different verbs.
  • For thousands, just stack the pieces: cuatro (4) + mil (1,000) + quinientos (500) = 4,500. No "y" between them.
  • You never say "un mil" for 1,000. Just "mil." So "mil quinientos," not "un mil quinientos."

Example: Lorenzo está en el quiosco el lunes. Está muy contento. El billete no tiene el premio. Los números son del jueves. Gana trece euros. Lorenzo está muy nervioso

Notes:

  • "El lunes" means "on Monday." Spanish uses the article instead of a preposition for days of the week. Same pattern: el martes, el miércoles, el sábado.
  • Three uses of ESTAR here doing different work: "está en el quiosco" (location), "está contento" (feeling before the news), "está nervioso" (feeling after). All temporary situations, all ESTAR.
  • "Del jueves" is a contraction: de + el = del. You can't say "de el jueves." Same contraction as "sale del trabajo" in the story.

Reply in Spanish and join the discussion!

Lorenzo buys a lottery ticket, invites twenty-five friends to dinner and gives money to a stranger! What about you?

  1. Do you buy lottery tickets?
  2. Are you generous like Lorenzo?
  3. Do you invite friends to eat or do they invite you?

Comments section for language learners

Illustration of a confident woman being interviewed with multiple microphones, representing the speaking challenge
Part 7

Speaking Challenge

Instructions

Welcome to Huesca, where a bocadillo costs five euros and a lottery mix-up costs everything else. You'll run a shop, chat with Lorenzo and bother a stranger on a flight because this story is too good to keep to yourself.

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Scenario 4

Scenario 5

The Watch Store

You work in a watch store in Huesca. Lorenzo walks in looking very excited. He starts pointing at watches one by one, asking how much each one costs.

Your task - tell Lorenzo the price of each watch:

  1. Greet Lorenzo when he enters your store
  2. Tell him the price of the first watch (twenty euros)
  3. Tell him the price of the second watch (forty-five euros)
  4. Tell him the price of the third watch (ninety-five euros)
  5. Tell him the price of the fourth watch (four hundred and fifty euros)
  6. Tell him the price of the most expensive watch in the store (eight thousand euros) and say something about it (big? beautiful? very good?)

Speak for 30-45 seconds

Reveal sample answer

  1. ¡Hola! Buenas tardes.
    1. Hi! Good afternoon.
  2. Cuesta veinte euros.
    1. It costs twenty euros.
  3. Cuesta cuarenta y cinco euros.
    1. It costs forty-five euros.
  4. Cuesta noventa y cinco euros.
    1. It costs ninety-five euros.
  5. Cuesta cuatrocientos cincuenta euros.
    1. It costs four hundred and fifty euros.
  6. Cuesta ocho mil euros. Es un reloj muy bonito. / Es muy bueno.
    1. It costs eight thousand euros. It's a very beautiful watch. / It's very good.

Behind the Counter

It's a busy Friday at the bocadillo shop. You're Lorenzo, working the register. A group of four friends walks in, all talking at once.

Your task - take the group's order and tell them the total:

  1. Greet the group when they come in
  2. Tell them what kinds of bocadillos the shop has (ham, omelette, cheese)
  3. Tell them the price of each bocadillo (ham five euros, omelette four euros, cheese four euros)
  4. Tell them what drinks you have and the price of each (water two euros, beer three euros, wine four euros)
  5. The group orders three ham bocadillos, one cheese, and two beers. Repeat the order back to them
  6. Tell them the total is twenty-five euros

