About This Lesson
Use Taking a short break to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Me siento cansado.
meh SYEN-toh kahn-SAH-doh I feel tired.
B
Tomemos un descanso corto.
toh-MEH-mohs oon dehs-KAHN-soh KOR-toh Let's take a short break.
A
¿Está libre esta silla?
ehs-TAH LEE-breh EHS-tah SEE-yah Is this chair free?
B
Puedes sentarte aquí.
PWEH-dehs sehn-TAR-teh ah-KEE You can sit here.
A
Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.
TRAH-heh AHL-goh peh-KEH-nyoh PAH-rah koh-MEHR ehn ehl dehs-KAHN-soh I brought a small snack for the break.
B
Voy a buscar agua.
BOY ah boos-KAR AH-gwah I'll get some water.
A
Este lugar se siente tranquilo.
EHS-teh loo-GAR seh SYEN-teh trahn-KEE-loh This place feels quiet.
B
Entonces podemos descansar aquí un rato.
ehn-TOHN-sehs poh-DEH-mohs dehs-kahn-SAR ah-KEE oon RAH-toh Then we can rest here for a bit.Word by Word
Me
In “Me siento cansado.”, “Me” shows that the speaker is the person affected by the feeling. It is used with “siento” to express the speaker’s own state, such as when telling someone how you feel.
siento
In “Me siento cansado.”, “siento” means “feel.” Together with “Me,” it describes the speaker’s current condition. This form is useful when reporting a personal feeling to another person.
cansado
In “Me siento cansado.”, “cansado” means “tired” and describes the speaker’s condition. It appears after “Me siento” to say how the speaker feels, such as during a break.
Tomemos
In “Tomemos un descanso corto.”, “Tomemos” proposes that the speaker and the other person take something together: “let’s take.” It is useful for making a friendly suggestion followed by the activity being suggested.
un
In “Tomemos un descanso corto.”, “un” means “a” and introduces one unspecified break. It comes before “descanso” in the phrase for suggesting a break to another person.
descanso
In “Tomemos un descanso corto.”, “descanso” means “break” or “rest.” It names the pause the speakers want to take, and it can be used after “un” when referring to a break.
corto
In “Tomemos un descanso corto.”, “corto” means “short” and describes the limited length of the break. It follows “descanso” here to specify what kind of break is meant.
Está
In “¿Está libre esta silla?”, “Está” expresses the chair’s current state: “is.” It is used with “libre” to ask about present availability, such as when choosing a seat.
libre
In “¿Está libre esta silla?”, “libre” means “free” or “available,” referring to a chair that no one is using. It follows “Está” when asking whether a place or seat is available.
esta
In “¿Está libre esta silla?”, “esta” means “this” and points to the specific chair being indicated. It comes directly before “silla” to identify the object being asked about.
silla
In “¿Está libre esta silla?”, “silla” means “chair.” It is the object whose availability is being checked, and it can follow “esta” when pointing to a particular chair.
Puedes
In “Puedes sentarte aquí.”, “Puedes” means “you can” and gives the other person permission or ability to do something. It is followed here by “sentarte” to offer a place to sit.
sentarte
In “Puedes sentarte aquí.”, “sentarte” means “sit down” for the person being addressed. Together with “Puedes,” it gives permission or an invitation to sit in a specified place.
aquí
In “Puedes sentarte aquí.”, “aquí” means “here” and identifies the place where the other person may sit. It is useful for indicating the speaker’s current location or a nearby spot.
Traje
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “Traje” means “I brought.” It tells the other person that the speaker arrived with something, and it can be followed by the thing brought.
algo
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “algo” means “something” and refers to an unspecified item. It is followed by “pequeño” here to add a description of that item.
pequeño
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “pequeño” means “small” and describes the item the speaker brought. It follows “algo” to give more information about the unspecified thing.
para
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “para” introduces the purpose of the item: it is for eating. It is followed by “comer” when explaining what something is intended for.
comer
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “comer” means “eat” and states the purpose of the item brought. It follows “para” in a construction used to describe intended use.
en
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “en” means “in” or “during” and places the eating within the break. It connects the activity with the time or situation named afterward.
el
In “Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.”, “el” means “the” and introduces the specific break being discussed. It comes before “descanso” to refer to that particular break.
