Basic states, preparation, and time | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: A beginner practices six useful English phrases about basic states, preparation, and time..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Basic states, preparation, and time to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Me siento mejor.

meh SYEN-toh meh-HOR I am feeling better.
B

Estoy muy ocupado.

ess-TOY mwee oh-koo-PAH-doh I am very busy.
A

Ya estoy listo.

yah ess-TOY LEES-toh I am ready now.
B

No estoy listo.

noh ess-TOY LEES-toh I am not ready.
A

Necesito más tiempo.

neh-seh-SEE-toh mahs TYEHM-poh I need more time.
B

¿Tienes tiempo?

TYEH-nehs TYEHM-poh Do you have time?

Word by Word

Me “Me” marks the speaker as the person who feels in “Me siento mejor.” It works with the verb to show who experiences the feeling, and it can be reused before a verb when the speaker is affected by or experiences something.
siento “Siento” is the verb form used in “Me siento mejor” to express that the speaker feels a certain way. Together with “Me,” it describes the speaker’s condition; “mejor” completes the meaning by saying the condition has improved. This expression is useful when telling someone that you are recovering or feeling improved.
mejor “Mejor” means “better” in “Me siento mejor,” describing an improvement in how the speaker feels. It completes the expression about the speaker’s condition and can be reused when comparing a current state with an earlier one. This is useful when reporting that you feel improved after being unwell.
Estoy “Estoy” expresses “I am” or “I am in a state” in “Estoy muy ocupado,” “Ya estoy listo,” and “No estoy listo.” It is used here with words describing a current condition, so it is useful when telling someone your present state.
muy “Muy” means “very” and strengthens “ocupado” in “Estoy muy ocupado.” It is placed before the word it intensifies, and it is useful when emphasizing the degree of a description.
ocupado “Ocupado” means “busy” in “Estoy muy ocupado,” describing the speaker’s current state. With “Estoy,” it tells the other person that the speaker has little available time or attention. This is useful when explaining why you cannot respond or help immediately.
Ya “Ya” means “now” or “already” in “Ya estoy listo,” showing that being ready has been achieved by this point. It appears before the rest of the statement and is useful when announcing that a preparation is complete.
listo “Listo” means “ready” in “Ya estoy listo” and “No estoy listo.” It describes whether the speaker is prepared, and it is useful when telling someone whether you can begin an activity.
No “No” marks the statement as negative in “No estoy listo,” meaning that the speaker is not ready. It comes before the verb and is useful for rejecting or denying the state expressed in the rest of the sentence.
Necesito “Necesito” is the dialogue form of necesitar used to say “I need” in “Necesito más tiempo.” It introduces what the speaker requires, here “más tiempo,” and is useful when asking for or explaining a need.
más “Más” means “more” in “Necesito más tiempo,” indicating that the speaker requires an additional amount of time. It comes before the noun it specifies and is useful when the current amount is insufficient.
tiempo “Tiempo” means “time” in “Necesito más tiempo” and “¿Tienes tiempo?” It refers to available time in both statements, and it is useful when discussing whether someone has enough time for something.
Tienes “Tienes” is the dialogue form of tener used to ask one person “Do you have” in “¿Tienes tiempo?” It comes before the thing being asked about, here “tiempo,” and is useful when checking whether someone is available.

Grammar Points

me siento + adjetivo

Me siento mejor.

meh SYEN-toh meh-HOR

I feel better.

Spanish uses the reflexive form me siento to express how the speaker feels, followed by an adjective.

no + verbo

No necesito más tiempo.

noh neh-seh-SEE-toh mahs TYEHM-poh

I don't need more time.

Place no directly before the conjugated verb to make a sentence negative.

Spanish Vocabulary

estoy verb
ess-TOY I am

Estoy muy ocupado.

listo adj
LEES-toh ready

Ya estoy listo.

más adv
mahs more

Necesito más tiempo.

me siento verb
meh SYEN-toh I feel Me siento

Me siento mejor.

mejor adj
meh-HOR better

Me siento mejor.

muy adv
mwee very

Estoy muy ocupado.

necesito verb
neh-seh-SEE-toh I need

Necesito más tiempo.

no adv
noh not

No estoy listo.

ocupado adj
oh-koo-PAH-doh busy

Estoy muy ocupado.

tiempo noun
TYEHM-poh time

Necesito más tiempo.

tienes verb
TYEH-nehs you have

¿Tienes tiempo?

ya adv
yah now; already

Ya estoy listo.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I am feeling better.

Show AnswerMe siento mejor.

I am very busy.

Show AnswerEstoy muy ocupado.

I am ready now.

Show AnswerYa estoy listo.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

I am

Show Answerestoy

ready

Show Answerlisto

I need

Show Answernecesito

busy

Show Answerocupado