About This Lesson
Use Following the Event Sign Upstairs to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Puedo ver el cartel del evento en la pared.
PWEH-doh behr el kahr-TEL del eh-BEHN-toh en lah pah-RED. I can see the event sign on the wall.
B
Dice que el mostrador está arriba.
DEE-seh keh el moh-strah-DOR ehs-TAH ah-RREE-bah. It says the desk is upstairs.
A
Es fácil seguir el camino hacia arriba.
ehs FAH-seel seh-GEER el kah-MEE-noh AH-syah ah-RREE-bah. The way upstairs is easy to follow.
B
El cartel ayuda mucho.
el kahr-TEL ah-YOO-dah MOO-choh. The sign helps a lot.
A
El rellano está justo delante.
el reh-YAH-noh ehs HOO-stoh deh-LAHN-teh. The landing is just ahead.
B
Entonces, el mostrador de registro debería estar cerca.
ehn-TOHN-sehs el moh-strah-DOR deh reh-HEES-troh deh-beh-REE-ah ehs-TAHR SEHR-kah. Then the registration desk should be close.
A
Vamos antes de que la fila se haga más larga.
BAH-mohs AHN-tehs deh keh lah FEE-lah seh AH-gah mahs LAHR-gah. Let's go before the line gets longer.
B
Tendré el formulario listo.
tehn-DREH el fohr-moo-LAH-ryoh LEES-toh. I will keep the form ready.Word by Word
Puedo
Puedo means “I can” here and shows the speaker’s ability to see the sign. It is the form of poder used with an infinitive: Puedo + infinitive. In this dialogue, it is used to point out something visible.
ver
Ver means “to see” here. It stays in this form after Puedo in Puedo ver. A common pattern is ver + the person or thing that is seen.
el
El means “the” in el cartel and marks the specific sign being mentioned. It appears before a noun, as in el cartel or el mostrador. Use it when referring to a specific masculine noun.
cartel
Cartel means “sign” here, specifically the event sign on the wall. It is the object of ver in ver el cartel. You can use cartel for a sign that gives information or directions.
del
Del means “of the” in del evento. It combines de and el and links cartel with the event: el cartel del evento. Use del + noun to express this kind of relation.
evento
Evento means “event” here. In del evento, it identifies which sign is being discussed. A common pattern is el evento or de + event-related noun.
en
En means “on” here and gives the location of the sign: en la pared. It is used before a place or surface to say where something is. The same word can also introduce a location meaning “in.”
la
La means “the” in la pared and introduces the specific wall. It appears before the noun in this expression. Use la when referring to a specific noun with this form.
pared
Pared means “wall” here. In en la pared, it is the surface where the sign is located. You can use en + pared to describe something on or at a wall.
Dice
Dice means “says” here: the sign says where the desk is. It is used in the pattern Dice que + information. In this dialogue, it reports the message shown by the sign.
que
Que means “that” in Dice que the desk is upstairs. It introduces the information being reported after Dice. A common pattern is Dice que + a complete statement.
mostrador
Mostrador means “desk” or “counter” here, referring to the place people need to reach. It appears in el mostrador and el mostrador de registro. Use it for a service or reception counter.
está
Está means “is located” here, giving the location of the desk: está arriba. It is used with a place or position in this sentence. A common pattern is está + location.
arriba
Arriba means “upstairs” here and indicates that the desk is above the speakers. It completes está arriba to give the location. You can use está arriba when saying that something is upstairs.
Es
Es means “is” in Es fácil seguir el camino hacia arriba. Here it introduces a description of the route. It is the form of ser used in the pattern Es + adjective + infinitive.
fácil
Fácil means “easy” here and describes following the way upstairs. It appears in Es fácil seguir, meaning that following it does not require much effort. A common pattern is Es fácil + infinitive.
seguir
Seguir means “to follow” here. It is the infinitive after Es fácil and refers to following the path upward. A useful pattern is seguir + a path, direction, or sign.
camino
Camino means “way” or “path” here, referring to the route upstairs. In el camino hacia arriba, it identifies the route to follow. You can use camino with a direction introduced by hacia.
hacia
Hacia means “toward” here and shows the direction of the path: hacia arriba. It is placed before a direction or destination. A common pattern is hacia + direction or place.
ayuda
Ayuda means “helps” here: the sign helps the speakers find their way. It is the verb form used with el cartel as the subject. A common pattern is something ayuda + a person or with a task.
mucho
Mucho means “a lot” here and strengthens the meaning of ayuda. In El cartel ayuda mucho, it tells how much the sign helps. It can be placed after a verb to express a great degree.
rellano
Rellano means “landing,” the level area on the stairs that is just ahead. It is the subject of El rellano está justo delante. You can use it with está to describe where a landing is.
justo
Justo means “just” or “right” here and emphasizes the position ahead. In justo delante, it makes delante more precise: right ahead. Use justo before a location expression when you want to emphasize its exact position.
delante
Delante means “ahead” or “in front” here. In está justo delante, it gives the landing’s position relative to the speakers. A common pattern is estar delante to describe something located in front.
