A1 Spanish

Stories completed

24. Veinte años después

(Twenty Years Later)

With no money, Armando leaves Spain in 1900 to find work in Argentina. Twenty years later, he returns to finally see his parents again.

Illustration of a man with a hat and briefcase walking toward a cozy house with a smoking chimney

Spanish version

Es <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="year" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">el año 1900.

Armando tiene veinte años.

Vive con sus padres en un <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="village" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">pueblo pequeño de Galicia.

La familia <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="doesn't have much money" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">no tiene mucho dinero. No hay trabajo en el pueblo.

Armando va a la Argentina para buscar trabajo.

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Twenty years later" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Veinte años después, un <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="ship" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">barco llega a España.

Un hombre de cuarenta años sale del barco. Es Armando.

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="He walks to" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Camina hasta su pueblo. Toca la puerta de su casa. Su madre abre.

—¿Armando?

—Sí, mamá. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="It's me" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Soy yo.

—¡Casimiro, ven! ¡Es Armando! ¡Nuestro hijo!

El padre llega corriendo.

—¿Armando? ¿Eres tú?

—Sí, papá.

Se abrazan. Todos lloran.

—¡Hijo! ¡Qué <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="surprise" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">sorpresa! Estoy muy feliz —dice la madre—. Es <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="the best day of my life" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">el mejor día de mi vida.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="How long?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Cuánto tiempo te quedas? —pregunta el padre.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="A month" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Un mes. Después tengo que regresar a la Argentina.

Armando entra en la casa. Van a la cocina y comen juntos.

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="After eating" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Después de comer, van al centro del pueblo.

—Todo es diferente —dice Armando.

—Sí. Muchas cosas son diferentes ahora.

Armando señala un edificio grande.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I don't know" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">No conozco ese edificio.

—Es la escuela nueva.

—¿Y eso? <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I don't know" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">No sé <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="what 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 es.

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

—¿De verdad? <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I no longer know" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Ya no conozco el pueblo.

—¿Ves a ese niño? —dice el padre—. Es el <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="grandson" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">nieto de tu amigo Pedro.

—¿Pedro tiene nietos?

—Sí, tiene dos.

—¿Y Luis? <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Do you know...?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Conocen a mi amigo Luis?

—Sí, <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="we know" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">conocemos a Luis. <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="He works in the field" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Trabaja en el campo. Todavía <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="you don't know" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">no conoces a su esposa.

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="At the end of" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Al final de la tarde regresan a casa. Armando muestra fotos.

—Esta es mi esposa, María. Y este es mi hijo, Enrique. Tiene ocho años.

—¿Cuándo conocemos a tu familia? —pregunta la madre.

—No sé, mamá.

—No conocemos a nuestro nieto —dice el padre, triste.

—Sí. Él <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="needs to meet" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">necesita conocer a sus <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="grandparents" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">abuelos. Necesita conocer España.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="Do you know when...?" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">¿Sabes cuándo regresas? Enrique puede venir contigo.

—No sé. El viaje es muy caro.

—¿Enrique <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="knows that" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">sabe que tiene abuelos en España?

—Sí. Siempre hablo de <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="you all" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">vosotros.

Después de un mes, Armando tiene que regresar a la Argentina.

Sus padres van con él al <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="port" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">puerto. El barco va a salir en cinco minutos.

—¿<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="You know" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Sabes que pensamos en ti todos los días?

—Sí. Yo también <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="I think a lot about" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">pienso mucho en vosotros.

Todos lloran.

—<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="It's time" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">Es la hora. Tengo que irme, papás —dice Armando, triste.

Se abrazan. Los padres no quieren <span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="to say goodbye" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">decir adiós.

<span class="vocab-tooltip" fb-tooltip="true" fb-tooltip-message="They don't know when" fb-tooltip-position="top" fb-tooltip-theme="dark" fb-tooltip-animation="shift-away" fb-tooltip-show-delay="100" fb-tooltip-arrow="rounded">No saben cuándo van a ver a su hijo otra vez.

Spanish story with English translation

Es el año 1900.

It is the year 1900.

Armando tiene veinte años.

Armando is twenty years old.

Vive con sus padres en un pueblo pequeño de Galicia.

He lives with his parents in a small village in Galicia.

