A1
Spanish Short Story

Paseando y Haciendo Amigos

(Walking and Making Friends)

A dog's spontaneous hello brings two strangers together at a park. Could this be the start of new bonds?

Boy walking a dog on a leash, from the A1 Spanish short story 'Paseando y Haciendo Amigos'.

Check our tips to learn Spanish more effectively with this story

This story was designed to help you learn Spanish in context, strengthen comprehension, and absorb vocabulary and grammar naturally through reading, listening, and interactive exercises. It includes a quizz, flashcards, and a writing practice to reinforce your skills. Here's how to maximize your learning:

  1. Listen and read the story

    Play the audio while reading to follow the story naturally. Focus on understanding the main ideas and how the language sounds. The goal is to develop your Spanish listening skills and overall comprehension.
  2. Read again with the translation

    Turn on the translation and compare how ideas are expressed in Spanish and English. This builds awareness of Spanish sentence structure and grammar in real use.
  3. Explore the key vocabulary

    Below the story, you’ll find important words bolded and listed. This Spanish vocabulary list highlights key words and expressions in context and helps you understand what matters most in the story.
  4. Take the comprehension quiz

    Now test your understanding with the quiz. It reinforces the main ideas and helps improve your Spanish reading comprehension with instant feedback.
  5. Review key vocabulary with flashcards

    Use the flashcards to practice the vocabulary you just learned. This boosts memory through active recall and strengthens Spanish vocabulary retention.
  6. Try the writing practice

    Respond to the writing question related to the story. Use the new words and grammar to create your own sentences. This strengthens grammar and encourages you to think in Spanish.
  7. Practice speaking out loud

    Try saying full sentences out loud — or even read the whole story aloud if you feel ready. You can also speak along with the audio, matching the narrator’s voice as closely as possible. This is a great way to improve pronunciation and fluency while building your Spanish speaking confidence.
  8. Review as needed
  9. Come back to the story anytime to review vocabulary, grammar, or anything you found challenging. You can retake the quiz, replay the audio, or go through the flashcards again. Regular review helps reinforce what you’ve learned and build stronger Spanish skills over time.

Key Spanish concepts you'll encounter in this story

Grammar: Present tense, basic questions, simple negation

Vocabulary: Park setting, dog descriptions, time expressions

Skills: Making introductions, arranging to meet, expressing likes

Spanish version

Es un día soleado en Barcelona.

Ana está sentada en un banco en el Parque Ciutadella. Ella lee un libro.

Tiene gafas de sol y una blusa blanca.

Cerca, Víctor camina con su perro Max. Max es un pastor alemán.

Max es joven y tiene energía.

De repente, Max ve a Ana y corre a ella.

—¡Max! ¡Ven aquí! —dice Víctor, pero Max no oye.

Max llega al banco de Ana y quiere jugar.

—Lo siento mucho —dice Víctor—. Max es muy amigable.

Ana sonríe y cierra su libro.

No pasa nada. Me gustan mucho los perros. Yo tengo una perra. Se llama Rosita.

—Yo soy Víctor, y este es Max —dice.

—Hola. Yo soy Ana. ¿Cuántos años tiene Max?

—Max tiene dos años. ¿Y Rosita?

—Rosita tiene cuatro años. Es pequeña pero muy activa. Max es muy bonito y divertido.

—Gracias. ¿Tú vienes a este parque muchas veces?

—Sí, vengo casi todos los días. A Rosita le gusta correr aquí.

—¡Qué bien! Nosotros también venimos muchas veces.

Víctor mira su teléfono.

—Necesito ir a trabajar ahora. ¿Podemos vernos mañana con los perros?

—¡Sí! Rosita va a estar contenta de conocer a Max.

—¿A las once aquí?

—Sí, perfecto. Hasta mañana.

Los dos dicen adiós con una sonrisa. Están felices porque van a verse mañana.

Spanish story with English translation

Es un día soleado en Barcelona.

It's a sunny day in Barcelona.

Ana está sentada en un banco en el Parque Ciutadella. Ella lee un libro.

Ana is sitting on a bench in Ciutadella Park. She is reading a book.

Tiene gafas de sol y una blusa blanca.

She has sunglasses and a white blouse.

Cerca, Víctor camina con su perro Max. Max es un pastor alemán.

Nearby, Víctor walks with his dog Max. Max is a German Shepherd.

Max es joven y tiene energía.

Max is young and has energy.

De repente, Max ve a Ana y corre a ella.

Suddenly, Max sees Ana and runs to her.

—¡Max! ¡Ven aquí! —dice Víctor, pero Max no oye.

"Max! Come here!" says Víctor, but Max doesn't hear.

Max llega al banco de Ana y quiere jugar.

Max arrives at Ana's bench and wants to play.

—Lo siento mucho —dice Víctor—. Max es muy amigable.

"I'm very sorry," says Víctor. "Max is very friendly."

Ana sonríe y cierra su libro.

Ana smiles and closes her book.

—No pasa nada. Me gustan mucho los perros. Yo tengo una perra. Se llama Rosita.

"It's nothing. I really like dogs. I have a dog. Her name is Rosita."

—Yo soy Víctor, y este es Max —dice.

"I'm Víctor, and this is Max," he says.

—Hola. Yo soy Ana. ¿Cuántos años tiene Max?

"Hi. I'm Ana. How old is Max?"

—Max tiene dos años. ¿Y Rosita?

"Max is two years old. And Rosita?"

—Rosita tiene cuatro años. Es pequeña pero muy activa. Max es muy bonito y divertido.

"Rosita is four years old. She's small but very active. Max is very handsome and fun."

—Gracias. ¿Tú vienes a este parque muchas veces?

"Thank you. Do you come to this park often?"

—Sí, vengo casi todos los días. A Rosita le gusta correr aquí.

"Yes, I come almost every day. Rosita likes to run here."

—¡Qué bien! Nosotros también venimos muchas veces.

"That's great! We come here often too."

Víctor mira su teléfono.

Víctor looks at his phone.

—Necesito ir a trabajar ahora. ¿Podemos vernos mañana con los perros?

"I need to go to work now. Can we meet tomorrow with the dogs?"

—¡Sí! Rosita va a estar contenta de conocer a Max.

"Yes! Rosita will be happy to meet Max."

—¿A las once aquí?

"At eleven here?"

—Sí, perfecto. Hasta mañana.

"Yes, perfect. See you tomorrow."

Los dos dicen adiós con una sonrisa.

They both say goodbye with a smile.

Están felices porque van a verse mañana.

They are happy because they will see each other tomorrow.

It’s time to practice your Spanish

Start by taking the Spanish comprehension quiz to check how well you understood the story. Then, review the vocabulary you’ve learned with fun vocabulary flashcards. Finally, practice your Spanish writing by answering a question based on the story.

Part 1

Comprehension and Vocabulary Practice

Show instructions
Part 2

Writing Practice

Now it’s time to practice your Spanish writing by posting your answer to the story's question in the comments. Don’t worry about being perfect... just give it a go! You can also read other learners’ replies, join the conversation, and build confidence by practicing together.

Answer the question (in Spanish) in the comments:

What animals do you like? Do you prefer big animals like Max (the German shepherd) or small animals like Rosita?

Comments section for language learners