A1 Spanish

Stories completed

2. El perfil perfecto

(The Perfect Profile)

Lucía meets Marcos online and they go on a date in Granada. He seems perfect… but first dates are full of surprises.

Illustration of a woman lying on the floor browsing her phone with a small dog sleeping beside her

Spanish version

Es viernes por la tarde.

Lucía está sola en casa, en Granada.

Mira su <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="phone" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">móvil y ve el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="profile" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">perfil de Marcos en internet.

Marcos es muy <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="handsome" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">guapo.

Tiene muchas fotos de <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="trips" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">viajes y <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="sports" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">deportes.

Ella <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="writes" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">escribe un <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="message" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">mensaje.

—Hola, Marcos, ¿qué tal?

Marcos <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="replies" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">responde <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="fast" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">rápido.

—Hola, Lucía. Muy bien, ¿y tú?

—Bien, gracias. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="what are you doing?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Qué haces?

—Nada. ¿Y tú? ¿Estás <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="free" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">libre <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="tonight" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">esta noche?

—¿Esta noche? Sí.

—¿<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="shall we have dinner" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Cenamos <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="small Spanish dishes" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">tapas?

—Sí, perfecto. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="where?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Dónde?

—Plaza Nueva, ¿<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="okay" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">vale?

—Vale. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="at what time?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿A qué hora?

—¿A las nueve?

—Perfecto.

Lucía <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="arrives" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">llega a las nueve y ve a Marcos.

—Hola, mucho gusto —dice Lucía, <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="nervous" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">nerviosa.

—Mucho gusto, Lucía. ¿Vamos al Bar Los Diamantes?

—Ah, sí, me gusta mucho.

Entran en el bar.

Van a una mesa y llega el camarero.

—¿Qué van a <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="to have" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">tomar?

—¿Quieres <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="beer" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cerveza, Lucía?

—Sí, una cerveza para mí.

—Dos cervezas, por favor —dice Marcos.

—¿Y de tapas? —pregunta el camarero.

—Mmm... yo quiero la <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Spanish omelette" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">tortilla española —dice Lucía.

—Y para mí, el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="ham" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">jamón —dice Marcos.

Los dos sonríen.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="so" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Entonces, ¿dónde trabajas? —pregunta Lucía.

—Trabajo en una <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="company" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">empresa grande. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I earn" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Gano mucho dinero. Seis mil euros.

—¿Seis mil?

—Sí. Soy muy <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="rich" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">rico. Y <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I travel" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">viajo mucho.

—¿A dónde viajas?

—A Francia, Alemania, Inglaterra...

—Ahh... ¿y hablas otros <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="languages" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">idiomas?

—Sí, claro. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I study" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Estudio muchos idiomas. Hablo cinco idiomas: español, inglés, francés, alemán y italiano.

—¿Cinco? Eres muy <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="intelligent" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">inteligente.

—Sí, claro.

Las cervezas y tapas llegan.

—También <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I cook" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cocino muy bien —dice Marcos.

—¿Qué cocinas?

—Cocino paella y otros <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="dishes" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">platos. Soy un cocinero muy bueno.

Lucía <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="listens" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">escucha. Él es perfecto. Muy perfecto.

Un hombre llega.

—¡Marcos! ¿Qué tal?

Marcos está nervioso.

—Hola, David...

—¿Trabajas mañana en el restaurante?

Silencio.

—¿Trabajas en un restaurante? —pregunta Lucía.

—No... bueno... sí...

—¿Cuántos idiomas hablas? —pregunta Lucía.

Marcos no responde. Su <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="face" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cara está <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="red" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">roja.

—¿Y sabes cocinar?

—Ehhh... no. Quiero aprender.

Lucía <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="grabs" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">coge su <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="purse" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">bolso. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="stands up" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Se levanta. Camina a la puerta.

—Adiós, Marcos.

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

Lucía sale del bar.

Marcos <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="stays" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">se queda solo. El camarero viene.

—¿Cuánto es todo? —pregunta Marcos.