La familia no tiene mucho dinero. No hay trabajo en el pueblo.

The family doesn't have much money. There is no work in the village.

Armando va a la Argentina para buscar trabajo.

Armando goes to Argentina to look for work.

Veinte años después, un barco llega a España.

Twenty years later, a ship arrives in Spain.

Un hombre de cuarenta años sale del barco. Es Armando.

A forty-year-old man gets off the ship. It is Armando.

Camina hasta su pueblo. Toca la puerta de su casa. Su madre abre.

He walks to his village. He knocks on the door of his house. His mother opens.

—¿Armando?

"Armando?"

—Sí, mamá. Soy yo.

"Yes, Mom. It's me."

—¡Casimiro, ven! ¡Es Armando! ¡Nuestro hijo!

"Casimiro, come! It's Armando! Our son!"

El padre llega corriendo.

The father comes running.

—¿Armando? ¿Eres tú?

"Armando? Is that you?"

—Sí, papá.

"Yes, Dad."

Se abrazan. Todos lloran.

They hug. Everyone cries.

—¡Hijo! ¡Qué sorpresa! Estoy muy feliz —dice la madre—. Es el mejor día de mi vida.

"Son! What a surprise! I am so happy," says the mother. "It's the best day of my life."

—¿Cuánto tiempo te quedas? —pregunta el padre.

"How long are you staying?" asks the father.

—Un mes. Después tengo que regresar a la Argentina.

"One month. Then I have to return to Argentina."

Armando entra en la casa. Van a la cocina y comen juntos.

Armando enters the house. They go to the kitchen and eat together.

Después de comer, van al centro del pueblo.

After eating, they go to the center of the village.

—Todo es diferente —dice Armando.

"Everything is different," says Armando.

—Sí. Muchas cosas son diferentes ahora.

"Yes. Many things are different now."

Armando señala un edificio grande.

Armando points to a big building.

—No conozco ese edificio.

"I don't know that building."

—Es la escuela nueva.

"It's the new school."

—¿Y eso? No sé qué es.

"And that? I don't know what it is."

—Es una panadería.

"It's a bakery."

—¿De verdad? Ya no conozco el pueblo.

"Really? I don't know the village anymore."

—¿Ves a ese niño? —dice el padre—. Es el nieto de tu amigo Pedro.

"Do you see that boy?" says the father. "He is the grandson of your friend Pedro."

—¿Pedro tiene nietos?

"Pedro has grandchildren?"

—Sí, tiene dos.

"Yes, he has two."

—¿Y Luis? ¿Conocen a mi amigo Luis?

"And Luis? Do you know my friend Luis?"

—Sí, conocemos a Luis. Trabaja en el campo. Todavía no conoces a su esposa.

"Yes, we know Luis. He works in the fields. You still don't know his wife."

Al final de la tarde regresan a casa. Armando muestra fotos.

At the end of the afternoon they return home. Armando shows photos.

—Esta es mi esposa, María. Y este es mi hijo, Enrique. Tiene ocho años.

"This is my wife, María. And this is my son, Enrique. He is eight years old."

—¿Cuándo conocemos a tu familia? —pregunta la madre.

"When do we meet your family?" asks the mother.

—No sé, mamá.

"I don't know, Mom."

—No conocemos a nuestro nieto —dice el padre, triste.

"We don't know our grandson," says the father, sad.

—Sí. Él necesita conocer a sus abuelos. Necesita conocer España.

"Yes. He needs to know his grandparents. He needs to know Spain."

—¿Sabes cuándo regresas? Enrique puede venir contigo.

"Do you know when you're coming back? Enrique can come with you."

—No sé. El viaje es muy caro.

"I don't know. The trip is very expensive."

—¿Enrique sabe que tiene abuelos en España?

"Does Enrique know he has grandparents in Spain?"

—Sí. Siempre hablo de vosotros.

"Yes. I always talk about you."

Después de un mes, Armando tiene que regresar a la Argentina.

After one month, Armando has to return to Argentina.

Sus padres van con él al puerto. El barco va a salir en cinco minutos.

His parents go with him to the port. The ship is going to leave in five minutes.

—¿Sabes que pensamos en ti todos los días?

"Do you know that we think about you every day?"

