Learning a New Word | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a language classroom, two adults discuss a new word by checking its meaning, pronunciation, and example sentence..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Learning a New Word to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Qué significa esta palabra?

keh seeg-nee-FEE-kah ES-tah pah-LAH-brah What does this word mean?
B

Significa una habitación pequeña.

seeg-nee-FEE-kah OO-nah ah-bee-tah-see-OWN peh-KEH-nyah It means a small room.
A

¿Puedes pronunciarla despacio?

PWEH-dess proh-noon-see-AR-lah dess-PAH-see-oh Can you pronounce it slowly?
B

La voy a dividir en partes.

lah boy ah dee-bee-DEER en PAR-tess I'll break it into parts.
A

¿Puedes darme un ejemplo?

PWEH-dess DAR-meh oon eh-HEM-ploh Can you give me an example?
B

Esta habitación está limpia y luminosa.

ES-tah ah-bee-tah-see-OWN ess-TAH LEEM-pyah ee loo-mee-NOH-sah This room is clean and bright.
A

Quiero practicar cómo usarla.

KYEH-roh prahk-tee-KAR KOH-moh oo-SAR-lah I want to practice using it.
B

Intenta usarla en una oración corta.

een-TEHN-tah oo-SAR-lah en OO-nah oh-rah-see-OWN KOR-tah Try it in a short sentence.

Word by Word

Qué “Qué” asks for the meaning of the word in “¿Qué significa esta palabra?”. With “significa”, it forms a question about what something means. Use “Qué” in questions that ask for specific information.
significa “Significa” means “means” here, as in “¿Qué significa esta palabra?” and “Significa una habitación pequeña.” It is the form of “significar” used with the word or expression whose meaning is being discussed. A reliable pattern is “¿Qué significa ...?” for asking what something means.
esta “Esta” identifies the particular word being discussed in “esta palabra”, meaning “this word”. It appears directly before the noun “palabra”. Use “esta” with a nearby feminine singular noun when pointing to something specific.
palabra “Palabra” means “word” in “esta palabra”. Together, “esta palabra” refers to the particular vocabulary item whose meaning is being checked. It is useful when discussing vocabulary in a classroom or conversation.
una “Una” introduces “habitación” in “una habitación pequeña”, meaning “a” or “one”. It comes before the noun and is part of the noun phrase describing the meaning. Use “una” before a feminine singular noun when referring to one non-specific item.
habitación “Habitación” means “room” in “una habitación pequeña” and “Esta habitación”. In the first phrase it is the thing being defined, and in the second it is the room being described. Use it with a description such as “pequeña”, “limpia”, or “luminosa” when talking about a room.
pequeña “Pequeña” means “small” and describes “habitación” in “una habitación pequeña”. Its form matches the feminine noun “habitación”. Use it after a noun when describing that the room or another feminine singular item is small.
Puedes “Puedes” asks whether the other person is able to do something in “¿Puedes pronunciarla?” and “¿Puedes darme un ejemplo?”. It is the form of “poder” used with “pronunciarla” or “darme”. Use “¿Puedes ...?” to make a request or ask about someone’s ability.
pronunciarla “Pronunciarla” means “pronounce it” in “¿Puedes pronunciarla despacio?”, referring to “la palabra”. It combines the action of pronouncing with “la”, which refers back to the feminine noun “palabra”. Use it after “Puedes” when asking someone to pronounce a specific feminine object.
despacio “Despacio” means “slowly” in “pronunciarla despacio” and describes how the pronunciation should be done. It comes after the action it modifies here. Use it when asking someone to perform an action at a slow speed.
La “La” means “it” in “La voy a dividir en partes”, referring to “la palabra”. It is placed before “voy” in this sentence and represents the word that will be divided. Use “la” to refer back to a feminine singular object when its identity is already clear.
voy “Voy” contributes the speaker’s intention in “La voy a dividir en partes”, meaning “I am going to divide it into parts”. It is used with “a” and the infinitive “dividir” in the pattern “voy a ...”. Use “voy a” before an infinitive to talk about an action the speaker intends to do.
a “A” links “voy” with “dividir” in “voy a dividir”, forming the expression for an intended action. It does not mean a destination here. Use “ir” followed by “a” and an infinitive when expressing what someone is going to do.
dividir “Dividir” means “to divide” in “La voy a dividir en partes”. It describes separating the word into sections for pronunciation. Use it with “en” and the resulting parts when explaining how something is separated.
en “En” introduces the parts in “dividir en partes”, meaning “into” in this context. It connects the action of dividing with the sections that result. Use “dividir en ...” when stating what something is divided into.
partes “Partes” means “parts” in “dividir en partes”. It names the sections into which the word will be divided. Use it after “en” when referring to multiple sections of something.
darme “Darme” means “give me” in “¿Puedes darme un ejemplo?”. It combines “dar”, meaning “give”, with “me”, the person receiving the example. Use “darme” after “Puedes” when asking someone to give the speaker something.
un “Un” introduces “ejemplo” in “darme un ejemplo”, meaning “an” or “a”. It comes before the masculine singular noun “ejemplo”. Use “un” before a masculine singular noun when referring to one non-specific item.
ejemplo “Ejemplo” means “example” in “¿Puedes darme un ejemplo?”. It is the thing the speaker asks the other person to provide. Use it with “darme” when asking for an example to make a meaning or usage clearer.
está “Está” means “is” in “Esta habitación está limpia y luminosa”, describing the room’s current condition. It is the form of “estar” used with “habitación”. Use “estar” with an adjective when describing a condition or state.
limpia “Limpia” means “clean” in “está limpia”. It describes the condition of “habitación” and matches that feminine singular noun. Use it after “está” to describe a feminine singular thing as clean.
y “Y” means “and” in “limpia y luminosa”. It joins the two descriptions of the room. Use “y” to connect adjectives or other items that are both part of the same description.
luminosa “Luminosa” means “bright” in “está limpia y luminosa”. It gives a second description of “habitación” and matches that feminine singular noun. Use it after “y” to add another quality to the same subject.
Quiero “Quiero” means “I want” in “Quiero practicar cómo usarla”. It expresses the speaker’s desire to practice. It is the form of “querer” used before the infinitive “practicar”; use “quiero” followed by an infinitive to state what you want to do.
practicar “Practicar” means “to practice” in “Quiero practicar cómo usarla”. It is the action the speaker wants to do with the word. Use it after “Quiero” when talking about practicing a language skill or usage.
cómo “Cómo” means “how” in “practicar cómo usarla”, introducing the way to use the word. The accent marks it as part of this question-like expression about method. Use “cómo” before an action when discussing how to do it.
usarla “Usarla” means “use it” in “practicar cómo usarla” and “Intenta usarla en una oración corta”, referring to the word. It combines “usar” with “la”, which refers to “la palabra”. Use it after an expression such as “practicar cómo” or “Intenta” when referring to using a specific feminine object.
Intenta “Intenta” means “try” in “Intenta usarla en una oración corta”. It asks the other person to make an effort to use the word. It is followed here by “usarla”; use “Intenta” before an action when encouraging someone to try it.
oración “Oración” means “sentence” in “una oración corta”. It is the context in which the learner is encouraged to use the word. Use it with “en” when describing the sentence in which a word appears.
corta “Corta” means “short” in “una oración corta”. It describes “oración” and matches that feminine singular noun. Use it after a noun when describing a sentence or another feminine singular thing as short.

