Spanish version

Franco vive en Bilbao.

Llega el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="brother" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">hermano</span> de Franco con Pedrito. Pedrito tiene seis años.

—Franco, ¿<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="can you" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">puedes</span> <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="to look after" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cuidar</span> a Pedrito <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="this afternoon" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">esta tarde</span>? Dos o tres horas.

Franco <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="sighs" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">suspira</span>.

—Vale...

El hermano se va.

—Bueno Pedrito, ¿vamos al <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="park" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">parque</span>?

—¿Dónde está el parque?

—Está cerca. A diez minutos.

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

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="uncle" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Tío</span>, <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="what is that?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿qué es eso?</span>

—Un coche.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="what color is it?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿De qué color es?</span>

—Rojo.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="why?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Por qué</span> es rojo?

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="because" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Porque</span> el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="owner" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">dueño</span> quiere un coche rojo.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="who is it?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Quién es</span> el dueño?

—No lo sé.

Llegan al parque de Doña Casilda.

Pedrito ve un animal.

—¿Qué es eso?

—Un <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="duck" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">pato</span>.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="what is it called?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Cómo se llama?</span>

—No lo sé… es un pato.

—¿Dónde vive?

—En el parque.

—¿Qué come?

—Comida para patos.

—¿Por qué?

—Porque... es un pato.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="what time is it?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Qué hora es?</span>

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="it's half past three" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Son las tres y media</span>.

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

—A las seis.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="how much time is left?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Cuánto tiempo falta?</span>

—Dos horas y media.

Pedrito ve a una <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="woman" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">mujer</span>.

—¿Quién es esa <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="lady" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">señora</span>?

—No sé.

—¿Cuántos años tiene?

—No sé.

—¿Dónde vive ella?

—Pedrito, no sé dónde vive.

—¿Por qué <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="it's hot" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">hace calor</span>?

—Porque es <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="summer" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">verano</span>.

—¿Cuándo <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="it's cold" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">hace frío</span>?

—En <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="winter" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">invierno</span>.

—¿Por qué?

—Porque sí.

—¿Dónde está mamá?

—En casa.

—¿Qué hace?

—Trabaja.

—¿Dónde trabaja?

—En una oficina.

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

—A las seis.

—¿Por qué trabaja?

—Para ganar dinero.

—¿Cuánto dinero?

—Pedrito... no sé.

—¿Dónde viven los <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="birds" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">pájaros</span>?

—En los <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="trees" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">árboles</span>.

Pedrito <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="counts" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cuenta</span> los árboles.

—Uno, dos, tres... <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="how many?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Cuántos</span> árboles hay?

—Muchos.

—¿Cuántos patos hay?

—Tres.

—¿En todo el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="world" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">mundo</span>?

—No. Aquí en el parque.

Pedrito ve una <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="ball" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">pelota</span>.

—¿De quién es esa pelota?

—De ese <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="boy" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">niño</span>.

—¿Dónde está mi pelota?

—En tu casa.

—¿Cuántas pelotas tienes tú?

—No tengo pelotas.

—¿Por qué no?

—¡Porque soy adulto!

—¿Por qué eres adulto?

—Porque tengo treinta años.

—¿Por qué tienes treinta años?

—Porque es mi <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="age" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">edad</span>.

—¿Por qué no tienes cuarenta?

Franco está <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="angry" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">enfadado</span>.

—¡Pedrito, <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="enough!" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">basta</span>!

—¿Por qué?

—¡No más preguntas!

Hay silencio.

Treinta <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="seconds" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">segundos</span> después.

—Tío...

—¿Qué? ¿Otra pregunta?

—No. Quiero <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="ice cream" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">helado</span>.

—¿Helado? Vale. ¿Dónde hay helado?

—Allí. Esa <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="shop" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">tienda</span>.

—Vale. Te <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I buy" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">compro</span> helado. Pero no más preguntas, ¿vale?

—Vale. No más preguntas.

—¿Prometes?

—Sí, <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I promise" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">prometo</span>.

Franco compra helado: dos bolas, de fresa y plátano.

Se sientan. Pedrito come helado.

Franco <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="closes" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cierra</span> los <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="eyes" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">ojos</span>. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="finally" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Por fin</span>. No hay más preguntas.

Diez segundos después.

—Tío Franco...

—¿Qué?

—¿Por qué el helado es frío?

Spanish story with English translation

Franco vive en Bilbao.

Franco lives in Bilbao.