—Sí. Yo también pienso mucho en vosotros.

"Yes. I also think about you a lot."

Todos lloran.

Everyone cries.

—Es la hora. Tengo que irme, papás —dice Armando, triste.

"It's time. I have to go, Mom and Dad," says Armando, sad.

Se abrazan. Los padres no quieren decir adiós.

They hug. The parents don't want to say goodbye.

No saben cuándo van a ver a su hijo otra vez.

They don't know when they are going to see their son again.

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

A friend asks about Armando's son, Enrique. Reply in Spanish: He knows that he has grandparents in Spain. He does not know his grandparents.

Example: Sabe que tiene abuelos en España. No conoce a sus abuelos.

Notes:

"Sabe que" → SABER for facts and information. "No conoce" → CONOCER for people. That's the core rule: SABER = facts, information, questions. CONOCER = people and places.
"Conoce a sus abuelos" → when CONOCER is followed by a person, you need "a" before them. "Conocer a sus abuelos," "conocer a Luis," "conocer a María." Always.

Question 2

You meet Armando at the port. Ask him in Spanish: Do you know Pedro's grandson? Do you know when you are coming back?

Example: ¿Conoces al nieto de Pedro? ¿Sabes cuándo regresas?

Notes:

"Conoces al nieto" → "a" (for a person) + "el" always combines into "al." You'll never see "a el" written separately.
Notice the pattern: SABER is always followed by "que" or a question word (cuándo, dónde, qué, quién).

Question 3

Armando asks you about your life. Answer him in Spanish: I know [your country] well. I do not know Argentina. I know that Spanish is important.

Example: Conozco [your country] bien. No conozco Argentina. Sé que el español es importante.

Notes:

"Sé" looks strange: it's yo + SABER. It's the only irregular form you need to memorize. All others are regular: sabes, sabe, sabemos, saben.
Countries don't need "a" before them, even with CONOCER. The personal "a" is only for people: "Conozco Argentina" but "Conozco a María."

Question 4

Translate to Spanish: I know Armando's village. You know when Armando comes back. She knows Armando's wife. We know that Enrique has grandparents.

Example: Conozco el pueblo de Armando. Sabes cuándo regresa Armando. Conoce a la esposa de Armando. Sabemos que Enrique tiene abuelos.

Notes:

CONOCER conjugates like a regular -ER verb in every form except yo: conozco. The rest are normal: conoces, conoce, conocemos, conocen.

Question 5

Translate to Spanish: Armando does not know the town anymore. He does not know the new school. His father knows Pedro's grandson.

Example: Armando ya no conoce el pueblo. No conoce la escuela nueva. Su padre conoce al nieto de Pedro.

Notes:

"Ya no conoce" → "ya no" means "not anymore." It works with any verb: "ya no vive aquí," "ya no tiene dinero."
"La escuela nueva" → in Spanish, most adjectives go after the noun: "el edificio grande," "la panadería nueva."

Question 6

Translate to Spanish: Armando knows that his parents are sad. He has to go back to Argentina. His son does not know his grandparents. Armando wants to come back with Enrique.

Example: Armando sabe que sus padres están tristes. Tiene que regresar a la Argentina. Su hijo no conoce a sus abuelos. Armando quiere regresar con Enrique.

Notes:

"Están tristes" not "son tristes" → sadness is temporary, so ESTAR. If you said "son tristes," it would mean they're just sad people by nature.
This is a good example of how SABER/CONOCER works alongside other structures you already know: TENER QUE for obligation, QUERER for desire and ESTAR for temporary states.

Reply in Spanish and join the discussion!

Armando leaves his village, his parents and his whole life for twenty years! Tell us:

Do you know someone who lives in another country? Do you see them a lot or a little?
Is there a person you think about every day? Who?
Who knows you best in your life? Who is that person?

Part 7

Speaking Challenge

The door opens, there are tears and now everybody has questions. From the reunion in Galicia to the goodbye at the port, get ready to describe, explain, compare and retell.

Questions About Argentina

You're Armando and you've just walked through the door after twenty years. Your mother is crying, hugging you and making a lot of questions.