—Son dieciocho euros.

Marcos mira las dos cervezas y las tapas.

Dieciocho euros para una <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="date" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">cita de diez minutos.

Spanish story with English translation

Es viernes por la tarde.

It is Friday afternoon.

Lucía está sola en casa, en Granada.

Lucía is alone at home, in Granada.

Mira su móvil y ve el perfil de Marcos en internet.

She looks at her phone and sees Marcos's profile on the internet.

Marcos es muy guapo.

Marcos is very handsome.

Tiene muchas fotos de viajes y deportes.

He has many photos of trips and sports.

Ella escribe un mensaje.

She writes a message.

—Hola, Marcos, ¿qué tal?

"Hello, Marcos, how are you?"

Marcos responde rápido.

Marcos responds quickly.

—Hola, Lucía. Muy bien, ¿y tú?

"Hello, Lucía. Very well, and you?"

—Bien, gracias. ¿Qué haces?

"Good, thanks. What are you doing?"

—Nada. ¿Y tú? ¿Estás libre esta noche?

"Nothing. And you? Are you free tonight?"

—¿Esta noche? Sí.

"Tonight? Yes."

—¿Cenamos tapas?

"Shall we have tapas for dinner?"

—Sí, perfecto. ¿Dónde?

"Yes, perfect. Where?"

—Plaza Nueva, ¿vale?

"Plaza Nueva, okay?"

—Vale. ¿A qué hora?

"Okay. At what time?"

—¿A las nueve?

"At nine?"

—Perfecto.

"Perfect."

Lucía llega a las nueve y ve a Marcos.

Lucía arrives at nine and sees Marcos.

—Hola, mucho gusto —dice Lucía, nerviosa.

"Hello, nice to meet you," says Lucía, nervous.

—Mucho gusto, Lucía. ¿Vamos al Bar Los Diamantes?

"Nice to meet you, Lucía. Shall we go to Bar Los Diamantes?"

—Ah, sí, me gusta mucho.

"Oh, yes, I like it a lot."

Entran en el bar.

They enter the bar.

Van a una mesa y llega el camarero.

They go to a table and the waiter arrives.

—¿Qué van a tomar?

"What will you have?"

—¿Quieres cerveza, Lucía?

"Do you want beer, Lucía?"

—Sí, una cerveza para mí.

"Yes, one beer for me"

—Dos cervezas, por favor —dice Marcos.

"Two beers, please," says Marcos.

—¿Y de tapas? —pregunta el camarero.

"And for tapas?" asks the waiter.

—Mmm... yo quiero la tortilla española —dice Lucía.

"Mmm... I want the Spanish omelet," says Lucía.

—Y para mí, el jamón —dice Marcos.

"And for me, the ham," says Marcos.

Los dos sonríen.

The two smile.

—Entonces, ¿dónde trabajas? —pregunta Lucía.

"So, where do you work?" asks Lucía.

—Trabajo en una empresa grande. Gano mucho dinero. Seis mil euros.

"I work at a big company. I earn a lot of money. Six thousand euros."

—¿Seis mil?

"Six thousand?"

—Sí. Soy muy rico. Y viajo mucho.

"Yes. I am very rich. And I travel a lot."

—¿A dónde viajas?

"Where do you travel?"

—A Francia, Alemania, Inglaterra...

"To France, Germany, England..."

—Ahh... ¿y hablas otros idiomas?

"Ahh... and do you speak other languages?"

—Sí, claro. Estudio muchos idiomas. Hablo cinco idiomas: español, inglés, francés, alemán y italiano.

"Yes, of course. I study many languages. I speak five languages: Spanish, English, French, German, and Italian."

—¿Cinco? Eres muy inteligente.

"Five? You are very intelligent."

—Sí, claro.

"Yes, of course."

Las cervezas y tapas llegan.

The beers and tapas arrive.

—También cocino muy bien —dice Marcos.

"I also cook very well," says Marcos.

—¿Qué cocinas?

"What do you cook?"