Llega el hermano de Franco con Pedrito. Pedrito tiene seis años.

Franco's brother arrives with Pedrito. Pedrito is six years old.

—Franco, ¿puedes cuidar a Pedrito esta tarde? Dos o tres horas.

"Franco, can you take care of Pedrito this afternoon? Two or three hours."

Franco suspira.

Franco sighs.

—Vale...

"Okay..."

El hermano se va.

The brother leaves.

—Bueno Pedrito, ¿vamos al parque?

"Well Pedrito, shall we go to the park?"

—¿Dónde está el parque?

"Where is the park?"

—Está cerca. A diez minutos.

"It's close. Ten minutes away."

Caminan por la calle.

They walk down the street.

—Tío, ¿qué es eso?

"Uncle, what is that?"

—Un coche.

"A car."

—¿De qué color es?

"What color is it?"

—Rojo.

"Red."

—¿Por qué es rojo?

"Why is it red?"

—Porque el dueño quiere un coche rojo.

"Because the owner wants a red car."

—¿Quién es el dueño?

"Who is the owner?"

—No lo sé.

"I don't know."

Llegan al parque de Doña Casilda.

They arrive at Doña Casilda Park.

Pedrito ve un animal.

Pedrito sees an animal.

—¿Qué es eso?

"What is that?"

—Un pato.

"A duck."

—¿Cómo se llama?

"What is its name?"

—No lo sé… es un pato.

"I don't know... it's a duck."

—¿Dónde vive?

"Where does it live?"

—En el parque.

"In the park."

—¿Qué come?

"What does it eat?"

—Comida para patos.

"Food for ducks."

—¿Por qué?

"Why?"

—Porque... es un pato.

"Because... it's a duck."

—¿Qué hora es?

"What time is it?"

—Son las tres y media.

"It's three thirty."

—¿Cuándo comemos?

"When do we eat?"

—A las seis.

"At six."

—¿Cuánto tiempo falta?

"How much time is left?"

—Dos horas y media.

"Two and a half hours."

Pedrito ve a una mujer.

Pedrito sees a woman.

—¿Quién es esa señora?

"Who is that lady?"

—No sé.

"I don't know."

—¿Cuántos años tiene?

"How old is she?"

—No sé.

"I don't know."

—¿Dónde vive ella?

"Where does she live?"

—Pedrito, no sé dónde vive.

"Pedrito, I don't know where she lives."

—¿Por qué hace calor?

"Why is it hot?"

—Porque es verano.

"Because it's summer."

—¿Cuándo hace frío?

"When is it cold?"

—En invierno.

"In winter."

—¿Por qué?

"Why?"

—Porque sí.

"Just because."

—¿Dónde está mamá?

"Where is mom?"

—En casa.

"At home."

—¿Qué hace?

"What is she doing?"

—Trabaja.

"She's working."

—¿Dónde trabaja?

"Where does she work?"

—En una oficina.

"In an office."

—¿Cuándo vuelve?

"When does she come back?"

—A las seis.

"At six."

—¿Por qué trabaja?

"Why does she work?"

—Para ganar dinero.

"To earn money."

—¿Cuánto dinero?

"How much money?"

—Pedrito... no sé.

"Pedrito... I don't know."

—¿Dónde viven los pájaros?

"Where do birds live?"

—En los árboles.

"In the trees."

Pedrito cuenta los árboles.

Pedrito counts the trees.

—Uno, dos, tres... ¿Cuántos árboles hay?

"One, two, three... How many trees are there?"

—Muchos.

"Many."

—¿Cuántos patos hay?

"How many ducks are there?"

—Tres.

"Three."

—¿En todo el mundo?

"In the whole world?"

—No. Aquí en el parque.

"No. Here in the park."

Pedrito ve una pelota.

Pedrito sees a ball.

—¿De quién es esa pelota?

"Whose ball is that?"

—De ese niño.

"That boy's."

—¿Dónde está mi pelota?

"Where is my ball?"

—En tu casa.

"At your house."

—¿Cuántas pelotas tienes tú?

"How many balls do you have?"

—No tengo pelotas.

"I don't have balls."

—¿Por qué no?

"Why not?"

—¡Porque soy adulto!

"Because I'm an adult!"

—¿Por qué eres adulto?

"Why are you an adult?"

—Porque tengo treinta años.

"Because I'm thirty years old."

—¿Por qué tienes treinta años?

"Why are you thirty years old?"

—Porque es mi edad.