Your task - answer your mother's questions:

Say you're very happy and a little tired from the trip
She asks about your wife. Say María is very nice and very pretty; say she wants to visit Spain and meet the family
She asks about Enrique. Say he's eight years old and very smart; say he wants to meet his grandparents
Say life in Argentina is very good; say that you like it, but it's very different from the village
Say you're staying one month; after that, you have to go back to Argentina

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Estoy muy feliz y un poco cansado del viaje.
1. I'm very happy and a little tired from the trip.
María es muy simpática y muy guapa. Quiere visitar España y conocer a la familia.
1. María is very nice and very pretty. She wants to visit Spain and meet the family.
Tiene ocho años y es muy inteligente. Quiere conocer a sus abuelos.
1. He's eight years old and he's very smart. He wants to meet his grandparents.
La vida en Argentina es muy buena. Me gusta, pero es muy diferente del pueblo.
1. Life in Argentina is very good. I like it, but it's very different from the village.
Me quedo un mes. Después tengo que regresar a Argentina.
1. I'm staying one month. After that, I have to go back to Argentina.

The Last Morning

You're Armando's mother and your neighbor stops by the house and notices you look sad. She sits down with you and asks what's wrong.

Your task - tell your neighbor what's happening:

Say your son Armando has to go back to Argentina today
Say Armando is forty years old now; he has a wife named María and a son named Enrique who is eight years old
Say you don't know María and you don't know your grandson
Say you're very happy because Armando is here but also very sad because he has to leave today
Say you don't know when Armando can come back; the trip is very expensive
Say your grandson needs to meet his grandparents; say you and your husband think about Armando every day

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Mi hijo Armando tiene que regresar a Argentina hoy.
1. My son Armando has to go back to Argentina today.
Armando tiene cuarenta años. Su esposa se llama María y su hijo se llama Enrique. Enrique tiene ocho años.
1. Armando is forty years old. His wife is called María and his son is called Enrique. Enrique is eight years old.
No conozco a María y no conozco a mi nieto.
1. I don't know María and I don't know my grandson.
Estoy muy contenta porque Armando está aquí, pero también estoy muy triste porque tiene que irse hoy.
1. I'm very happy because Armando is here, but I'm also very sad because he has to leave today.
No sé cuándo Armando puede regresar. El viaje es muy caro.
1. I don't know when Armando can come back. The trip is very expensive.
Nuestro nieto necesita conocer a sus abuelos. Mi marido y yo pensamos en Armando todos los días.
1. Our grandson needs to meet his grandparents. My husband and I think about Armando every day.

Enrique Asks About Spain

You're Armando and you're back in Argentina after your month in Galicia. Your eight-year-old son Enrique is full of questions.

Your task - talk to Enrique:

Say that his grandparents live in a small village in Galicia, in Spain
Say his grandmother is very nice, very funny and she cooks very well
Say the village is very small - smaller than your city - but very pretty
Say his grandparents don't know him yet, but they really want to meet him
Say he needs to meet his grandparents; say they need to meet him too
Say the trip is very expensive but you want to go with him

Speak for 45 seconds - 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Tus abuelos viven en un pueblo pequeño de Galicia, en España.
1. Your grandparents live in a small village in Galicia, in Spain.
Tu abuela es muy simpática, muy divertida y cocina muy bien.
1. Your grandmother is very nice, very funny and she cooks very well.
El pueblo es muy pequeño - más pequeño que nuestra ciudad - pero muy bonito.
1. The village is very small - smaller than our city - but very pretty.
Tus abuelos todavía no te conocen, pero quieren mucho conocerte.
1. Your grandparents don't know you yet, but they really want to meet you.
Necesitas conocer a tus abuelos. Y ellos necesitan conocerte a ti también.
1. You need to meet your grandparents. And they need to meet you too.
El viaje es muy caro, pero quiero ir a España contigo.
1. The trip is very expensive, but I want to go to Spain with you.

A City You Know vs A City You Want to Visit

You're chatting with someone about travel. You describe a city you know well and compare it with a city you want to visit but don't know yet.

