Checking a Bag Before Leaving | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: Before leaving, two adults check that a bag has the needed phone, keys, and water bottle..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Checking a Bag Before Leaving to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Podemos comprobar que mi bolsa está lista?

poh-DEH-mohs kohm-proh-BAR keh mee BOL-sah ehs-TAH LEES-tah Can we make sure my bag is ready?
B

Pon primero las cosas importantes sobre la mesa.

pohn pree-MEH-roh lahs KOH-sahs eem-por-TAHN-tehs SOH-breh lah MEH-sah Put the important things on the table first.
A

Mi teléfono está en el bolsillo delantero.

mee teh-LEH-foh-noh ehs-TAH ehn ehl bohl-SEE-yoh deh-lahn-TEH-roh My phone is in the front pocket.
B

¿Dónde pusiste tus llaves?

DOHN-deh poo-SEE-steh toos YAH-behs Where did you put your keys?
A

Están al lado de mi teléfono.

ehs-TAHN ahl LAH-doh deh mee teh-LEH-foh-noh They are next to my phone.
B

¿También necesitas tu botella de agua?

tahm-BYEHN neh-seh-SEE-tahs too boh-TEH-yah deh AH-gwah Do you also need your water bottle?
A

Sí, ya está en el bolsillo principal.

see yah ehs-TAH ehn ehl bohl-SEE-yoh preen-see-PAHL Yes, it is already in the main pocket.
B

Entonces tienes lo que necesitas.

ehn-TOHN-sehs TYEH-nehs loh keh neh-seh-SEE-tahs Then you have what you need.

Word by Word

Podemos Here, Podemos asks whether we can do something together. It is followed by the infinitive comprobar. Use ¿Podemos + infinitive? when making a joint request or suggestion.
comprobar Here, comprobar means to check or make sure that the bag is ready. It is an infinitive after Podemos and introduces the clause beginning with que. Use comprobar que + clause when checking that a condition is true.
que Here, que means that and links comprobar to the statement mi bolsa está lista. It introduces what is being checked. Use comprobar que + clause to say what you are making sure of.
mi Here, mi means my in mi bolsa and marks the bag as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before a singular noun. Use mi + singular noun when identifying one thing connected to you.
bolsa Here, bolsa means bag, the item whose readiness is being checked. In mi bolsa, it follows the possessive mi. Use bolsa for a bag used to carry or store things.
está Here, está means is and presents the bag's current state in está lista. It is the form of estar used with the singular subject mi bolsa. Use está + adjective to describe a current state.
lista Here, lista means ready in está lista, describing the bag as prepared for leaving. Its feminine singular form matches bolsa. Use estar + lista when referring to a feminine singular thing that is ready.
Pon Here, Pon means put and gives a direct instruction to one person. It is followed by the object las cosas importantes and the location sobre la mesa. Use Pon + object + place when telling someone to put something somewhere.
primero Here, primero means first and tells the listener to do this before the other actions. It modifies the instruction to put the things on the table. Use primero to mark the first step in a sequence.
las Here, las means the in las cosas importantes. It marks a specific plural feminine group, the important things. Use las before a specific plural feminine noun.
cosas Here, cosas means things, referring to the items that should be placed on the table. It is the noun in las cosas importantes, with importantes describing it. Use cosas for items when the exact items are not named.
importantes Here, importantes means important and identifies which things should be put on the table. Its plural form matches cosas. Use cosas importantes for important items in a sorting or packing task.
sobre Here, sobre means on in sobre la mesa and shows the surface where the things should be placed. It comes before the location noun phrase la mesa. Use the pattern Pon + object + sobre + surface to describe placement on a surface.
la Here, la means the in la mesa. It marks mesa as a specific singular feminine noun. Use la before a specific singular feminine noun.
mesa Here, mesa means table, the surface where the important things are placed. It appears after sobre la. Use mesa when identifying the table as the destination or location for an object.
teléfono Here, teléfono means phone, specifically the speaker's phone in the bag. In Mi teléfono, it follows Mi and is the subject of está. Use teléfono when identifying a phone in a location or checking whether it is present.
en Here, en means in and locates the phone inside the front pocket. It comes before el bolsillo delantero. Use en + location to say where an object is.
el Here, el means the in el bolsillo delantero. It marks bolsillo as a specific singular masculine noun. Use el before a specific singular masculine noun.
bolsillo Here, bolsillo means pocket, the compartment holding the phone. It is followed by delantero, which specifies which pocket. Use bolsillo + adjective to identify a particular pocket.
delantero Here, delantero means front in el bolsillo delantero, identifying the pocket at the front. Its masculine singular form matches bolsillo. Use a noun followed by a position adjective when specifying which part or location it is.
Dónde Here, Dónde means where and asks for the location of the keys. Its accent marks the interrogative form in ¿Dónde pusiste tus llaves? Use Dónde + verb when asking where something was placed or is located.
pusiste Here, pusiste means you put and asks about the completed placement of the keys. It is used with tus llaves as the item whose location is being asked about. Use ¿Dónde pusiste + object? to ask where someone placed something.
tus Here, tus means your in tus llaves, linking the keys to the person being addressed. Its plural form appears before llaves. Use tus + plural noun for more than one thing belonging or relating to the person you address.
llaves Here, llaves means keys, the item whose location is being checked. It follows tus and is the plural item referred to by Están in the next line. Use llaves when talking about keys as a group, especially when locating them.
Están Here, Están means are and states where the keys are: next to the phone. It is the plural form of estar used with llaves. Use están + location phrase to say where plural objects are.
al lado de The whole expression al lado de means next to and locates the keys beside the phone. Inside it, al is the contraction of a + el, lado means side, and de links that side to the reference mi teléfono. Use al lado de + noun to identify something beside a place or object.
También Here, También means also and adds the water bottle to the things the person may need. It appears at the start of the question También necesitas tu botella de agua. Use También to add another item, action, or fact to what has already been mentioned.
necesitas Here, necesitas means you need and asks whether the addressed person needs the water bottle too. It is followed by the object tu botella de agua. Use necesitas + noun to ask or state what someone needs.
tu Here, tu means your in tu botella de agua, linking the bottle to the person being addressed. It comes before the singular noun botella. Use tu + singular noun to identify one thing belonging or relating to the person you address.
botella Here, botella means bottle, the item whose presence is being checked. In tu botella de agua, it is specified by de agua. Use botella de + substance when identifying what a bottle contains or is for.
de Here, de links botella with agua in botella de agua, giving the bottle's contents or type. It connects one noun to another in this expression. Use noun + de + noun to describe a thing by its contents or association.
agua Here, agua means water, the substance associated with the bottle. It follows de in botella de agua. Use agua after botella de when identifying a water bottle.
Sí Here, Sí means yes and confirms the answer to whether the water bottle is needed. It stands alone at the start of the reply Sí, ya está en el bolsillo principal. Use Sí to give a positive answer before adding further information.
ya Here, ya means already and shows that the bottle is in the pocket at this point. It appears before está to mark the situation as already true. Use ya + verb to say something has happened or is true by now.
principal Here, principal means main and identifies the main pocket. Its masculine singular form matches bolsillo in bolsillo principal. Use noun + principal to identify the primary or main one among similar items.
Entonces Here, Entonces means then or so and draws a conclusion from the bag check. It introduces the conclusion Entonces tienes lo que necesitas. Use Entonces at the start of a sentence when one fact leads to a conclusion or next step.
tienes Here, tienes means you have and concludes that the addressed person has the needed items. It is followed by lo que necesitas, which identifies what is possessed. Use tienes + noun or tienes lo que + clause to state that someone has something or what they need.
lo que The whole expression lo que means what or that which, referring here to the things the person needs in lo que necesitas. In it, lo makes the following description refer to an unspecified thing, and que links that description to necesitas. Use lo que + verb when referring to whatever the verb describes.

