Trying on shoes | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shoe shop, a customer tries on shoes and asks for a larger pair when they feel small..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Trying on shoes to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Estos zapatos parecen cómodos.

EH-stohs sah-PAH-tohs pah-REH-sen KOH-moh-dohs. These shoes look comfortable.
B

Están hechos para caminar mucho.

ehs-STAHN EH-chohs PAH-rah kah-mee-NAHR MOO-choh. They are made for long walks.
A

¿Puedo probármelos aquí?

PWEH-doh proh-BAR-meh-lohs ah-KEE? Can I try them on here?
B

Usa este banco mientras te los pones.

OO-sah EH-steh BAHN-koh mee-EN-trahs teh lohs POH-nehs. Use this bench while you put them on.
A

Me quedan un poco pequeños.

meh KWEH-dahn oon POH-koh peh-KEH-nyohs. They feel a little small.
B

Pruébate este par más grande.

PRWEH-bah-teh EH-steh pahr mahs GRAHN-deh. Try this larger pair.
A

Este par me queda mejor.

EH-steh pahr meh KWEH-dah meh-HOR. This pair feels better.
B

Esa talla te queda bien.

EH-sah TAH-yah teh KWEH-dah BYEHN. That size looks right on you.

Word by Word

Estos “Estos” means “these” and points to the shoes being discussed. It is used with a plural masculine noun here, as in “Estos zapatos”. A reusable pattern is “estos” + a plural noun when identifying nearby items.
zapatos “Zapatos” means “shoes” and is the item that looks comfortable in “Estos zapatos parecen cómodos”. Its plural form refers to the shoes as a pair or group. In a shop, you can use it after a demonstrative such as “Estos” to identify shoes.
parecen “Parecen” means “seem” or “look” in “Estos zapatos parecen cómodos”. It presents “cómodos” as how the shoes appear. A useful pattern is “parecen” followed by an adjective describing how something looks.
cómodos “Cómodos” means “comfortable” and describes the shoes in “Estos zapatos parecen cómodos”. Its form matches the plural masculine noun “zapatos”. Use an adjective after “parecen” to describe how an item appears.
Están “Están” means “are” here as part of “Están hechos para caminar mucho”. It describes the current state or condition of the shoes. A useful pattern is “Están hechos para” followed by an activity or purpose.
hechos “Hechos” means “made” in “Están hechos para caminar mucho”. Together with “Están”, it says what the shoes are designed or intended for. The reusable pattern “están hechos para” introduces a purpose.
para “Para” means “for” and introduces the purpose in “para caminar mucho”. It connects the shoes with the activity they are intended for. A common pattern is “para” followed by an action expressed in the infinitive.
caminar “Caminar” means “to walk” in “para caminar mucho”. It names the activity that the shoes are made for. Use it after “para” when describing a purpose involving walking.
mucho “Mucho” means “a lot” in “caminar mucho”. It tells us that the walking is extensive rather than limited. A useful pattern is a verb followed by “mucho” to express doing something a lot.
Puedo “Puedo” means “can I” in the question “¿Puedo probármelos aquí?”. It asks for permission to do the action that follows. Use “Puedo” before an action when asking whether you may do it.
probármelos “Probármelos” means “try them on” in “¿Puedo probármelos aquí?”. The form refers to trying on the shoes and includes the pronouns for the wearer and the shoes. After “Puedo”, this form expresses the action the speaker is asking permission to perform.
aquí “Aquí” means “here” and asks whether trying on the shoes is possible at this place. It gives the location for “probármelos”. A useful pattern is placing “aquí” with an action to specify where it happens.
Usa “Usa” means “use” in “Usa este banco”. It is a direct instruction to the customer. Use it before an object when telling one person to use something.
este “Este” means “this” and identifies the bench in “este banco”. Its form matches the singular masculine noun “banco”. A reusable pattern is “este” + a singular masculine noun for a nearby item.
banco “Banco” means “bench” and is the object of “Usa” in “Usa este banco”. The phrase identifies a place to sit while putting on the shoes. In this context, it is used after “este” to name the shop item.
mientras “Mientras” means “while” and links two actions happening at the same time in “mientras te los pones”. It introduces the action that occurs during another action. Use “mientras” before a clause describing a simultaneous activity.
te “Te” marks the person who is putting the shoes on themselves in “te los pones”. It shows that the action is directed back to the person being addressed. In this construction, it appears before “los pones”.
los “Los” means “them” and refers to the shoes in “te los pones”. It is the object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb form “pones”. Use it to refer back to the masculine plural shoes without repeating the noun.
pones “Pones” means “put on” in “te los pones”. Together with “te” and “los”, it describes the addressee putting the shoes on themselves. The reusable expression “te los pones” combines the person, the shoes, and the action.
Me “Me” identifies the person whose fit is being described in “Me quedan un poco pequeños”. It means “to me” in this context. A useful pattern is “me quedan” followed by a plural item when saying how something fits the speaker.
quedan “Quedan” means “fit” or “feel on someone” in “Me quedan un poco pequeños”. It describes how the shoes fit the speaker, with the plural shoes as the item being evaluated. Use “me quedan” with a plural item when discussing its fit.
un “Un” is the article “a” in “un poco”. It helps form the expression that softens the degree of “pequeños”. Use it together with “poco” when expressing a small amount or degree.
poco “Poco” means “a little” in “un poco pequeños”. Together with “un”, it makes the description less absolute by expressing a small degree. A useful pattern is “un poco” followed by an adjective.
pequeños “Pequeños” means “small” and describes the shoes in “Me quedan un poco pequeños”. Its plural masculine form matches “zapatos” as the item being evaluated. Use it after “me quedan” to describe the fit of plural items.
Pruébate “Pruébate” means “try on” as a direct instruction in “Pruébate este par”. It tells the customer to try the pair on themselves. A useful pattern is “Pruébate” followed by the item to be tried on.
par “Par” means “pair” in “este par” and refers to a pair of shoes. It lets the speaker identify both shoes as one item for comparison. In a shop, it can follow a demonstrative when selecting a pair.
más “Más” means “more” in “más grande”. It increases the degree of the adjective and makes the pair larger than the earlier one. A common pattern is “más” followed by an adjective for comparison.
grande “Grande” means “large” or “big” in “este par más grande”. With “más”, it describes a pair that is larger than the previous pair. Use it after “más” when comparing the size of items.
mejor “Mejor” means “better” in “me queda mejor”. It compares the fit or feeling of this pair with the earlier pair. A useful shopping pattern is “me queda mejor” when one item fits the speaker better.
queda “Queda” means “fits” or “feels on someone” in “me queda mejor”. It is used with the singular item “Este par”, unlike “quedan” with the plural shoes earlier. Use “me queda” with one item when describing its fit.
Esa “Esa” means “that” and identifies the size in “Esa talla te queda bien”. Its form matches the feminine singular noun “talla”. A reusable pattern is “esa” + a feminine singular noun for a specific item or option.
talla “Talla” means “size” in “Esa talla te queda bien”. It is the subject being evaluated for how well it fits the customer. In a shoe shop, use it with “queda bien” to say that a size fits.
bien “Bien” means “well” or “right” in “te queda bien”. It gives a positive evaluation of how the size fits the customer. The reusable expression “te queda bien” says that an item or size fits you well.