Your task - compare both cities:

Say the name of a city you know well (your city or the nearest big city); say you know it very well
Describe it - say if it's big or small, if it's pretty, and name two things it has (parks, restaurants, shops...)
Now name a city you don't know but want to visit
Say two things you know about that city (big or small? is the food good? is it expensive?)
Compare the two cities - say which one is bigger and which one has better food
Say which city you like more and say one reason why

Speak for 1 minute

Reveal sample answer

Conozco muy bien [Madrid]. / Conozco [Bilbao] muy bien.
1. I know [Madrid] very well. / I know [Bilbao] very well.
Es una ciudad grande y muy bonita. Tiene muchos parques y buenos restaurantes.
1. It's a big city and very pretty. It has many parks and good restaurants.
No conozco [Buenos Aires] pero quiero ir.
1. I don't know [Buenos Aires] but I want to go.
Sé que es una ciudad muy grande. Y sé que la comida es muy buena.
1. I know that it's a very big city. And I know that the food is very good.
[Buenos Aires] es más grande que [Madrid]. Pero [Madrid] tiene mejor comida.
1. [Buenos Aires] is bigger than [Madrid]. But [Madrid] has better food.
Me gusta más [Madrid] porque conozco la ciudad y me gusta mucho la comida.
1. I like [Madrid] more because I know the city and I really like the food.

The Dinner Party

You're at dinner with friends and someone mentions how hard it is to live far from family. You say "I just read an incredible story about that." Everyone goes quiet. "Go on, tell us."

Your task - tell the story in your own words:

Who is Armando at the beginning? (age, where he lives)
Why does Armando go to Argentina? (what's the problem in the village?)
How many years later does Armando come back? How old is he now?
What happens at the door? (who opens it? what does the mother say?)
Describe the reunion - how does the mother feel? What does she say about this day?
Where do they go after eating? What does Armando say about the village?
Name two things Armando doesn't recognize in the village
What does the father tell Armando about his old friends? (Pedro, Luis)
Describe Armando's family in Argentina (photos, wife's name, son's name and age)
Are the parents sad? What don't they know? Is the trip expensive?
Describe the goodbye at the port - how does everyone feel? What does Armando have to do?
Do you think this story is happy, sad or both? Why?
Do you know someone who lives far from their family? Where do they live?
Do you like stories about families?

Speak for 2.5-3 minutes

Reveal sample answer

Armando tiene veinte años y vive con sus padres en un pueblo pequeño de Galicia.
1. Armando is twenty years old and he lives with his parents in a small village in Galicia.
La familia no tiene mucho dinero y no hay trabajo en el pueblo. Armando va a Argentina para buscar trabajo.
1. The family doesn't have much money and there isn't work in the village. Armando goes to Argentina to look for work.
Veinte años después, Armando regresa a España. Ahora tiene cuarenta años.
1. Twenty years later, Armando comes back to Spain. Now he's forty years old.
Armando toca la puerta. Su madre abre y dice: "¿Armando?" El padre llega corriendo.
1. Armando knocks on the door. His mother opens it and says: "Armando?" The father comes running.
La madre está muy feliz. Dice que es el mejor día de su vida. Todos lloran.
1. The mother is very happy. She says that it's the best day of her life. Everyone cries.
Después de comer, van al centro del pueblo. Armando dice que todo es diferente.
1. After eating, they go to the center of the village. Armando says that everything is different.
Armando no conoce la escuela nueva y no conoce la panadería nueva.
1. Armando doesn't know the new school and he doesn't know the new bakery.
El padre dice que Pedro tiene nietos. Luis trabaja en el campo y tiene esposa. Armando todavía no conoce a la esposa de Luis.
1. The father says that Pedro has grandchildren. Luis works in the field and has a wife. Armando still doesn't know Luis's wife.
Armando muestra fotos. Su esposa se llama María y su hijo se llama Enrique. Enrique tiene ocho años.
1. Armando shows photos. His wife is called María and his son is called Enrique. Enrique is eight years old.
Los padres están tristes. No conocen a su nieto y no saben cuándo Armando va a regresar. El viaje es muy caro.
1. The parents are sad. They don't know their grandson and they don't know when Armando is going to come back. The trip is very expensive.
En el puerto todos están muy tristes. Todos lloran. Armando tiene que irse. Los padres no quieren decir adiós. No saben cuándo van a ver a su hijo.
1. At the port everyone is very sad. Everyone cries. Armando has to leave. The parents don't want to say goodbye. They don't know when they are going to see their son.
Esta historia es triste y bonita. Es triste porque Armando no puede estar con sus padres. Pero es bonita porque la familia es muy importante para Armando.
1. This story is sad and beautiful. It's sad because Armando can't be with his parents. But it's beautiful because family is very important for Armando.
Sí, conozco a [mi tío]. Vive en [Alemania]. Su familia vive aquí en [España]. / No, toda mi familia vive en [mi ciudad].
1. Yes, I know [my uncle]. He lives in [Germany]. His family lives here in [Spain]. / No, all my family lives in [my city].
Sí, me gustan mucho las historias de familias. / Sí, me gustan, pero esta historia es muy triste.
1. Yes, I really like stories about families. / Yes, I like them, but this story is very sad.