"Because it's my age."

—¿Por qué no tienes cuarenta?

"Why aren't you forty?"

Franco está enfadado.

Franco is angry.

—¡Pedrito, basta!

"Pedrito, enough!"

—¿Por qué?

"Why?"

—¡No más preguntas!

"No more questions!"

Hay silencio.

There is silence.

Treinta segundos después.

Thirty seconds later.

—Tío...

"Uncle..."

—¿Qué? ¿Otra pregunta?

"What? Another question?"

—No. Quiero helado.

"No. I want ice cream."

—¿Helado? Vale. ¿Dónde hay helado?

"Ice cream? Okay. Where is there ice cream?"

—Allí. Esa tienda.

"There. That store."

—Vale. Te compro helado. Pero no más preguntas, ¿vale?

"Okay. I'll buy you ice cream. But no more questions, okay?"

—Vale. No más preguntas.

"Okay. No more questions."

—¿Prometes?

"Do you promise?"

—Sí, prometo.

"Yes, I promise."

Franco compra helado: dos bolas, de fresa y plátano.

Franco buys ice cream: two scoops, strawberry and banana.

Se sientan. Pedrito come helado.

They sit down. Pedrito eats ice cream.

Franco cierra los ojos. Por fin. No hay más preguntas.

Franco closes his eyes. Finally. There are no more questions.

Diez segundos después.

Ten seconds later.

—Tío Franco...

"Uncle Franco..."

—¿Qué?

"What?"

—¿Por qué el helado es frío?

"Why is ice cream cold?"

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
Illustration of Elena sitting cross-legged and writing in a notebook, representing the writing challenge
Part 6

Writing Challenge

Instructions

Elena

Solo

Discussion

Illustrations of Elena, the Fluent with Stories Spanish Teacher.
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Send
á‍é‍í‍ó‍úñü¡¿

Example: Pedrito pregunta: "¿Quién es esa señora?" y "¿Cuántos años tiene?"

Notes:

  • "Esa señora" means "that lady." Pedrito is pointing at someone across the park.
  • Pregunta comes from preguntar, a regular -AR verb. Works just like hablar: yo pregunto, tú preguntas, él pregunta.

Example: ¿Qué es eso? ¿Cómo se llama el pato? ¿De qué color es?

Notes:

  • "¿Cómo se llama?" literally means "How does it call itself?" Works for people, animals, places... anything with a name.
  • Notice "¿De qué color es?" needs that little "de" at the front. Literally: "Of what color is it?" You can't just say "¿Qué color es?"
  • "Eso" (that thing) is neutral. You don't know what it is yet, so you can't say "ese" or "esa."

Example: Son las dos. (Yo) tengo veinticinco años.

Notes:

  • Time in Spanish uses "son las" + number for every hour except one o'clock: "es la una." Two o'clock onwards is always plural: son las dos, son las tres, son las tres y media.
  • "Tengo veinticinco años" - Spanish says you "have" years, not that you "are" years. Always TENER for age, never SER.

Example: ¿De qué color es el coche? ¿Quién es el dueño? ¿Cuándo es invierno? ¿Qué hora es? ¿Cuántos años tiene Franco?

Notes:

  • Five question starters in one go: de qué, quién, cuándo, qué, cuántos. Each one opens a different type of question.
  • "¿Qué hora es?" is fixed. You never change it to "¿Cuál hora es?" or "¿Cuándo hora es?" Always qué.
  • Cuántos switches to cuántas for feminine nouns: "¿Cuántas pelotas?" but "¿Cuántos años?"

Example: ¿De dónde es Franco? (Él) es de Bilbao. ¿Cuántos años tiene? Tiene treinta años. Pedrito tiene seis.

Notes:

  • Origin questions need "de" twice: "¿De dónde...?" for the question, "es de Bilbao" for the answer. Drop either "de" and it breaks.
  • "Pedrito tiene seis" - when the context is obvious, you can drop "años."

Example: Pedrito tiene seis años. Pregunta mucho. Franco tiene treinta años. Es adulto. "¿Por qué eres adulto?" "Porque tengo treinta años."

Notes:

  • Here's the big one: "¿Por qué?" (two words, with accent) = the question "why?" "Porque" (one word, no accent) = the answer "because."
  • "Es adulto" works without "un." You can say "Es un adulto" too, but Spanish often drops the article with professions, roles and descriptions after SER.
  • Six sentences, three different verb patterns: TENER for age, SER for identity and preguntar as an -AR action verb.