—Cocino paella y otros platos. Soy un cocinero muy bueno.

"I cook paella and other dishes. I am a very good cook."

Lucía escucha. Él es perfecto. Muy perfecto.

Lucía listens. He is perfect. Very perfect.

Un hombre llega.

A man arrives.

—¡Marcos! ¿Qué tal?

"Marcos! How are you?"

Marcos está nervioso.

Marcos is nervous.

—Hola, David...

"Hello, David..."

—¿Trabajas mañana en el restaurante?

"Are you working tomorrow at the restaurant?"

Silencio.

Silence.

—¿Trabajas en un restaurante? —pregunta Lucía.

"You work at a restaurant?" asks Lucía.

—No... bueno... sí...

"No... well... yes..."

—¿Cuántos idiomas hablas? —pregunta Lucía.

"How many languages do you speak?" asks Lucía.

Marcos no responde. Su cara está roja.

Marcos does not respond. His face is red.

—¿Y sabes cocinar?

"And do you know how to cook?"

—Ehhh... no. Quiero aprender.

"Ehhh... no. I want to learn."

Lucía coge su bolso. Se levanta. Camina a la puerta.

Lucía grabs her purse. She stands up. She walks to the door.

—Adiós, Marcos.

"Goodbye, Marcos."

—Espera...

"Wait..."

Lucía sale del bar.

Lucía leaves the bar.

Marcos se queda solo. El camarero viene.

Marcos stays alone. The waiter comes.

—¿Cuánto es todo? —pregunta Marcos.

"How much is everything?" asks Marcos.

—Son dieciocho euros.

"It's eighteen euros."

Marcos mira las dos cervezas y las tapas.

Marcos looks at the two beers and the tapas.

Dieciocho euros para una cita de diez minutos.

Eighteen euros for a ten-minute date.

Part 2

Vocabulary Flashcards

Part 3

Story Challenge

Part 4

Patterns Challenge

Part 5

Listening Challenge

Part 6

Writing Challenge

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Question 1

Your best friend asks you about Marcos. Reply in Spanish: He works in a restaurant. He cooks paella. He speaks five languages.

Example: Trabaja en un restaurante. Cocina paella. Habla cinco idiomas.

Notes:

All three verbs end in a because we're talking about él. That's the AR pattern: drop ar, add a. Works every time.
No need for "él" before each verb. The -a ending already tells you who's doing it. You can add it, but leaving it out sounds more natural here.

Question 2

You meet Marcos at the bar. Ask him in Spanish: What languages do you speak? Where do you travel? What do you cook?

Example: ¿Qué idiomas hablas? ¿Dónde viajas? ¿Qué cocinas?

Notes:

Notice the switch: when you're talking TO someone (tú), the ending is as instead of -a. Habla about him, hablas to him.
Spanish doesn't need "do you" to form questions. "¿Qué cocinas?" literally says "What cook-you?" and that's a complete question.
"¿Qué idiomas hablas?" puts the object before the verb. That word order feels weird from English, but it's the natural way to ask in Spanish.

Question 3

Marcos asks you the same questions. Answer in Spanish: I work in [your city]. I speak two languages. I don't cook.

Example: Trabajo en Madrid. Hablo dos idiomas. No cocino.

Notes:

The "yo" ending is o. Trabajo, hablo, cocino. Swap Madrid for your real city.
"No cocino" is all you need for "I don't cook." Just no before the verb. No extra words.

Question 4

Translate to Spanish: I work in a restaurant. You study languages. She cooks paella. We eat dinner at a bar. They travel a lot.

Example: (Yo) trabajo en un restaurante. (Tú) estudias idiomas. (Ella) cocina paella. (Nosotros) cenamos en un bar. (Ellos) viajan mucho.

Notes:

Here's the full picture: o (yo), as (tú), a (él/ella), amos (nosotros), an (ellos). This set works for every single AR verb.
"Cenar" means "to have dinner" in one word. English needs three words, Spanish just needs one: cenamos = "we have dinner."
Estudias keeps the full stem from estudiar. You're just swapping ar for as. Same thing with viajan: viajar → viaj- + an.

