Borrowing a phone charger | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In daily life, one adult borrows a phone charger and cable from another person's bag and agrees to return everything..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a phone charger to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Puedo tomar prestado tu cargador de teléfono?

PWEH-doh toh-MAHR prehs-TAH-doh too kah-rgah-DOHR deh teh-LEH-foh-noh Can I borrow your phone charger?
B

Está en el bolsillo interior de mi bolso.

ehs-TAH ehn ehl bohl-SEE-yoh een-teh-ree-OR deh mee BOHL-soh It's in the inside pocket of my bag.
A

¿El cable está con el cargador?

ehl KAH-bleh ehs-TAH kohn ehl kah-rgah-DOHR Is the cable with it?
B

El cable está en el estuche pequeño.

ehl KAH-bleh ehs-TAH ehn ehl ehs-TOO-cheh peh-KEH-nyoh The cable is in the small case.
A

Encontré los dos.

ehn-kohn-TREH lohs DOHS I found both.
B

Por favor, pon el cable otra vez en el estuche.

pohr fah-VOR pohn ehl KAH-bleh OH-trah behs ehn ehl ehs-TOO-cheh Please put the cable back in the case.
A

Devolveré todo antes de irme.

deh-bohl-beh-REH TOH-doh AHN-tehs deh EER-meh I'll return everything before I leave.
B

Me parece bien.

meh pah-REH-seh BYEHN That works for me.

Word by Word

Puedo “Puedo” means “can I” in “¿Puedo tomar prestado tu cargador de teléfono?”, asking for permission. It is used before an action, as in “Puedo” + action. Use it when asking whether you are allowed or able to do something.
tomar prestado “Tomar prestado” means “borrow” in “¿Puedo tomar prestado tu cargador de teléfono?”. “Tomar” expresses taking, and “prestado” shows that the item is taken temporarily with the intention of returning it. Reuse the pattern “tomar prestado” + an object when asking to borrow something.
tu “Tu” means “your” in “tu cargador de teléfono”, identifying the charger as belonging to the person being addressed. It comes directly before the owned object. Use “tu” when referring to something belonging to the person you are speaking to.
cargador “Cargador” means “charger” in “tu cargador de teléfono”, the item being borrowed. It is used with the object description “de teléfono” here. Use “cargador” when referring to a device used to charge something.
de “De” links “cargador” and “teléfono” in “cargador de teléfono”, showing what the charger is for. It also links “bolsillo interior” and “mi bolso” in “el bolsillo interior de mi bolso”, showing the bag that the pocket belongs to. Reuse “de” to connect a noun with its type, purpose, or owner.
teléfono “Teléfono” means “phone” in “cargador de teléfono”, specifying the kind of charger. It follows “de” in this noun phrase. Use “teléfono” when referring to a phone in everyday situations.
Está “Está” means “is located” in “Está en el bolsillo interior de mi bolso”, identifying where the charger is. It is followed by “en” and the place. Use “Está en” to say where an object is located.
en “En” means “in” in “en el bolsillo interior de mi bolso” and “en el estuche pequeño”, indicating the location of an object. It comes before the place where something is. Reuse “estar en” + a place to describe an object’s location.
el “El” means “the” in “el bolsillo interior”, “el cable”, and “el estuche pequeño”, referring to a specific masculine singular noun. It comes before the noun it identifies. Use “el” before a specific masculine singular object.
bolsillo “Bolsillo” means “pocket” in “el bolsillo interior de mi bolso”, identifying the place where the charger is. It is followed by “interior” to describe which pocket. Use “bolsillo” when talking about a pocket in clothing or a bag.
interior “Interior” means “inside” in “el bolsillo interior”, distinguishing this pocket as the one on the inside. It comes after the noun it describes here. Use “bolsillo interior” when identifying an inside pocket.
mi “Mi” means “my” in “mi bolso”, showing that the bag belongs to the speaker. It comes directly before the owned noun. Use “mi” when referring to something that belongs to you.
bolso “Bolso” means “bag” in “mi bolso”, the bag containing the inside pocket. It follows “mi” to show whose bag it is. Use “bolso” when referring to a bag in which someone carries personal items.
cable “Cable” means “cable” in “El cable está con el cargador” and “El cable está en el estuche pequeño”. It identifies the second item being located and returned. Use “cable” when referring to a cable that belongs with a device or charger.
con “Con” means “with” in “está con el cargador”, asking whether the cable is together with the charger. It comes before the item that accompanies another item. Use “con” to describe two things being together.
estuche “Estuche” means “case” in “el estuche pequeño”, the container where the cable is kept. It is described by “pequeño” in this phrase. Use “estuche” when referring to a case used to hold a small item.
pequeño “Pequeño” means “small” in “el estuche pequeño”, describing the size of the case. It comes after “estuche” in this dialogue. Use “pequeño” after a noun when describing a small object in a similar phrase.
Encontré “Encontré” means “I found” in “Encontré los dos”, reporting that the speaker located both items. It is followed by the objects found. The citation form is “encontrar”; “Encontré” is the form used here for the speaker’s completed finding. Use “Encontré” + an object when telling someone that you found something.
los “Los” in “los dos” refers to the two specific masculine plural objects already being discussed, the charger and the cable. It comes before “dos” in this expression. Use “los dos” when referring to two masculine plural items together.
dos “Dos” means “two” in “los dos”, indicating that both of the two discussed items were found. It follows “los” in this phrase. Use “dos” to state the number of objects or people.
Por favor “Por favor” means “please” in “Por favor, pon el cable otra vez en el estuche”, making the request more polite. The expression works as a whole: “por” and “favor” combine to form this polite request marker. Use “Por favor” before a request or command.
pon “Pon” means “put” in “pon el cable otra vez en el estuche”, telling someone where to place the cable. It is followed by the object and the destination introduced by “en”. Use the pattern “pon” + object + “en” + place when asking someone to put something somewhere.
otra “Otra” contributes the meaning of repeating an action in “otra vez”, which means “again” in “pon el cable otra vez en el estuche”. It appears directly before “vez” in this expression. Use “otra vez” when asking for or describing a repeated action.
vez “Vez” means “time” as part of the expression “otra vez”, meaning “again” in “pon el cable otra vez en el estuche”. Its meaning here comes from the whole expression with “otra”. Use “vez” in expressions that describe an occurrence or repetition.
Devolveré “Devolveré” means “I will return” in “Devolveré todo antes de irme”, promising to give the borrowed items back. The citation form is “devolver”; “Devolveré” is the form used here for the speaker’s future action. Use “Devolveré” + an object when promising to return something.
todo “Todo” means “everything” in “Devolveré todo”, referring to all the borrowed items together. It follows “Devolveré” as the object of returning. Use “todo” when referring to all relevant things as a group.
antes “Antes” means “before” in “antes de irme”, placing the return earlier than the speaker’s departure. It is followed by “de” and the action that happens later. Use “antes de” + an action to say that one thing happens before another.
irme “Irme” means “to leave” in “antes de irme”, referring to the speaker leaving. It is used after “antes de” to name the action that has not happened yet. Use “antes de irme” when saying that something will happen before you leave.
Me “Me” identifies the speaker as the person affected in “Me parece bien”, which as a whole means “That works for me” or “That seems fine to me”. It appears before “parece” in this expression. Use “me” in expressions that state how something seems or feels to you.
parece “Parece” means “seems” in “Me parece bien”, where the speaker gives a positive evaluation of the proposed arrangement. Together with “Me” and “bien”, it forms the expression “Me parece bien”. Use “parece” with an evaluation to say how something seems.
bien “Bien” means “fine” or “okay” in “Me parece bien”, showing that the speaker accepts the arrangement. Its positive meaning is part of the whole expression with “Me parece”. Use “Me parece bien” to agree that a suggestion or plan is acceptable.

