About This Lesson
Use Taking a Fresh-Air Break to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Me siento cansado en mi escritorio.
meh SYEN-toh kahn-SAH-doh en mee es-kree-TOH-ryoh I feel tired at my desk.
B
Abramos la ventana un momento.
ah-BRAH-mohs lah ben-TAH-nah oon moh-MEN-toh Let's open the window for a moment.
A
Necesito un poco de aire fresco.
neh-seh-SEE-toh oon POH-koh deh EYE-reh FRES-koh I need some fresh air.
B
El aire de afuera está fresco.
el EYE-reh deh ah-FWEH-rah es-TAH FRES-koh The air outside feels cool.
A
¿Podemos descansar junto a la ventana?
poh-DEH-mohs deh-skahn-SAHR HOON-toh ah lah ben-TAH-nah Can we rest by the window?
B
Podemos tomar un descanso corto aquí.
poh-DEH-mohs toh-MAHR oon deh-SKAHN-soh KOR-toh ah-KEE We can take a short break here.
A
Ahora me siento menos cansado.
ah-OH-rah meh SYEN-toh MEH-nohs kahn-SAH-doh I feel less tired now.
B
Volvamos pronto al trabajo.
bohl-BAH-mohs PROHN-toh al trah-BAH-hoh Let's go back to work soon.Word by Word
Me
In “Me siento cansado”, “Me” refers to the person experiencing the feeling: “I feel”. It appears before the verb in this pattern for describing one’s own state, as in “Me siento cansado” in the dialogue.
siento
In “Me siento cansado”, “siento” means “feel” and describes the speaker’s current condition. This exact form comes from sentir and is used with “Me” in the dialogue to express a personal feeling.
cansado
In “Me siento cansado”, “cansado” describes the speaker as tired. It completes the expression with “Me siento” and can be used after that expression when describing how someone feels.
en
In “en mi escritorio”, “en” indicates the place where the speaker is: at the desk. It is used before a location, together with “mi escritorio” in the dialogue.
mi
In “mi escritorio”, “mi” shows that the desk belongs to or is associated with the speaker: “my”. It comes directly before the noun it describes.
escritorio
In “mi escritorio”, “escritorio” means “desk”, the place where the speaker is sitting or working. It is used after the possessive “mi” to identify that specific desk.
Abramos
“Abramos” means “let’s open” in the suggestion “Abramos la ventana un momento.” It is used when the speaker proposes an action for the speaker and the other person to do together.
la
In “la ventana”, “la” means “the” and introduces the specific window being discussed. It comes before the noun “ventana” in the dialogue.
ventana
In “la ventana”, “ventana” means “window”. It is the object of “Abramos”, so the dialogue suggests opening the window.
un
In “un momento”, “un” introduces one unspecified moment, giving the meaning “for a moment”. It comes before the noun “momento” in this time expression.
momento
In “un momento”, “momento” means “moment” and indicates a short period of time. Together with “un”, it gives the time limit for opening the window in the dialogue.
Necesito
“Necesito” means “I need” in “Necesito un poco de aire fresco.” It is the form used when the speaker states a personal need, followed by the thing needed.
poco
In “un poco de aire fresco”, “poco” indicates a small amount of something. This amount expression is followed by “de” and the thing being needed, “aire fresco”.
de
In “un poco de aire fresco”, “de” connects the small amount to what it contains: some fresh air. It follows “poco” in the reusable amount pattern shown in the dialogue.
aire
In “aire fresco”, “aire” means “air”, specifically the thing the speaker needs. It appears after “un poco de” and before the describing word “fresco”.
fresco
In “aire fresco”, “fresco” describes the air as fresh. It supplies the quality of “aire” in the dialogue and can be used after a noun when describing that noun.
El
In “El aire de afuera”, “El” means “the” and introduces the specific air being discussed. It comes before “aire” in the dialogue.
afuera
In “El aire de afuera”, “afuera” means “outside” and identifies where the air is: outside. It follows “de” in this location expression.
está
In “está fresco”, “está” indicates the air’s current state. Together with “fresco”, it describes how the outside air feels in the dialogue.
Podemos
“Podemos” means “we can” in “Podemos descansar” and “Podemos tomar un descanso corto aquí.” It expresses that the speaker and the other person have the possibility or ability to do the following action.
descansar
In “Podemos descansar junto a la ventana”, “descansar” means “to rest”. It follows “Podemos” as the action that the two people can do.
junto
In “junto a la ventana”, “junto” contributes the meaning “next to” or “beside”. The complete location expression “junto a la ventana” identifies the place where they can rest.
a
In “junto a la ventana”, “a” completes the expression meaning “next to the window”. It comes after “junto” and before the location noun phrase “la ventana”.
tomar
In “tomar un descanso”, “tomar” means “take” and contributes the action in the expression for taking a break. It is used here after “Podemos” and before “un descanso”.
descanso
In “tomar un descanso corto”, “descanso” means “break” or “rest”. It is the thing they can take, and it is described by “corto” in the dialogue.
corto
In “un descanso corto”, “corto” means “short” and describes the break as brief. It comes after “descanso” in the dialogue.
aquí
In “un descanso corto aquí”, “aquí” means “here” and indicates the place where they can take the break. It appears at the end of the sentence to specify the current location.
Ahora
In “Ahora me siento menos cansado”, “Ahora” means “now” and places the feeling at the present moment. It appears at the beginning of the sentence to contrast the speaker’s current state with the earlier tiredness.
menos
In “menos cansado”, “menos” means “less” and reduces the degree of tiredness. It comes before “cansado” in the dialogue’s expression for feeling less tired.
Volvamos
“Volvamos” means “let’s go back” in “Volvamos pronto al trabajo.” It is used to suggest that the speaker and the other person return together.
pronto
In “Volvamos pronto al trabajo”, “pronto” means “soon” and indicates that the return should happen after a short time. It modifies the suggested action “Volvamos” in the dialogue.
al
In “al trabajo”, “al” means “to the” and marks the destination of going back. It is the combined form used before “trabajo” in the dialogue.
trabajo
In “al trabajo”, “trabajo” means “work”, the place or activity they are returning to. It follows “al” to form the destination expression in the dialogue.
Grammar Points
sentirse + adjetivo
Me siento cansado.
meh SYEN-toh kahn-SAH-dohI feel tired.
Sentirse expresses a person's state; the adjective agrees with the person who feels.
poder + infinitivo
Podemos descansar.
poh-DEH-mohs deh-skahn-SAHRWe can rest.
Poder is followed by an infinitive to express ability or possibility.
Spanish Vocabulary
abrir
verb
ah-BREER
to open
abramos
afuera
adv
ah-FWEH-rah
outside
aire
noun
EYE-reh
air
cansado
adj
kahn-SAH-doh
tired
escritorio
noun
es-kree-TOH-ryoh
desk
estar
verb
es-TAHR
to be
está
fresco
adj
FRES-koh
fresh; cool
momento
noun
moh-MEN-toh
moment
necesitar
verb
neh-seh-see-TAHR
to need
necesito
poder
verb
poh-DEHR
can; to be able to
podemos
sentirse
verb
sen-TEER-seh
to feel
me siento
Me siento cansado.
ventana
noun
ben-TAH-nah
window
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I feel tired at my desk.
Show Answer
Me siento cansado en mi escritorio.Let's open the window for a moment.
Show Answer
Abramos la ventana un momento.I need some fresh air.
Show Answer
Necesito un poco de aire fresco.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to need
Show Answer
necesitowindow
Show Answer
ventanamoment
Show Answer
momentofresh; cool