Speak for 1 - 1.5 minutes

Reveal sample answer

  1. ¡Hola! Buenas tardes. Bienvenidos.
    1. Hi! Good afternoon. Welcome.
  2. Tenemos bocadillos de jamón, de tortilla y de queso.
    1. We have ham, omelette, and cheese bocadillos.
  3. El bocadillo de jamón cuesta cinco euros, el de tortilla cuesta cuatro euros y el de queso cuesta cuatro euros.
    1. The ham bocadillo costs five euros, the omelette one costs four euros, and the cheese one costs four euros.
  4. Tenemos agua, cerveza y vino. El agua cuesta dos euros, la cerveza cuesta tres euros y el vino cuesta cuatro euros.
    1. We have water, beer, and wine. Water costs two euros, beer costs three euros, and wine costs four euros.
  5. Muy bien. Tres bocadillos de jamón, uno de queso y dos cervezas.
    1. Very good. Three ham bocadillos, one cheese, and two beers.
  6. Son veinticinco euros. / El total son veinticinco euros.
    1. That's twenty-five euros. / The total is twenty-five euros.

Prices Where You Live

You're chatting with Lorenzo during his break at the bocadillo shop. He's curious about your country. "How much do things cost where you live? Is it expensive or cheap?"

Your task - talk with Lorenzo:

  1. Tell Lorenzo where you are from (country, city)
  2. Tell him how much a coffee costs where you live
  3. Tell him how much a newspaper costs
  4. Tell him how much a bottle of water costs
  5. Tell him how much a beer costs
  6. Tell him how much dinner at a restaurant costs for two people
  7. Say if your city is expensive or cheap
  8. Ask Lorenzo how much a bocadillo costs in Huesca and if Huesca is expensive or cheap

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

  1. Soy de [city], en [country].
    1. I'm from [city], in [country].
  2. Un café cuesta [number] euros / dólares.
    1. A coffee costs [number] euros / dollars.
  3. Un periódico cuesta [number] euros / dólares.
    1. A newspaper costs [number] euros / dollars.
  4. Una botella de agua cuesta [number] euros / dólares.
    1. A bottle of water costs [number] euros / dollars.
  5. Una cerveza cuesta [number] euros / dólares.
    1. A beer costs [number] euros / dollars.
  6. En un restaurante, para dos personas, son [number] euros / dólares.
    1. At a restaurant, for two people, it's [number] euros / dollars.
  7. Mi ciudad es cara. / Mi ciudad es barata. / Mi ciudad no es muy cara.
    1. My city is expensive. / My city is cheap. / My city isn't very expensive.
  8. ¿Cuánto cuesta un bocadillo en Huesca? ¿Huesca es cara o barata?
    1. How much does a bocadillo cost in Huesca? Is Huesca expensive or cheap?

Lorenzo's Boss

Lorenzo just ran out of the shop screaming. A confused customer at the counter turns to you (you're Lorenzo's boss). She looks at you and says: "What is happening?"

Your task - explain the situation to the customer:

  1. Describe who Lorenzo is (his name, his job, where he works)
  2. Explain that Lorenzo has a lottery ticket and the ticket has a prize
  3. Tell the customer what Lorenzo says (that he's a millionaire)
  4. Say how much money Lorenzo says the prize is (one hundred and twenty-seven million euros)
  5. Tell the customer you are alone in the shop now and the shop has many customers
  6. Ask the customer what she needs

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

  1. Lorenzo trabaja aquí, en la tienda de bocadillos.
    1. Lorenzo works here, in the sandwich shop.
  2. Lorenzo tiene un billete de lotería. El billete tiene premio.
    1. Lorenzo has a lottery ticket. The ticket has a prize.
  3. Él dice que es millonario.
    1. He says he's a millionaire.
  4. El premio es de ciento veintisiete millones de euros.
    1. The prize is worth one hundred and twenty-seven million euros.
  5. Ahora estoy solo/a en la tienda. La tienda tiene muchos clientes.
    1. Now I'm alone in the shop. The shop has many customers.
  6. ¿Qué necesita usted?
    1. What do you need?

The Passenger Who Can't Keep Quiet

You're six hours into an eight-hour flight. You can't sleep because you keep thinking about Lorenzo's story. The woman next to you is fast asleep with an eye mask on. You tap her on the shoulder. "Sorry, but I need to tell someone about this story right now."