Part 8

Culture

1. The reason why Armando left

Armando leaves Galicia at twenty. He comes back at forty. Twenty years gone.

A wife and a son his parents have never met. A village he barely recognizes.

And his story? It wasn't unusual.

What "hacer las Américas" actually meant

There's a phrase in Spanish… hacer las Américas. Literally "to make the Americas."

It meant leaving everything behind and crossing the Atlantic to find work and build a life.

It sounds almost romantic. It wasn't.

Close-up of a bronze statue face from the Monumento al Emigrante on the Vigo waterfront in Galicia, Spain.

Monumento al Emigrante stands on the Vigo waterfront. A statue built to remember the thousands who left Galicia for the Americas. The face says everything the letters home didn't.

In 1900 Galicia was one of the poorest parts of Spain. Small farms. Bad land. Not enough food.

So people left.

Between 1857 and 1960 roughly 2.2 million Spaniards emigrated to Argentina alone. Others went to Cuba, Uruguay, Brazil and Mexico.

About 70% of those Spanish immigrants in Argentina were Galician.

So many arrived in Buenos Aires that Argentines started calling ALL Spaniards gallegos (Galicians), no matter where they were actually from.

A guy from Seville? Gallego. That's how big the wave was.

The Galician writer Castelao said it simply: "The Galician does not ask. He emigrates."

Armando's grandparents' generation would have spent over 50 days on a sailboat to get there. By 1900 steamships did it in 18 to 24. Faster… but not easier.

Most arrived at the port of Buenos Aires. Some had relatives waiting. Some had a name on a piece of paper. Some had nothing.

What followed was years of hard work, long hours and low pay. Saving every coin to send home or to go back one day.

The ones who came back rich (and the many who didn't)

The lucky few who made fortunes were called indianos (from "las Indias," the old word for the Americas).

They came back and built colourful mansions in their tiny villages. You can still see them today across Galicia and Asturias.

But roughly 95% never came back wealthy. Many couldn't afford the trip home. Others were too proud to return without a fortune.

Armando is not an indiano. He comes home for a month with photos of a grandson his parents have never held. He can't bring his family because the trip costs too much.

For every indiano who built a mansion… there were thousands of Armandos who just tried to make it home.

A word for what Armando carried for twenty years

The Galician language has a word for this. Morriña.

A deep, aching homesickness. Not just missing home the way you miss your bed after a holiday. Something heavier. The word possibly comes from the Latin mori… to die.

There's an old Galician saying: morriña is "a saudade so strong it can even kill."

It's central to Galician identity. It's the word that captures what it feels like to leave a place you love because staying… means starving.

2. Galicia: The Corner of Spain Armando Left Behind

Armando's pueblo is somewhere in Galicia. And if you're picturing dry plains, flamenco and endless sunshine… forget all of that.

Aerial drone view of the coastal village of Combarro in Galicia showing stone houses and hórreos along the waterfront.

Combarro, a typical Galician fishing village in Pontevedra. Stone houses built right on the water

Galicia looks nothing like the Spain most people imagine.

The part of Spain that looks like Ireland

Galicia sits in the northwest corner of Spain right above Portugal.

About 2.7 million people across four provinces. The landscape is green. Seriously green.

Rolling hills, dense forests, rivers through valleys, fog in the mornings. And rain. The kind of rain that doesn't ask permission… it just shows up and stays.

And here's the part that surprises people: Galicia has Celtic roots.

Before the Romans arrived the people there were the Gallaeci, a Celtic tribe.

