About This Lesson
Use Borrowing Small Tools to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
¿Puedo usar las tijeras?
PWEH-doh oo-SAR lahs tee-HEH-rahs Can I use the scissors?
B
Toma estas y mantén las hojas hacia abajo.
TOH-mah EHS-tahs ee mahn-TEHN lahs OH-hahs AH-syah ah-BAH-hoh Take these and keep the blades pointed down.
A
También necesito un poco de cinta.
tahm-BYEHN neh-seh-SEE-toh oon POH-koh deh SEEN-tah I also need some tape.
B
La cinta está en el cajón.
lah SEEN-tah ehs-TAH ehn ehl kah-HONE The tape is in the drawer.
A
¿También tienes una regla?
tahm-BYEHN TYEH-nehs OO-nah REH-glah Do you have a ruler too?
B
Sí, está en mi escritorio.
see ehs-TAH ehn mee ehs-kree-TOH-ryoh Yes, it is on my desk.
B
Puedes cogerla de allí.
PWEH-dehs koh-HEHR-lah deh ah-YEE You can take it from there.
A
Devolveré todo cuando termine.
deh-bohl-beh-REH TOH-doh KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-neh I will return everything when I finish.
B
Deja la regla encima para que pueda encontrarla después.
DEH-hah lah REH-glah ehn-SEE-mah PAH-rah keh PWEH-dah ehn-kohn-TRAHR-lah dehs-PWEHS Leave the ruler on top so I can find it later.Word by Word
Puedo
Puedo means “can” or “am I able to” here, as in asking permission to use the scissors. It is the form used in the reusable pattern Puedo + infinitive, such as Puedo usar....
usar
Usar means “use” in Puedo usar las tijeras. It is an infinitive after Puedo; reuse it with an object, as in usar una regla or usar cinta.
las
Las means “the” before the feminine plural noun tijeras in las tijeras. It identifies the specific scissors being discussed. Reuse las before a feminine plural noun when referring to specific items.
tijeras
Tijeras means “scissors” in las tijeras. In this dialogue, the speaker asks to use this specific tool. Reuse it with usar when asking to use scissors.
Toma
Toma means “take” as a direct instruction in Toma estas. It tells the other person to take the items being offered. A common reuse pattern is Toma + object, such as Toma la regla.
estas
Estas means “these” in Toma estas, referring to the scissors that are being handed over. It points to nearby feminine plural items. Reuse estas before or with feminine plural items that are being indicated.
y
Y means “and” in Toma estas y mantén las hojas hacia abajo. It connects two instructions: taking the scissors and keeping the blades pointed down. Reuse y to join two actions or ideas.
mantén
Mantén means “keep” in the instruction mantén las hojas hacia abajo. It tells someone to maintain the blades in a downward position. Reuse it with an object and a position or condition, as in mantén la puerta abierta.
hojas
Hojas means “blades” in las hojas. Here it refers to the cutting blades of the scissors, which should point down. Reuse hojas for blades or sheets when the surrounding context makes the meaning clear.
hacia
Hacia means “toward” in hacia abajo, indicating the direction of the blades. It combines with a direction such as abajo. Reuse hacia + direction to describe movement or orientation.
abajo
Abajo means “down” in hacia abajo. Together, hacia abajo describes the blades as pointing downward. Reuse abajo to describe a lower position or downward direction.
También
También means “also” in También necesito un poco de cinta. It adds tape to the scissors that the speaker has already requested. Reuse también before the added action or item.
necesito
Necesito means “I need” in También necesito un poco de cinta. It expresses the speaker’s need for some tape. Reuse necesito with the item needed, as in necesito una regla.
un
Un helps form the quantity expression un poco de cinta, meaning “some tape” or “a little tape.” It appears before poco in this expression. Reuse un poco de + noun when referring to a small amount of something.
poco
Poco means “a small amount” in un poco de cinta. The full expression says that the speaker needs some tape rather than a specified quantity. Reuse poco with de and the material or thing being measured.
de
De links the amount un poco to the material cinta in un poco de cinta. Here it means “of” as part of the quantity expression. Reuse un poco de + noun for a small amount of something.
cinta
Cinta means “tape” in un poco de cinta and La cinta. Here it refers to the tape needed for the task. Reuse cinta after an amount expression or with an article when referring to specific tape.
La
La means “the” before the feminine singular noun cinta in La cinta. It identifies the specific tape being located in the drawer. Reuse la before a specific feminine singular noun.
está
Está means “is located” in La cinta está en el cajón and está en mi escritorio. It gives the location of an item. Reuse está + en + place to say where something is.
en
En means “in” in en el cajón and “on” in en mi escritorio. It introduces the place where an item is located. Reuse está en + place when describing an object’s location.
el
El means “the” before the masculine singular noun cajón in el cajón. It identifies the specific drawer being mentioned. Reuse el before a specific masculine singular noun.
cajón
Cajón means “drawer” in el cajón. The tape is located inside this drawer. Reuse it after a location phrase such as en el cajón.
tienes
Tienes means “you have” in Do you have a ruler too? It asks whether the other person has a ruler available. Reuse tienes with the object someone may have, as in ¿Tienes cinta?
una
Una means “a” or “one” before the feminine singular noun regla in una regla. It introduces one ruler that is not yet identified as a specific item. Reuse una before a feminine singular noun when introducing an item.
regla
Regla means “ruler” in una regla. In the dialogue, it is the additional tool the speaker asks about and later receives permission to take. Reuse it with tener or cogerla when discussing taking a ruler.