Grammar Points

lo que + verbo

lo que necesitas

loh keh neh-seh-SEE-tahs

what you need

“Lo que” means “what” and introduces a clause referring to a thing or things, not a specific noun.

¿Dónde + verbo en pasado...?

¿Dónde pusiste las llaves?

DOHN-deh poo-SEE-steh lahs YAH-behs

Where did you put the keys?

Spanish uses the past form “pusiste” directly after “dónde” to ask where someone placed something.

Spanish Vocabulary

bolsa noun
BOL-sah bag

mi bolsa

bolsillo noun
bohl-SEE-yoh pocket

el bolsillo delantero

comprobar verb
kohm-proh-BAR to check; to make sure

¿Podemos comprobar que mi bolsa está lista?

cosas noun
KOH-sahs things

las cosas importantes

delantero adj
deh-lahn-TEH-roh front

el bolsillo delantero

importantes adj
eem-por-TAHN-tehs important

las cosas importantes

lista adj
LEES-tah ready

mi bolsa está lista

mesa noun
MEH-sah table

sobre la mesa

pon verb
pohn put

Pon primero las cosas importantes sobre la mesa.

primero adv
pree-MEH-roh first

Pon primero las cosas importantes

sobre prep
SOH-breh on; over

sobre la mesa

teléfono noun
teh-LEH-foh-noh phone

Mi teléfono

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Where did you put your keys?

Show Answer¿Dónde pusiste tus llaves?

They are next to my phone.

Show AnswerEstán al lado de mi teléfono.

Do you also need your water bottle?

Show Answer¿También necesitas tu botella de agua?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

things

Show Answercosas

table

Show Answermesa

ready

Show Answerlista

on; over

Show Answersobre