Voy
In “Voy a buscar agua.”, “Voy” means “I am going” and begins a statement about the speaker’s planned action. Together with “a buscar,” it tells the other person what the speaker is going to do next.
a
In “Voy a buscar agua.”, “a” links “Voy” with the planned action “buscar.” This is the form used in the construction for saying what someone is going to do.
buscar
In “Voy a buscar agua.”, “buscar” means “get” in this context: the speaker is going to get water. It follows “Voy a” when stating the next planned action.
agua
In “Voy a buscar agua.”, “agua” means “water,” the thing the speaker plans to get. It comes after “buscar” to identify the object of the action.
Este
In “Este lugar se siente tranquilo.”, “Este” means “this” and points to the place the speakers are in. It comes before “lugar” to identify that specific place.
lugar
In “Este lugar se siente tranquilo.”, “lugar” means “place.” It identifies the setting whose atmosphere or condition is being described, and it follows “Este” when pointing to this place.
se
In “Este lugar se siente tranquilo.”, “se” helps connect the place with how it feels. It is part of “se siente,” which describes the place’s apparent atmosphere or state.
tranquilo
In “Este lugar se siente tranquilo.”, “tranquilo” means “quiet” or “calm” and describes the atmosphere of the place. It appears after “se siente” to express how the place feels.
Entonces
In “Entonces podemos descansar aquí un rato.”, “Entonces” means “then” and connects the decision to what was just observed about the quiet place. It is useful for introducing a resulting action or conclusion.
podemos
In “Entonces podemos descansar aquí un rato.”, “podemos” means “we can” and expresses that the two speakers are able or permitted to rest. It is followed by “descansar” to state the possible action.
descansar
In “Entonces podemos descansar aquí un rato.”, “descansar” means “rest.” It follows “podemos” to name the activity the speakers can do in the quiet place.
rato
In “Entonces podemos descansar aquí un rato.”, “rato” refers to a while or a short period of time. With “un,” it gives the duration of the rest without specifying an exact length.
Grammar Points
Tomemos + sustantivo
Tomemos un descanso corto.
toh-MEH-mohs oon dehs-KAHN-soh KOR-tohLet's take a short break.
Tomemos is a first-person plural suggestion meaning “let's take.” Spanish uses this verb form for a shared action.
para + infinitivo
Algo pequeño para comer.
AHL-goh peh-KEH-nyoh PAH-rah koh-MEHRSomething small to eat.
Para + an infinitive expresses purpose or intended use: para comer means “to eat” or “for eating.”
Spanish Vocabulary
algo
pron
AHL-goh
something
Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.
aquí
adv
ah-KEE
here
Puedes sentarte aquí.
cansado
adj
kahn-SAH-doh
tired
Me siento cansado.
corto
adj
KOR-toh
short
Tomemos un descanso corto.
descanso
noun
dehs-KAHN-soh
break, rest
Tomemos un descanso corto.
estar
verb
ehs-TAR
to be
Está
¿Está libre esta silla?
libre
adj
LEE-breh
free, available
¿Está libre esta silla?
sentarse
verb
sehn-TAR-seh
to sit down
sentarte
Puedes sentarte aquí.
sentirse
verb
sehn-TEER-seh
to feel
siento
Me siento cansado.
silla
noun
SEE-yah
chair
¿Está libre esta silla?
tomar
verb
toh-MAR
to take
Tomemos
Tomemos un descanso corto.
traer
verb
trah-EHR
to bring
Traje
Traje algo pequeño para comer en el descanso.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I feel tired.
Show Answer
Me siento cansado.Let's take a short break.
Show Answer
Tomemos un descanso corto.Is this chair free?
Show Answer
¿Está libre esta silla?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to be
Show Answer
Estáto take
Show Answer
Tomemosto feel
Show Answer
sientofree, available