Your task - tell the story in your own words:

  1. Who is Lorenzo? (name, city, job)
  2. What does Lorenzo buy at the kiosk? (what does he ask for? what numbers does he pick?)
  3. What does Lorenzo find in the newspaper four days later?
  4. How much is the prize? What does Lorenzo say to his boss?
  5. Describe the restaurant dinner (how many friends? how much is the bill? is it expensive or cheap for Lorenzo?)
  6. Describe Lorenzo's shopping day on Saturday (what does he buy? how much does each thing cost?)
  7. What happens on Sunday with the man on the street? (what does the man need? how much money does Lorenzo give?)
  8. What is the problem with Lorenzo's ticket on Monday? (which day are the winning numbers from? which day is his ticket from?)
  9. How much does Lorenzo really win?
  10. What do you think about this story? Why? (Esta historia es...)
  11. What do you think about Lorenzo? (Lorenzo es...)

Speak for 2 - 2.5 minutes

Reveal sample answer

  1. Lorenzo trabaja en una tienda de bocadillos en Huesca.
    1. Lorenzo works in a sandwich shop in Huesca.
  2. Lorenzo compra un periódico y un billete de lotería en el quiosco. Los números son: siete, diecinueve, veintitrés, treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos, cuarenta y ocho.
    1. Lorenzo buys a newspaper and a lottery ticket at the kiosk. The numbers are: seven, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty-one, forty-two, forty-eight.
  3. Cuatro días después, Lorenzo mira el periódico. Los números ganadores son iguales a los números del billete.
    1. Four days later, Lorenzo looks at the newspaper. The winning numbers are the same as the numbers on the ticket.
  4. El premio es de ciento veintisiete millones de euros. Lorenzo dice: "¡Soy millonario!"
    1. The prize is worth one hundred and twenty-seven million euros. Lorenzo says: "I'm a millionaire!"
  5. Lorenzo invita a veinticinco amigos a un restaurante muy caro. La cuenta es cuatro mil quinientos euros. Para Lorenzo, no es caro. Es muy barato.
    1. Lorenzo invites twenty-five friends to a very expensive restaurant. The bill is four thousand five hundred euros. For Lorenzo, it's not expensive. It's very cheap.
  6. El sábado, Lorenzo compra un reloj de ocho mil euros, un abrigo de tres mil doscientos euros, zapatos de mil quinientos euros y una chaqueta de dos mil euros.
    1. On Saturday, Lorenzo buys a watch for eight thousand euros, a coat for three thousand two hundred euros, shoes for one thousand five hundred euros, and a jacket for two thousand euros.
  7. El domingo, un hombre en la calle necesita dinero para comer. Lorenzo da mil euros al hombre.
    1. On Sunday, a man on the street needs money to eat. Lorenzo gives one thousand euros to the man.
  8. El lunes, el vendedor del quiosco mira el billete. El billete no tiene premio. Los números ganadores son del jueves. El billete de Lorenzo es del sábado.
    1. On Monday, the kiosk vendor looks at the ticket. The ticket has no prize. The winning numbers are from Thursday. Lorenzo's ticket is from Saturday.
  9. Lorenzo gana trece euros.
    1. Lorenzo wins thirteen euros.
  10. Esta historia es muy divertida porque Lorenzo gasta mucho dinero y solo gana trece euros.
    1. This story is very funny because Lorenzo spends a lot of money and only wins thirteen euros.
  11. Lorenzo es muy divertido. / Lorenzo no es muy inteligente. / Lorenzo es un poco loco.
    1. Lorenzo is very funny. / Lorenzo isn't very smart. / Lorenzo is a bit crazy.
Illustration of people around a globe with location markers, representing the culture section.
Part 8

Culture

Context

1. Lorenzo Played One of the Oldest Lotteries on Earth

Spain doesn't just play the lottery. Spain lives the lottery.

Lotteries have been part of the culture since 1763, when King Charles III launched the very first one. That's over 260 years ago. And they never really stopped.