Question 5

Translate to Spanish: Marcos travels to France and Germany. He studies five languages. He cooks very well. He earns six thousand euros.

Example: Marcos viaja a Francia y Alemania. Estudia cinco idiomas. Cocina muy bien. Gana seis mil euros.

Notes:

"Viaja a Francia": when you travel TO somewhere, you need that a. Easy to forget.
You only say "Marcos" once. After that, the -a ending carries the subject through all four sentences. Repeating his name each time would sound heavy.

Question 6

Translate to Spanish: Marcos is a waiter. He works in a restaurant. He is not rich. He doesn't cook paella. Lucía is intelligent.

Example: Marcos es camarero. Trabaja en un restaurante. No es rico. No cocina paella. Lucía es inteligente.

Notes:

This mixes two tools: SER (es) for what someone IS, and AR verbs for what someone DOES. "Es camarero" + "trabaja" working side by side.
"Marcos es camarero" drops the article. When stating someone's job with SER, Spanish skips un/una: "Es camarero," not "Es un camarero." Both work, but dropping it is more common.

Reply in Spanish and join the discussion!

Marcos talks a lot, says he speaks many languages and mentions he cooks very well. What about you?

Do you talk a lot or do you listen more?
Do you speak other languages? Which ones?
Do you cook well or badly?

Part 7

Speaking Challenge

Welcome to Bar Los Diamantes. Order some cervezas, have an honest date, tell Lucía's roommate what Marcos really does and retell the full story to a friend.

At the Bar with a Friend

You're at a table in Bar Los Diamantes with a friend. Your friend doesn't speak Spanish so you need to step up and order for the both of you.

Your task - order for you and your friend:

Greet the waiter
Order drinks for both of you
Say what tapa you want
Say what tapa your friend wants
Say thank you

Speak for 30-45 seconds

Reveal sample answer

Hola, buenas noches.
1. Hi, good evening.
Dos cervezas, por favor. / Una cerveza para mí y una cerveza para mi amigo.
1. Two beers, please. / One beer for me and one beer for my friend.
Para mí, la tortilla española.
1. For me, the Spanish omelette.
Y para mi amigo, el jamón.
1. And for my friend, the ham.
Gracias.
1. Thank you.

A Better Date than Marcos

You're on a date at Bar Los Diamantes, but unlike Marcos, you're going to be honest.

Your task - tell your date about yourself honestly:

Say what you do (do you work or study? where?)
Say what languages you speak
Say what languages you study
Say if you travel and where
Say if you cook well or not
Say what you cook (or want to learn to cook)

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Trabajo en una empresa pequeña. / Estudio en la universidad.
1. I work at a small company. / I study at the university.
Hablo dos idiomas: inglés y español.
1. I speak two languages: English and Spanish.
Estudio español y francés.
1. I study Spanish and French.
Sí, viajo a Francia y a España. / No viajo mucho.
1. Yes, I travel to France and Spain. / I don't travel much.
No cocino muy bien.
1. I don't cook very well.
Cocino pasta. / Quiero aprender a cocinar paella.
1. I cook pasta. / I want to learn to cook paella.

Lucía Talks to Her Roommate

You are Lucía. Your roommate asks: "¿Qué tal la cita?"

Your task - tell your roommate about Marcos:

Say what Marcos says about his work (Marcos dice que...)
Say what Marcos says about his money
Say what Marcos says about languages
Say what Marcos says about cooking
Say where he really works (Marcos trabaja en...)
Say what is NOT true (Marcos no habla... / Marcos no cocina... / Marcos no gana...)