Grammar Points

Imperativo afirmativo: pon + objeto

Pon el cargador en el bolso, por favor.

pohn ehl kah-rgah-DOHR ehn ehl BOHL-soh pohr fah-VOR

Put the charger in the bag, please.

Pon es el imperativo informal de poner. En español, el sujeto tú normalmente no aparece.

Futuro simple: infinitivo + -ré

Devolveré todo otra vez.

deh-bohl-beh-REH TOH-doh OH-trah behs

I will return everything again.

Devolveré expresa una acción futura de la primera persona: devolver + -é.

Spanish Vocabulary

bolsillo noun
bohl-SEE-yoh pocket
bolso noun
BOHL-soh bag
cable noun
KAH-bleh cable
cargador noun
kahr-gah-DOHR charger
encontrar verb
ehn-kohn-TRAHR to find Encontré
estar verb
ehs-TAHR to be Está
estuche noun
ehs-TOO-cheh case
interior adj
een-teh-ree-OR inside
los dos phrase
lohs DOHS both
pequeño adj
peh-KEH-nyoh small
teléfono noun
teh-LEH-foh-noh phone
tomar prestado phrase
toh-MAHR prehs-TAH-doh to borrow

¿Puedo tomar prestado tu cargador de teléfono?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is the cable with it?

Show Answer¿El cable está con el cargador?

I found both.

Show AnswerEncontré los dos.

I'll return everything before I leave.

Show AnswerDevolveré todo antes de irme.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

cable

Show Answercable

charger

Show Answercargador

phone

Show Answerteléfono

pocket

Show Answerbolsillo