La Primitiva

The game Lorenzo plays, La Primitiva, is one of the oldest number-draw lotteries still running in the world.

It started in 1763, got shut down in 1862 and came back in 1985.

Today it draws three times a week (Monday, Thursday and Saturday at around 9:30 PM). You pick 6 numbers from 1 to 49 and a ticket costs just €1. Jackpots start at a few million and roll over with no cap… they've gone past €100 million.

Monday. Thursday. Saturday. Three different draws. Three different sets of winning numbers.

Lorenzo… did not check which one was his.

A country that takes its gambling seriously

La Primitiva is just one game. Spain has a whole calendar of them.

But the big on is El Gordo ("the fat one"). Spain's Christmas lottery. This is not a normal lottery. This is a national event.

It draws every December 22nd. Children from a school in Madrid sing every winning number live on TV for over four hours. The entire country watches.

Offices pool money to buy tickets together. Bars hand out cava (Spanish sparkling wine) when a local number wins.

An estimated 70-90% of Spanish adults participate every year. The total prize pool? Over €2.7 billion.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this: in Spain, the lottery is not a hobby. It's a cultural institution.

And it all starts at a quiosco.

The quiosco on the corner

Those little street stands you see on practically every corner in Spanish cities? That's a quiosco.

They sell newspapers, magazines, sweets, drinks and yes… lottery tickets.

They've been part of daily life for over a century. You'll see them near plazas, outside metro stations, tucked into busy streets.

They're slowly disappearing as newspaper sales drop, but lottery sales? Those keep them alive.

Lorenzo's quiosco in Huesca is exactly this. A guy behind a counter, a rack of newspapers and a drawer full of La Primitiva tickets.

2. Lorenzo Makes Bocadillos for a Living (and They Deserve Their Own Section)

OK so the bocadillo. If you've never had one… you'll wonder how something so simple can be that good.

What it actually is

A bocadillo is a Spanish sandwich. But calling it a sandwich doesn't do it justice.

Take a piece of barra de pan (crusty bread, similar to a baguette). Cut it open. Put one good thing inside. Maybe two. Close it. That's it.

No lettuce towers. No six different sauces. No "build your own" menus. Just bread and something worth eating.

Stack of bocadillos de jamón with crusty bread on a bar display counter
Crusty bread. Good ham. A bar counter. Spain in one photo.

The classics:

  • Jamón
  • Tortilla española (potato omelette, sliced thick)
  • Queso (cheese, usually Manchego)
  • Chorizo (cured pork sausage)
  • Calamares (fried squid rings in bread… a whole thing in Madrid and my favorite by the way)

Working-class food that everybody eats

Bocadillos became a symbol of affordable food from the 1950s onward.

Bocadillerías (sandwich shops like the one Lorenzo works in) are everywhere.

Workers would bring one from home or grab one at a bar during the almuerzo (a mid-morning break, around 10 or 11 AM, where many Spaniards eat something more filling than their light breakfast).

(If someone told me I could only keep one Spanish tradition… I'd probably pick this one. Sorry, siestas.)

3. Huesca: The Spain Nobody Tells You About

This story is set in Huesca. Not Madrid. Not Barcelona. Not Granada or Seville.

Huesca. Population: about 55,000. One of the smallest provincial capitals in Spain. Most people outside the country haven't heard of it.

And that's exactly why I like it there and so will you.

Aerial view of the Castle of Loarre perched on a rocky hilltop in Huesca province with the Aragón plains below
The Castle of Loarre, on a hilltop above the Aragón plains. Built in the 11th century to defend the Kingdom of Aragón.

A very old, very quiet city with mountains behind it

Huesca sits on a plateau in Aragón, northeastern Spain, with the Pyrenees visible to the north.

It's walkable. It's calm.

The kind of place where the streets go quiet in the afternoon and the same bartender knows your name by your third visit.