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Marcos dice que trabaja en una empresa grande.
1. Marcos says he works at a big company.
Marcos dice que gana seis mil euros.
1. Marcos says he earns six thousand euros.
Marcos dice que habla cinco idiomas: español, inglés, francés, alemán e italiano.
1. Marcos says he speaks five languages: Spanish, English, French, German and Italian.
Marcos dice que cocina muy bien. Dice que cocina paella.
1. Marcos says he cooks very well. He says he cooks paella.
Marcos trabaja en un restaurante.
1. Marcos works in a restaurant.
Marcos no habla cinco idiomas. Marcos no cocina bien. Marcos no gana mucho dinero.
1. Marcos doesn't speak five languages. Marcos doesn't cook well. Marcos doesn't earn much money.

Lucía Messages You

Lucía sees your profile on the internet. She thinks you look interesting and sends you a message.

Your task - reply to Lucía's questions and make plans:

Lucía: "Hola, ¿qué tal? ¿Qué haces?"
Lucía: "¿Estás libre esta noche?"
Lucía: "¿Cenamos tapas? ¿Dónde?"
Lucía: "¿A qué hora?"
You arrive at the bar. Lucía asks: "¿Qué quieres beber?"
Lucía asks: "¿Y de tapas? ¿Qué quieres comer?"

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Hola, Lucía. Muy bien, ¿y tú? Nada, estoy en casa.
1. Hi, Lucía. Very well, and you? Nothing, I'm at home.
Sí, estoy libre esta noche.
1. Yes, I'm free tonight.
Sí, perfecto. ¿Vamos al Bar Los Diamantes? / ¿Vamos a Plaza Nueva?
1. Yes, perfect. Shall we go to Bar Los Diamantes? / Shall we go to Plaza Nueva?
¿A las nueve?
1. At nine?
Una cerveza, por favor. / Quiero una cerveza.
1. A beer, please. / I want a beer.
Para mí, la tortilla española. / Quiero el jamón.
1. For me, the Spanish omelette. / I want the ham.

Don't Be Like Marcos

Your friend is about to go on a first date and you say: "Let me tell you a story about what NOT to do."

Your task - tell the story in your own words:

Where Lucía is and what she does on Friday (home, phone, Marcos's profile)
What message she sends and what they plan (where, what time)
Which bar they are in and what they order
What Marcos says about his work and money
What Marcos says about languages
What Marcos says about cooking
Who David is and what he asks Marcos
What is really true about Marcos
What Lucía does (she says something and leaves)
What Marcos asks the waiter and the waiter's response
What you think about the story (Esta historia es...)

Speak for 1.5-2 minutes

Reveal sample answer

Es viernes por la tarde. Lucía está sola en casa, en Granada. Mira su móvil y ve el perfil de Marcos en internet.
1. It's Friday afternoon. Lucía is alone at home, in Granada. She looks at her phone and sees Marcos's profile online.
Lucía escribe un mensaje: "Hola, ¿qué tal?" Marcos responde. Cenan en Plaza Nueva a las nueve.
1. Lucía writes a message: "Hi, how are you?" Marcos responds. They have dinner at Plaza Nueva at nine.
Marcos y Lucía están en el Bar Los Diamantes. Marcos dice: "Dos cervezas, por favor." Lucía quiere la tortilla española y Marcos quiere el jamón.
1. Marcos and Lucía are at Bar Los Diamantes. Marcos says: "Two beers, please." Lucía wants the Spanish omelette and Marcos wants the ham.
Marcos dice que trabaja en una empresa grande. Dice que gana seis mil euros.
1. Marcos says he works at a big company. He says he earns six thousand euros.
Marcos dice que habla cinco idiomas: español, inglés, francés, alemán e italiano.
1. Marcos says he speaks five languages: Spanish, English, French, German and Italian.
Marcos dice que cocina muy bien. Dice que cocina paella.
1. Marcos says he cooks very well. He says he cooks paella.
David es un amigo de Marcos. David pregunta: "¿Trabajas mañana en el restaurante?"
1. David is a friend of Marcos. David asks: "Are you working tomorrow at the restaurant?"
Marcos no trabaja en una empresa grande. Trabaja en un restaurante. No habla cinco idiomas. No cocina.
1. Marcos doesn't work at a big company. He works at a restaurant. He doesn't speak five languages. He doesn't cook.
Lucía dice: "Adiós, Marcos." y sale del bar.
1. Lucía says: "Goodbye, Marcos." and leaves the bar.
Marcos pregunta: "¿Cuánto es todo?" Son dieciocho euros.
1. Marcos asks: "How much is everything?" It's eighteen euros.
Esta historia es muy divertida. Marcos no dice la verdad. / Esta historia es interesante.
1. This story is very funny. Marcos doesn't say the truth. / This story is interesting.