Sí
Sí means “yes” in Sí, está en mi escritorio. It confirms that the speaker has the ruler and then gives its location. Reuse sí as a direct affirmative answer.
mi
Mi means “my” in mi escritorio. It shows that the desk belongs to the speaker. Reuse mi before a singular noun to identify something as belonging to the speaker.
escritorio
Escritorio means “desk” in mi escritorio. The ruler is located on this desk. Reuse it after a possessive such as mi escritorio or in a location phrase such as en mi escritorio.
Puedes
Puedes means “you can” in Puedes cogerla de allí. It gives the other person permission or ability to take the ruler. Reuse puedes + infinitive to say what someone can do.
cogerla
Cogerla means “take it” in Puedes cogerla de allí, referring to the feminine noun regla. The form combines coger with la, which refers back to the ruler. Reuse puedes + cogerla when giving permission to take that item.
allí
Allí means “there” in de allí. It points to the location already identified, the desk. Reuse allí to refer to a place away from the speaker or previously indicated in the conversation.
Devolveré
Devolveré means “I will return” in Devolveré todo. It promises that the speaker will return the borrowed items. Reuse it with the object being returned, as in Devolveré la regla.
todo
Todo means “everything” in Devolveré todo. It refers collectively to the scissors, tape, and ruler. Reuse todo when referring to all the relevant items or things in a situation.
cuando
Cuando means “when” in cuando termine. It introduces the time at which the speaker will return everything. Reuse cuando before a clause that gives the timing of an action.
termine
Termine means “finish” in cuando termine, referring to the speaker finishing the task. The clause explains when the return will happen. Reuse cuando termine to say “when I finish” in a similar situation.
Deja
Deja means “leave” or “put” as an instruction in Deja la regla encima. It tells the other person where to place the ruler after using it. Reuse deja + object + place to give an instruction about where to put something.
encima
Encima means “on top” in Deja la regla encima. It indicates the position where the ruler should be left. Reuse encima after an instruction about placing an object.
para
Para marks purpose in para que pueda encontrarla después, meaning “so that I can find it later.” It introduces the reason for leaving the ruler on top. Reuse para que + clause to explain a purpose.
que
Que links para to the purpose clause in para que pueda encontrarla después. Together, para que introduces the intended result of leaving the ruler on top. Reuse para que before a clause explaining what the action is meant to achieve.
pueda
Pueda means “can” in para que pueda encontrarla después. It expresses the ability that the speaker wants to have later: being able to find the ruler. Reuse pueda in a purpose clause with para que when describing a possible or intended ability.
encontrarla
Encontrarla means “find it” in pueda encontrarla después, referring to the feminine noun regla. The form combines encontrar with la, which points back to the ruler. Reuse encontrarla when referring to finding that feminine item.
después
Después means “later” or “afterward” in encontrarla después. It places the finding at a later time, after the ruler has been left on top. Reuse después to describe an action that happens later.
Grammar Points
para que + subjuntivo
Deja todo encima para que pueda encontrarla después.
DEH-hah TOH-doh ehn-SEE-mah PAH-rah keh PWEH-dah ehn-kohn-TRAHR-lah dehs-PWEHSLeave everything on top so that I can find it later.
After para que, Spanish uses the subjunctive: pueda means “can” in this purpose clause.
infinitivo + pronombre de objeto
Puedo cogerla.
PWEH-doh koh-HEHR-lahI can take it.
An object pronoun can attach to an infinitive: coger + la becomes cogerla.
Spanish Vocabulary
cinta
noun
SEEN-tah
tape
estas
pron
EHS-tahs
these
hacia abajo
phrase
AH-syah ah-BAH-hoh
downward; facing down
hojas
noun
OH-hahs
blades
the blades of the scissors
mantén
verb
mahn-TEHN
keep
necesito
verb
neh-seh-SEE-toh
I need
puedo
verb
PWEH-doh
can; am able to
también
adv
tahm-BYEHN
also; too
tijeras
noun
tee-HEH-rahs
scissors
toma
verb
TOH-mah
take
un poco de
phrase
oon POH-koh deh
a little; some
usar
verb
oo-SAR
to use
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Can I use the scissors?
Show Answer
¿Puedo usar las tijeras?I also need some tape.
Show Answer
También necesito un poco de cinta.The tape is in the drawer.
Show Answer
La cinta está en el cajón.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
keep
Show Answer
manténto use
Show Answer
usarblades
Show Answer
hojastake