But there’s much more to the city above its size:

  • It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragón until 1118 (that's a big deal… Aragón was one of the most powerful kingdoms in medieval Europe)
  • Its Gothic cathedral, started in the 1200s, has an alabaster altar carved in the 1520s that's genuinely one of the most beautiful things in northern Spain
  • San Pedro el Viejo (one of the oldest Romanesque churches on the Iberian Peninsula, begun around 1100) is still standing in the centre of town

Every August the whole city turns green and white for the Fiestas de San Lorenzo (a local festival honouring Saint Lawrence, who was actually born here).

If you've never experienced a small Spanish city in fiesta mode… it's loud, it's joyful, it runs until 5 AM and nobody wants it to end.

This is real Spain

I talk about Huesca because this is the part of Spain I'd send you to if you told me you wanted something real.

I always tell my friends that Huesca it's proof that the best parts of Spain aren't always the famous ones.

Not the Instagram version. The version where you walk into a bar at 10:30 AM and eat a bocadillo next to a guy who's been coming there for thirty years.

Some of the best canyoning in Europe in the Sierra de Guara gorges, less than an hour south. The Ordesa valley to the north with waterfalls so beautiful they don't look real.

Medieval villages like Aínsa and Alquézar that belong on a postcard.

Aerial view of Alquézar village in Huesca province with stone buildings and a fortress perched on a clifftop
Alquézar from above. A tiny village of stone houses stacked on a cliff, a fortress on the top and Sierra de Guara in the background.

A wine region (Somontano) where the wine is great, the views are better and a good bottle costs you almost nothing.

And the Pyrenees just… sitting there in the background the whole time.

Huesca province won top adventure destination in Europe at the World Travel Awards. I'm not surprised. I'm just surprised it took this long.

That's real Spain if you ask me. Just… people living their lives in beautiful, quiet places with way too much history for how small they are.

Go. Seriously.

A three-day trip to Huesca will cost you less than what Lorenzo spent on shoes. And you'll actually have something to show for it.

Day one: Old centre of Huesca. Cathedral. Bocadillo at a bar near Plaza López Allué around 11 AM. Afternoon: drive 30 minutes to the Castle of Loarre, one of the best-preserved Romanesque fortresses in Europe.

Day two: Sierra de Guara for canyoning (or just the views). The village of Alquézar for lunch… stone streets, a clifftop church, Somontano wine.

Day three: North into the Pyrenees. Ordesa valley for waterfalls and forests. Stop in Aínsa on the way (medieval square, coffee, forget to leave).

Aerial view of the Ordesa valley in the Pyrenees showing deep canyon cliffs and forested gorge in autumn
The Ordesa valley in the Aragonese Pyrenees, Huesca province.

Go. And when you're on your second glass of Somontano wine in a village that's been there since the Middle Ages, with the Pyrenees in the distance and nowhere to be… you'll get it.

You don't need to thank me. But you will.

(And if you happen to buy a La Primitiva ticket at a quiosco in Huesca… you already know what I'm going to say.)

Did You Know?

  • 🏔️ The Pyrenees are less than an hour from Huesca by car. Lorenzo lives closer to France than to Madrid. The French border is about 100 km north of Huesca. Madrid is over 350 km south
  • 🎬 Huesca has hosted an international short film festival every summer since 1973. It's one of the longest-running in the world… in a city of 55,000 people
  • 🏰 The Castle of Loarre was used by Ridley Scott as a filming location for Kingdom of Heaven starring Orlando Bloom. It's considered the best-preserved Romanesque castle in Europe
  • 🎬 Huesca has hosted an international short film festival every summer since 1973. One of the longest-running in the world… in a city of 55,000
  • 🍷 The Somontano wine region just south of Huesca has been producing wine since Roman times. The name means "under the mountain" in old Aragonese
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7. El billete de Lorenzo

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7:45
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Learning guide

Table of Contents

1. Story:
El billete de Lorenzo
2. Flashcards
3. Story challenge
4. Patterns
5. Listening
6. Writing
7. Speaking
8. Culture