Reply in Spanish and join the discussion!

Pedrito asks questions about everything and Franco is not very patient! What about you?

  1. Are you a curious person? Do you ask many questions?
  2. Are you a patient person or an impatient person?
  3. Do you have brothers or sisters? How many?

Comments section for language learners

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

Speaking Challenge

Instructions

Franco needs backup. Pedrito won't stop asking questions and someone has to answer them, or better yet, ask a few back.

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Scenario 4

Scenario 5

The Duck Report

Pedrito spots a duck in the park and turns to you slowly. You can see it in his eyes: the questions are coming.

Your task - answer Pedrito's questions about the duck:

  1. ¿Qué es eso?
  2. ¿Cómo se llama?
  3. ¿Dónde vive?
  4. ¿Qué come?
  5. ¿Por qué?
  6. ¿Cuántos patos hay?

Speak for 30–45 seconds

Reveal sample answer

  1. Es un pato.
    1. It's a duck.
  2. No sé. Es un pato.
    1. I don't know. It's a duck.
  3. Vive en el parque.
    1. It lives in the park.
  4. Comida para patos.
    1. Food for ducks.
  5. Porque... es un pato.
    1. Because... it's a duck.
  6. Tres. Hay tres patos en el parque.
    1. Three. There are three ducks in the park.

Be Pedrito

You're six years old and the world is full of mysteries. You want to know EVERYTHING.

Your task - ask Franco as many questions as you can:

  1. Ask what that animal is
  2. Ask what color the car is
  3. Ask who that woman is
  4. Ask how old she is
  5. Ask where the boy lives
  6. Ask what time it is
  7. Ask why it's hot

Speak for 30–45 seconds

Reveal sample answer

  1. ¿Qué es eso?
    1. What is that?
  2. ¿De qué color es el coche?
    1. What color is the car?
  3. ¿Quién es esa señora?
    1. Who is that woman?
  4. ¿Cuántos años tiene?
    1. How old is she?
  5. ¿Dónde vive el niño?
    1. Where does the boy live?
  6. ¿Qué hora es?
    1. What time is it?
  7. ¿Por qué hace calor?
    1. Why is it hot?

Turn the Tables

You've answered three hundred questions. Enough. Now it's YOUR turn. Let's see how HE likes it.

Your task - ask Pedrito questions:

  1. Ask Pedrito what his name is
  2. Ask how old he is
  3. Ask where he lives
  4. Ask who his mom is and where she works
  5. Ask if he is hungry
  6. Ask why he asks so many questions

Speak for 30–45 seconds

Reveal sample answer

  1. ¿Cómo te llamas?
    1. What's your name?
  2. ¿Cuántos años tienes?
    1. How old are you?
  3. ¿Dónde vives?
    1. Where do you live?
  4. ¿Quién es tu mamá? ¿Dónde trabaja?
    1. Who is your mom? Where does she work?
  5. ¿Tienes hambre?
    1. Are you hungry?
  6. ¿Por qué haces muchas preguntas?
    1. Why do you ask so many questions?

The Babysitter's Report

You're on the phone with a friend, exhausted: "I'm babysitting a six-year-old," you tell them.

Your task - explain your afternoon babysitting Pedrito:

  1. Say who Pedrito is and how old he is
  2. Say where you are
  3. Describe what Pedrito does all the time
  4. Give two examples of Pedrito's questions
  5. Say what you buy Pedrito
  6. Say if babysitting Pedrito is easy or difficult

Speak for 45 seconds – 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

  1. Pedrito es el hijo de mi hermano, mi sobrino. Tiene seis años.
    1. Pedrito is my brother's son, my nephew. He's six years old.
  2. Estoy en el Parque de Doña Casilda, en Bilbao.
    1. I'm at Doña Casilda Park, in Bilbao.
  3. Pedrito hace muchas preguntas.
    1. Pedrito asks a lot of questions.
  4. "¿Dónde vive el pato?" y "¿Por qué el helado es frío?"
    1. "Where does the duck live?" and "Why is ice cream cold?"
  5. Compro helado para Pedrito.
    1. I buy ice cream for Pedrito.
  6. No es fácil. Pedrito pregunta mucho, mucho, mucho.
    1. It's not easy. Pedrito asks a lot, a lot, a lot.

Tell the Story to Your Partner

You're laughing about a Spanish story you just read. Your partner looks up from the couch: "What's so funny? Tell me the story."