Grammar Points

parecer + adjetivo

Parecen cómodos.

pah-REH-sen KOH-moh-dohs.

They look comfortable.

The verb and adjective agree with the plural masculine subject: parecen and cómodos.

quedar + pronombre + adjetivo/adverbio

Me quedan un poco pequeños.

meh KWEH-dahn oon POH-koh peh-KEH-nyohs.

They fit me a little small.

Spanish uses an indirect pronoun such as me with quedar to show who experiences the fit.

Spanish Vocabulary

aquí adv
ah-KEE here

¿Puedo probármelos aquí?

caminar verb
kah-mee-NAHR to walk

Están hechos para caminar mucho.

cómodos adj
KOH-moh-dohs comfortable

Estos zapatos parecen cómodos.

están verb
ehs-STAHN are

Están hechos para caminar mucho.

hechos adj
EH-chohs made

Están hechos para caminar mucho.

mucho adv
MOO-choh a lot; much

Están hechos para caminar mucho.

para prep
PAH-rah for

Están hechos para caminar mucho.

parecen verb
pah-REH-sen look; seem

Estos zapatos parecen cómodos.

probármelos verb
proh-BAR-meh-lohs to try them on

¿Puedo probármelos aquí?

puedo verb
PWEH-doh can; may

¿Puedo probármelos aquí?

usa verb
OO-sah use

Usa este banco mientras te los pones.

zapatos noun
sah-PAH-tohs shoes

Estos zapatos parecen cómodos.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

These shoes look comfortable.

Show AnswerEstos zapatos parecen cómodos.

They are made for long walks.

Show AnswerEstán hechos para caminar mucho.

Can I try them on here?

Show Answer¿Puedo probármelos aquí?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to walk

Show Answercaminar

shoes

Show Answerzapatos

a lot; much

Show Answermucho

can; may

Show Answerpuedo