Grammar Points

Pronombre átono unido al infinitivo

¿Puedes pronunciarla despacio?

PWEH-dess proh-noon-see-AR-lah dess-PAH-see-oh

Can you pronounce it slowly?

In Spanish, object pronouns can attach to an infinitive: pronunciar + la = pronunciarla.

Concordancia de género en los adjetivos

La habitación está limpia y luminosa.

lah ah-bee-tah-see-OWN ess-TAH LEEM-pyah ee loo-mee-NOH-sah

The room is clean and bright.

Adjectives agree with feminine nouns: habitación is feminine, so limpio becomes limpia and luminoso becomes luminosa.

Spanish Vocabulary

dar verb
DAR to give darme
despacio adv
dess-PAH-see-oh slowly
dividir verb
dee-bee-DEER to divide; to break into parts
habitación noun
ah-bee-tah-see-OWN room
ir verb
eer to go voy
palabra noun
pah-LAH-brah word
parte noun
PAR-teh part partes
pequeño adj
peh-KEH-nyoh small pequeña
poder verb
poh-DEHR can; to be able to puedes
pronunciar verb
proh-noon-see-AR to pronounce pronunciarla
qué pron
keh what Qué
significar verb
seeg-nee-fee-KAR to mean significa

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What does this word mean?

Show Answer¿Qué significa esta palabra?

It means a small room.

Show AnswerSignifica una habitación pequeña.

Can you pronounce it slowly?

Show Answer¿Puedes pronunciarla despacio?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

slowly

Show Answerdespacio

small

Show Answerpequeña

word

Show Answerpalabra

can; to be able to

Show Answerpuedes