Part 8

Culture

1. Why Lucía and Marcos Met at Nine

It's nine o'clock on a Friday night. Most of the world has already eaten, cleaned up and settled onto the couch.

In Spain, however… the evening is just getting started.

Dinner is not what you think it is

Here's something that confuses pretty much every foreigner who visits Spain: dinner is not the main meal. No… not even close.

La comida (lunch, around 2 to 3:30 PM) is where it all happens.

Multiple courses, wine and conversation that goes way past the hour mark. That's the meal Spaniards take seriously.

By the time dinner comes around at 9 or 10 PM, nobody's looking for a feast.

A few tapas, a beer or a glass of wine and maybe a light salad or an omelette at home. That's it. That's dinner.

So when Marcos suggests tapas at nine? He's not being cheap… he's being Spanish.

It's not about the food

Here's the part you really need to understand if you ever go to Spain. Eating out there is not about getting food into your body.

It's about being together.

Meals stretch and servers never rush you. Nobody brings you the bill until you ask for it… and sometimes you have to ask twice. If you're unlucky… three times.

A dinner that lasts two hours is normal. Three hours on a weekend? Yeah… also normal.

And tapas make it even more social. Small plates arrive, everyone shares, you order another round… and another plate shows up.

You're not there to eat. You're there to be there.

Now imagine sitting outside on a warm night with a cold beer, small plates of food showing up every twenty minutes, no rush, no check… just talking.

That's a Tuesday in Spain. A Tuesday.

2. Where Marcos Took Lucía on a Date

Marcos picks Plaza Nueva for their date. And if you're wondering whether that's a real place… it absolutely is.

It's the meeting point of Granada. The place where everything starts.

Granada's oldest square has the funniest name

Plaza Nueva means "New Square." Which is kind of hilarious because it's actually Granada's oldest square.

The Carrera del Darro in Granada with stone buildings

The Carrera del Darro. One of the most photographed streets in Granada… and it starts right at Plaza Nueva.

It was completed in 1515, built by covering over the River Darro… which by the way still flows underneath it today.

You're literally standing on top of a river and you'd never know. And honestly… neither did I the first time I was there.

There are bars on one side, restaurants all over the square, flamenco guitarists on warm evenings and people everywhere.

From Plaza Nueva you can see some of Granada's most iconic spots:

The Albaicín - the old Moorish quarter up on the hill, with narrow winding streets and white houses. UNESCO World Heritage site
The Alhambra - a massive medieval Islamic palace sitting on the opposite hill. One of the most visited monuments in all of Spain and it looks absolutely unreal lit up at night

The Alhambra palace in Granada illuminated at night with the Sierra Nevada mountains

The Alhambra lit up at night with the Sierra Nevada behind it.

A city that runs on students and tapas

Granada is small. Around 233,000 people live there.

But here's the wild part… roughly one in three of those people is connected to the University of Granada:

70,000 students, professors and staff
The most popular Erasmus exchange destination in all of Europe (according to the university itself)

That sets the whole atmosphere of the city as you can imagine. The bars are cheap. The nightlife goes late.

And the tapas culture is huge because… well, students need to eat well without spending much. And Granada makes that very, very easy.

Which brings us to the best part.

One of the best things about Granada

You walk into a bar. You order a beer. And a plate of food just… appears. For free.

Yes, you read that right. For free.

And no… not a bowl of peanuts. Not a sad little olive. An actual tapa.

Fried fish, a mini burger, a slice of tortilla, a little plate of stew… it depends on the bar.