Walk through a Galician festival and you might hear a gaita (Galician bagpipes). Yes… bagpipes. In Spain.

It's sometimes called "the Spanish Ireland" and honestly… it fits.

Hard workers, few words

Galicians have a reputation across Spain. Hard workers. Careful with money. Not quick to trust you.

There's a saying that if you ask a Galician a question they'll answer with another question.

They've got a specific type of dry humour called retranca (think deadpan sarcasm with a straight face).

It comes from generations of dealing with poverty, bad landlords and governments that didn't care about them. They learned to say less and work more.

But sit with a Galician long enough and they'll feed you until you can't move.

A language that isn't Spanish

Galicians have their own language: Galego (Galician). Not a dialect.

A full language, closely related to Portuguese (roughly 85% intelligibility) because they were the same language until they split around the 15th century.

Speaking Galician was suppressed under Franco (1939-1975). It came back after democracy returned.

For you as a Spanish learner… Castilian works perfectly in Galicia. You'd just also hear a second language around you.

The cities Armando never got to show his son

Santiago de Compostela - the capital and final stop of the Camino de Santiago, one of the most famous pilgrimages in the world (more about it on a later story). The cathedral alone is worth the trip
A Coruña - home to the Tower of Hercules, the oldest working Roman lighthouse in the world. UNESCO World Heritage

Aerial view of the Tower of Hercules lighthouse on the coast of A Coruña, Galicia, with the Atlantic Ocean behind it.

Tower of Hercules, A Coruña. Nearly 2,000 years old and still working.

Vigo - Galicia's largest city (around 300,000 people). The seafood port is worth the visit
Lugo - surrounded by completely intact Roman walls. The only fully preserved Roman walls on the planet. Also UNESCO

What Galicia puts on your plate

This is the seafood capital of Spain. Cold Atlantic waters and rocky coastline produce some of the best shellfish in Europe.

Percebes (goose barnacles) - look strange but taste incredible, harvested by hand from dangerous cliffs
Empanada gallega - golden pastry stuffed with tuna, peppers and onion
Caldo gallego - thick broth of turnip greens, white beans, potatoes and pork‍
Pulpo a feira - octopus with olive oil, paprika, served on a wooden plate

Pulpo a feira served on a traditional wooden plate with paprika and olive oil.

Pulpo a feira. If you only eat one thing in Galicia… this is it.

Albariño - crisp white wine from the Rías Baixas region

The Galicia Armando's grandkids should see

If Armando's family ever makes that trip back (and by now we're probably talking great-great-grandkids… but still)… here's where to start.

Santiago's cathedral - walk into the Praza do Obradoiro and stand there. Pilgrims have been doing that for a thousand years
Tower of Hercules at sunset - a Roman lighthouse still guiding ships after nearly 2,000 years
Oysters (and octopus) in Vigo - head to the port, buy them from market stalls, eat them standing up
Lugo's walls - walk the full 2 km circuit on top. The views are something else
Cíes Islands - a boat ride from Vigo. White sand beaches that look like they belong in the Caribbean. Part of a national park

View from Alto do Príncipe viewpoint on the Cíes Islands showing cliffs, white sand beach and Atlantic Ocean.

Cíes Islands, a short boat ride from Vigo. Yes… this is northwest Spain.

If you happen to go there… rent a car in Santiago and give yourself at least three days.

One for the city, one for the coast, one for driving around and stopping wherever looks good.

You'll want a fourth. Everyone does.

Did You Know?

👔 Inditex, the company behind Zara (the world's largest fashion retailer), is based in Arteixo, a small town near A Coruña in Galicia
🇨🇺 Fidel Castro's father was a Galician emigrant from the province of Lugo. Che Guevara also had Galician ancestry
🎖️ Francisco Franco, the dictator who suppressed the Galician language for nearly 40 years, was himself born in Ferrol, Galicia
🌊 Buenos Aires is sometimes called "the fifth Galician province" because of how many Galician descendants live there
🐙 Spain eats more octopus than any other country in Europe. Galicia is where most of it ends up
🔥 Galicia has a drink ritual called queimada where you set aguardiente (a strong liquor) on fire in a clay pot while someone recites a spell to ward off evil spirits. It's as dramatic as it sounds

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