Entonces
Entonces means “then” or “so” here and introduces a conclusion based on the landing being ahead. It links the previous observation to the expectation about the desk. You can use Entonces at the start of a sentence when drawing a simple conclusion.
registro
Registro means “registration” here, identifying the purpose of the desk. In el mostrador de registro, de registro specifies what kind of desk it is. Use de + noun to describe a service or function.
debería
Debería means “should” here and expresses an expectation that the desk is nearby, not complete certainty. It is used before estar in debería estar cerca. A common pattern is debería + infinitive when making a reasonable expectation or suggestion.
estar
Estar means “to be” or “to be located” here, after debería. In debería estar cerca, it gives the expected location of the registration desk. A useful pattern is estar + location.
cerca
Cerca means “nearby” or “close” here. It completes debería estar cerca and says that the registration desk is probably not far away. Use estar cerca when describing a nearby place or object.
Vamos
Vamos means “let’s go” here and suggests that the two speakers move on together. It is used at the start of the suggestion Vamos antes de que la fila se haga más larga. You can use Vamos to encourage people to leave or continue moving.
antes
Antes means “before” here and introduces the time condition for going: before the line becomes longer. It appears in the pattern antes de que + clause. Use this expression when one action should happen earlier than another.
fila
Fila means “line” or “queue” here, referring to the people waiting at the desk. It is the subject of se haga más larga. You can use fila when talking about people waiting in order.
se
Se is part of se haga más larga, the expression describing the line becoming longer. Its meaning here comes from the whole change-of-state expression, not from se alone. Keep se together with the verb and adjective in this pattern.
haga
Haga contributes to the meaning “becomes” in se haga más larga, describing a change in the line’s length. It appears after antes de que because the sentence refers to a possible future change. A reusable pattern is que + se haga + adjective.
más
Más means “more” here and forms the comparison in más larga. It shows that the line will have greater length than it has now. A common pattern is más + adjective.
larga
Larga means “longer” here and describes the line in más larga. Together, se haga más larga means that the line becomes longer. Use más + larga when comparing the length of a line or another object.
Tendré
Tendré means “I will have” here, with the practical meaning “I will keep ready” in Tendré el formulario listo. It is the future form of tener used for a later action or state. A useful pattern is Tendré + object + adjective.
formulario
Formulario means “form” here, referring to the document needed for registration. It is the object of Tendré in Tendré el formulario listo. You can use formulario when talking about a document that must be completed or presented.
listo
Listo means “ready” here and describes the formulario. In Tendré el formulario listo, the speaker says the form will be prepared for use. A common pattern is tener + object + listo.
Grammar Points
debería + infinitivo
Debería seguir el camino.
deh-beh-REE-ah seh-GEER el kah-MEE-noh.I should follow the path.
Debería expresses advice or obligation and is followed by an infinitive verb.
poder + infinitivo
Puedo ver el cartel.
PWEH-doh behr el kahr-TEL.I can see the sign.
Puedo expresses ability or possibility and is followed by an infinitive verb.
Spanish Vocabulary
arriba
adv
ah-RREE-bah
upstairs or up
camino
noun
kah-MEE-noh
way or path
cartel
noun
kahr-TEL
sign
el cartel del evento
dice
verb
DEE-seh
says
evento
noun
eh-BEHN-toh
event
fácil
adj
FAH-seel
easy
hacia
prep
AH-syah
toward
mostrador
noun
moh-strah-DOR
desk or counter
pared
noun
pah-RED
wall
puedo
verb
PWEH-doh
can
Puedo ver el cartel del evento.
seguir
verb
seh-GEER
to follow
ver
verb
behr
to see
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
It says the desk is upstairs.
Show Answer
Dice que el mostrador está arriba.The sign helps a lot.
Show Answer
El cartel ayuda mucho.The landing is just ahead.
Show Answer
El rellano está justo delante.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
wall
Show Answer
pareddesk or counter
Show Answer
mostradorsign
Show Answer
cartelcan