Your task - tell the story in your own words:

  1. Who is Franco? (age, city)
  2. Explain who Pedrito is and why he is with Franco
  3. Where are they and what is Pedrito doing?
  4. Describe what Pedrito asks about on the way to the park (the car)
  5. What does Pedrito ask about the duck?
  6. Describe what Pedrito asks about the woman and about his mom
  7. How does Franco react to all the questions? (Franco dice...)
  8. What does Pedrito want to eat and what is Franco's condition to buy it?
  9. Explain how the story ends
  10. What do you think about the story? (Esta historia es...)

Speak for 1.5–2 minutes

Reveal sample answer

  1. Franco vive en Bilbao. Tiene treinta años.
    1. Franco lives in Bilbao. He's thirty years old.
  2. Pedrito tiene seis años. Es el hijo del hermano de Franco. El hermano de Franco trabaja y Franco cuida a Pedrito.
    1. Pedrito is six years old. He's Franco's brother's son. Franco's brother works and Franco takes care of Pedrito.
  3. Están en Bilbao. Pedrito hace muchas preguntas.
    1. They are in Bilbao. Pedrito asks a lot of questions.
  4. Pedrito ve un coche y pregunta: "¿Qué es eso?" "¿De qué color es?" El coche es rojo. "¿Por qué es rojo?"
    1. Pedrito sees a car and asks: "What is that?" "What color is it?" The car is red. "Why is it red?"
  5. Pedrito pregunta: "¿Dónde vive el pato?" "¿Qué come?" "¿Cómo se llama?" Franco no sabe las respuestas.
    1. Pedrito asks: "Where does the duck live?" "What does it eat?" "What's its name?" Franco doesn't know the answers.
  6. Pedrito ve a una señora y pregunta: "¿Quién es?" "¿Cuántos años tiene?" También pregunta por su mamá: "¿Dónde trabaja mamá?" "¿Cuándo vuelve?"
    1. Pedrito sees a woman and asks: "Who is she?" "How old is she?" He also asks about his mom: "Where does mom work?" "When does she come back?"
  7. Franco dice: "¡Basta! ¡No más preguntas!"
    1. Franco says: "Enough! No more questions!"
  8. Pedrito quiere helado. Franco dice: "Vale. Te compro helado. Pero no más preguntas."
    1. Pedrito wants ice cream. Franco says: "Okay. I'll buy you ice cream. But no more questions."
  9. Franco compra helado de fresa y plátano. Pedrito come helado. Pero Pedrito pregunta: "¿Por qué el helado es frío?"
    1. Franco buys strawberry and banana ice cream. Pedrito eats ice cream. But Pedrito asks: "Why is ice cream cold?"
  10. Esta historia es muy graciosa. Pedrito es muy curioso. / Esta historia es muy aburrida. Pedrito hace muchas preguntas.
    1. This story is very funny. Pedrito is very curious. / This story is very boring. Pedrito asks a lot of questions.
Illustration of people around a globe with location markers, representing the culture section.
Part 8

Culture

Context

1. Let's Talk About Where Franco and Pedrito Live

Franco and Pedrito live in Bilbao.

One of the most interesting cities in all of Spain.

And the most interesting thing Franco told Pedrito today was that a car is red.

To be fair… he had other things on his mind. Like surviving.

What makes Bilbao different from every other Spanish city

About 350,000 people live there.

It’s the biggest city in the Basque Country, up in the north of Spain.

Green hills, a river running through the middle and some of the best food on the planet.

Aerial view of Bilbao from Artxanda hill showing the Nervión River, city buildings and green hills
Bilbao from above... and somewhere down there Franco is answering his 47th question.

The Basque Country has its own language… Euskara.

One of the oldest in Europe and completely unrelated to Spanish or any other known language.

You'll see street signs in both languages and hear people switch between the two mid-sentence. It's a place with a very strong identity.

But here's the part that really sets Bilbao apart.

Thirty years ago… nobody wanted to visit. It was a grey industrial city. Shipyards closing, steel factories shutting down.

If you told a Spaniard in the early 1990s that Bilbao would become one of the coolest destinations in Europe… they would have laughed.

Then in 1997 a building opened on the riverfront and changed everything.

