Finding the Restroom During a Break | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: During a language lesson break, two adults talk about the break and how to find the restroom..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Finding the Restroom During a Break to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Cuánto dura el descanso?

KWAN-toh DOO-rah el des-KAHN-soh How long is the break?
B

El descanso dura diez minutos.

el des-KAHN-soh DOO-rah DYEHS mee-NOO-tohs The break is ten minutes long.
A

¿Dónde está el baño?

DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh Where is the restroom?
B

Sal del aula y gira a la derecha.

sahl del OW-lah ee HEE-rah ah lah deh-REH-chah Go out of the room and turn right.
A

Creo que puedo encontrarlo.

KREH-oh keh PWEH-doh en-kon-TRAR-loh I think I can find it.
B

Esperaré aquí antes de que la clase empiece otra vez.

es-peh-rah-REH ah-KEE AHN-tes deh keh lah KLAH-seh em-PYEH-seh OH-trah behs I will wait here before class starts again.

Word by Word

Cuánto “Cuánto” asks how long something lasts in “¿Cuánto dura el descanso?”. It is used here to ask about the duration of a break. A reusable question pattern is “¿Cuánto dura...?”, for asking the length of an event or activity.
dura “Dura” means lasts in “¿Cuánto dura el descanso?” and “El descanso dura diez minutos.” The subject is the break, so this form describes its duration. Use it when asking or answering how long an event or activity continues.
el “El” means the before “descanso” in “el descanso”. It identifies this particular break in the lesson. The same article helps form the noun phrase “el descanso” when referring to the break.
descanso “Descanso” means break or rest period in “el descanso”. It refers to the pause during the language lesson. Use it when talking about a scheduled pause, especially in the exact phrase “El descanso dura diez minutos.”
diez “Diez” means ten in “diez minutos”. It gives the number of minutes in the break’s duration. It is useful when stating a quantity together with “minutos”.
minutos “Minutos” means minutes in “diez minutos”. Together with “dura”, it states how long the break lasts. Use it for describing a duration in minutes, as in “El descanso dura diez minutos.”
Dónde “Dónde” means where in “¿Dónde está el baño?”. It asks about the location of the restroom. A reusable location question is “¿Dónde está...?”, used to ask where a place or thing is.
está “Está” means is located in “¿Dónde está el baño?”. It connects the question word “Dónde” with the location of the restroom. Use “¿Dónde está...?” when asking where a person, place, or thing is located.
baño “Baño” means restroom or bathroom in “el baño”. In this dialogue, it is the place the speaker wants to find during the break. Use the noun phrase “el baño” when asking for or referring to the restroom.
Sal “Sal” tells someone to go out or leave in “Sal del aula”. It gives the first step in directions from the classroom. The same form is useful when directly telling someone to leave a room or place.
del “Del” means from the or out of the in “Sal del aula”. It is the contraction of “de” and “el”, linking the movement with the place being left. Use it after a movement expression when indicating departure from a masculine noun phrase such as “del aula”.
aula “Aula” means classroom in “del aula”. It identifies the room from which the person should go out. Use it when giving or understanding directions within a school or lesson setting.
y “Y” means and in “Sal del aula y gira a la derecha”. It joins the two actions in the directions. Use it to connect successive instructions or actions.
gira “Gira” means turn in “gira a la derecha”. It gives the next direction after leaving the classroom. Use it with a direction, as in the exact pattern “gira a la derecha”, when guiding someone.
a In “a la derecha”, “a” links the turning action with the direction toward the right. Its meaning comes from this directional phrase rather than from “a” alone. Use the pattern “gira a la derecha” when giving this kind of direction.
la “La” means the before “derecha” in “a la derecha”. It forms the phrase that identifies the right side as a direction. Keep it in the reusable expression “a la derecha” when saying to the right.
derecha “Derecha” means right or the right side in “a la derecha”. The complete phrase gives the direction to turn. Use “a la derecha” when directing someone toward the right.
Creo “Creo” means I think or I believe in “Creo que puedo encontrarlo”. It introduces the speaker’s belief that finding the restroom is possible. Use “Creo que...” when giving your opinion or expressing what you think is true.
que “Que” means that here and connects “Creo” with the following thought, “puedo encontrarlo”. It introduces the idea the speaker believes. A reusable pattern is “Creo que” followed by a complete statement.
puedo “Puedo” means I can in “puedo encontrarlo”. It expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility of finding the restroom. Use “puedo” with an action, as in the exact phrase “puedo encontrarlo”, when saying you can do something.
encontrarlo “Encontrarlo” means find it in “puedo encontrarlo”, referring to the restroom. It combines the action of finding with “lo” for the thing being found. Use the exact pattern “puedo encontrarlo” when reassuring someone that you can find a previously mentioned place or thing.
Esperaré “Esperaré” means I will wait in “Esperaré aquí”. It tells the other person about the speaker’s intention to remain waiting. Use it when telling someone that you will wait for them or for an event.
aquí “Aquí” means here in “Esperaré aquí”. It identifies the speaker’s current location as the place where they will wait. Use it with a verb of staying or waiting to indicate the location.
antes “Antes” means before in “antes de que la clase empiece otra vez”. It places the waiting action earlier than the class starting again. Use the pattern “antes de que...” to relate one action or event to a later one.
clase “Clase” means class in “la clase empiece”. It refers to the language lesson that will resume. Use it in a classroom context when talking about a lesson or class session.
empiece “Empiece” means starts or begins in “la clase empiece”. It describes the class resuming after the break within “antes de que...”. Use it in that time pattern when referring to an event that has not started yet.
otra “Otra” contributes the meaning of another in “otra vez”. Together, “otra vez” means again, referring to the class starting one more time. Use the exact phrase “otra vez” when saying that an action or event happens again.
vez “Vez” means time or occasion in “otra vez”. With “otra”, the phrase “otra vez” means again. Use “otra vez” to refer to a repeated action or event.

Grammar Points

antes de que + subjuntivo

antes de que empiece la clase

AHN-tes deh keh em-PYEH-seh lah KLAH-seh

before class starts

After «antes de que», Spanish uses the subjunctive; «empiece» is the subjunctive form of «empezar».

imperativo afirmativo: sal

Sal del aula.

sahl del OW-lah

Leave the classroom.

«Sal» is the informal affirmative command of «salir», used to tell someone to leave or go out.

Spanish Vocabulary

aula noun
OW-lah classroom
baño noun
BAH-nyoh restroom; bathroom
creer verb
kreh-EHR to think; to believe Creo
derecha noun
deh-REH-chah right
descanso noun
des-KAHN-soh break
diez num
DYEHS ten
dónde adv
DON-deh where
durar verb
doo-RAHR to last dura
estar verb
es-TAHR to be; to be located está
girar verb
hee-RAHR to turn gira
minuto noun
mee-NOO-toh minute minutos
salir verb
sah-LEER to go out; to leave Sal

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

How long is the break?

Show Answer¿Cuánto dura el descanso?

The break is ten minutes long.

Show AnswerEl descanso dura diez minutos.

Where is the restroom?

Show Answer¿Dónde está el baño?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

break

Show Answerdescanso

restroom; bathroom

Show Answerbaño

minute

Show Answerminutos

to be; to be located

Show Answerestá