And with your next drink? You guessed it… a different one.

A plate of battered cod with a glass of beer on a bar counter in a Spanish tapas bar

One beer, one tapa. No charge for the food.

Granada isn't the only place in Spain that does this (cities like León, Almería and Jaén do it too) but it's the most famous city for this tradition.

It's a huge part of the local identity and people there are genuinely proud of it.

Order three drinks and you've basically had dinner.

Oh and the bar where Marcos took Lucía? It's real

Bar Los Diamantes is a real place. And it's been around for a while:

Open since 1942 - the original was in a different part of town
There's a branch right on Plaza Nueva (exactly where the story takes place)
Famous for its fried seafood: battered fish, prawns, calamari and razor clams

It's loud, it's packed and the waiters move fast… so you better know what you want when they get to you (good thing you're learning Spanish with stories… you'll be fine).

It's not exactly a romantic candlelit dinner spot.

But honestly? In Spain, a first date at a packed tapas bar full of noise and good food is about as classic as it gets.

Marcos knew what he was doing. Well… at least with the restaurant choice.

3. What Marcos and Lucía Ordered

Lucía asks for the tortilla española. Marcos goes for the jamón.

If you walked into any bar in Spain and had to choose two tapas to represent the entire country… these could easily be the two.

Tortilla española

Think of it as a thick, golden potato omelette. That's basically what it is:

Eggs, potatoes, olive oil and salt
Maybe onion (Spain has very strong opinions about this)
That's it. Four or five ingredients

It doesn't sound like much, right?

But when it's done well… it's one of the most satisfying things you'll ever eat.

A whole golden tortilla española on a decorative plate on a wooden table

The tortilla española. It looks simple because it is. It tastes incredible because Spain.

Warm, dense, soft in the middle and slightly crispy on the outside.

Every single bar in Spain has one. Every grandmother has her own recipe.

You'll find it as a tapa, sliced into a sandwich (a bocadillo de tortilla) or just eaten at home for a quick dinner.

The dish has been around since at least the early 1800s… originally just a cheap way to feed a whole family with a few eggs and potatoes.

If you ever visit Spain you will eat tortilla. There is no avoiding it.

And trust me… you won't want to.

Jamón ibérico

Ham is kind of a religion in Spain.

You'll see whole legs of cured ham everywhere.

In bars, in restaurants, in shop windows, hanging from ceilings. It's honestly one of the first things you notice when you arrive.

You walk into a bar and there are just… legs of ham. Everywhere. It's a lot.

Jamón ibérico is the famous one. Here's what makes it special:

The pigs - a specific breed called pata negra ("black hoof"), raised in the oak woodlands of western Spain
The diet - the best grade, bellota, comes from pigs that eat nothing but wild acorns in their last months. That's what gives the meat its sweet, nutty taste
The process - cured for a minimum of three years. Three. Years.
The price - a whole leg of the good stuff costs hundreds of euros (over a thousand dollars in the US). But at a tapas bar you get a few perfect slices for a couple of euros

It's sliced super thin. The fat literally melts on your tongue.

Thin slices of jamón ibérico arranged on clay plates showing the marbled fat and deep red colour

Sliced thin. Melts in your mouth. Marcos might be a liar… but he's got good taste.

When you eventually visit Spain (because at this point… you're going to want to) do yourself a favour.

Sit at a bar, order a beer and ask for a plate of jamón ibérico. You'll understand immediately why Marcos ordered it.

Did You Know?

🕐 Spain is in the wrong time zone. Franco changed the clocks in 1940 to align with Nazi Germany and the country never changed back
🏔️ Granada is the only place in Andalusia where you can ski and swim in the sea on the same day (Sierra Nevada and the Costa Tropical are each about an hour away)
🍳 There's a quiet civil war in Spain over whether tortilla should include onion. About 73% of Spaniards are Team Onion
🐷 During the Moorish occupation (711 to 1492), eating pork became an act of cultural resistance. After the fall of Granada, jamón became a symbol of Spanish identity

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