The building that changed a whole city

The Guggenheim Museum.‍

A massive structure of titanium, glass and limestone… all twisted into shapes that don't look like they should be possible.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao seen from street level during the day, showing its curved titanium and limestone exterior with green hills behind
The Guggenheim Bilbao. Frank Gehry designed it to be impossible to ignore. He wasn't wrong.
  • Built in 1997 on the site of an abandoned shipyard on the Nervión River
  • Covered in roughly 33,000 titanium panels, each one cut to a slightly different shape
  • Over 1.3 million visitors came through in 2024 alone
  • Cost around $89 million to build (the Basque government covered it)

The effect was so dramatic that economists gave it a name: the "Bilbao Effect."‍

New metro, new airport, tram line. Restaurants, bars and hotels followed.

Bilbao went from a city people passed through… to a city people fly to.

Pintxos (not tapas)

In the Basque Country they don't do tapas. They do pintxos.

I’m talking about small bites of food on a piece of bread, held together with a toothpick.

You walk into a bar and the counter is just… covered in them. You grab a plate and pick whatever looks good.

Close-up of pintxos on a white board showing small bites of bread topped with seafood and vegetables, held together with toothpicks
Every bar has its own selection. Every toothpick is a decision. Good luck choosing just one.

The tradition of hopping from bar to bar is called poteo. Bilbao's Old Town alone has nearly 200 bars.

And at many of them… you pay on the honour system. You just tell them what you had.

Yes, really.

If Pedrito ever discovers pintxos… Franco is in real trouble. Can you imagine a question for every single toothpick?

2. The Park Where Franco Took Pedrito

Franco takes Pedrito to the park. And not just any park.

Parque de Doña Casilda is Bilbao's main park. And it has a good story behind it.

The woman behind the park

The park is named after Casilda Iturrizar (1818-1900).

She came from a modest family in Bilbao. Worked as a maid for one of the city's wealthiest merchants… and eventually married him.

After her husband died, she became the richest woman in the city. But here's the thing… she didn't keep it.

She donated land for this park. She funded schools, hospitals and scholarships for kids from low-income families. She helped build a university. When she died, what was left of her fortune went to charity.

There's a statue of her right there in the park. And now that I think about it… Pedrito probably asked who the lady was.

Main view of Parque de Doña Casilda in Bilbao showing the central monument, fountain, palm trees and green walkways
That's Doña Casilda in the middle. Bilbao hasn't forgotten.

The ducks Pedrito found (and interrogated)

The park's official name is Parque de Doña Casilda Iturrizar. But locals don't call it that.

They call it "Parque de los Patos."

  • Over 85,000 square metres of green space right in the centre of Bilbao
  • Construction started in 1907, opened around 1920
  • Famous duck and swan pond in the middle (the reason for the nickname)
  • Sits right next to the Fine Arts Museum and a short walk from the Guggenheim

Kids feed the ducks. Couples sit on the benches. Old men argue about football.

It's the place where the city goes to breathe.

So when Pedrito spotted a duck and immediately wanted to know its name, where it lives and what it eats… he was standing in the most famous duck pond in northern Spain. Asking exactly the right questions.

Franco just didn't have the energy to appreciate it.

The Best (and Shortest) Guide to Franco and Pedrito's City

If you ever make it to Bilbao walk through the Casco Viejo (the Old Town) and eat pintxos until you can't move.

Bilbao's Old Town along the river showing colourful traditional buildings, a stone bridge and a church tower
The Casco Viejo, Bilbao's oldest neighbourhood. The river, the buildings, the colours... it hasn't lost a thing.

Take the funicular up to Artxanda for the views. Stand in front of the Guggenheim and just stare at it for a while before entering.

Then find a bench in Doña Casilda park, sit down and watch the ducks.

And if a six-year-old sits next to you and asks why ice cream is cold… honestly, that's a fair question.

Did You Know?

  • ⚽  Athletic Club Bilbao only signs players who are Basque or were trained in the Basque Country. They've kept this policy for over 100 years and have never been relegated from Spain's top division
  • 🌧️  Bilbao gets about 1,200mm of rain per year… roughly double what London gets. The story says it's summer and it's hot, but most of the year you'd want an umbrella
  • 🍷  In the Basque Country, there's a traditional way of pouring cider from above your head into a glass held at your waist. It's called escanciar and it's harder than it looks
  • 🏛️  Casilda Iturrizar funded schools, a university and a hospital wing in Bilbao. The scholarship fund she set up for public school students in 1902 still operates today
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4. No más preguntas

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Learning guide

Table of Contents

1. Story:
No más preguntas
2. Flashcards
3. Story challenge
4. Patterns
5. Listening
6. Writing
7. Speaking
8. Culture