Borrowing tools | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shared space, one person borrows a hammer and a nail for a shelf and agrees where to return the tool..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing tools to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Tienes un martillo que pueda usar?

TYEH-nehs oon mahr-TEE-yoh keh PWEH-dah oo-SAHR Do you have a hammer I can use?
B

Usa este, pero sujeta bien el mango.

OO-sah EHS-teh, PEH-roh soo-HEH-tah byehn ehl MAHN-goh Use this one, but grip the handle firmly.
A

Lo necesito para arreglar este estante.

loh neh-seh-SEE-toh PAH-rah ah-rreh-GLAHR EHS-teh ehs-TAHN-teh I need it to fix this shelf.
B

¿También necesitas clavos?

tahm-BYEHN neh-seh-SEE-tahs KLAH-bohs Do you also need any nails?
A

Un clavo ayudaría.

oon KLAH-boh ah-yoo-dah-REE-ah One nail would help.
B

Están en la caja que está a tu lado.

ehs-TAHN ehn lah KAH-hah keh ehs-TAH ah too LAH-doh They are in the box beside you.
A

Devolveré el martillo cuando termine.

deh-bohl-beh-REH ehl mahr-TEE-yoh KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-neh I will return the hammer when I finish.
B

Déjalo aquí con las otras herramientas cuando termines.

DEH-hah-loh ah-KEE kohn lahs OH-trahs ehr-rah-MYEHN-tahs KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-nehs Leave it here with the other tools when you are done.

Word by Word

Tienes “Tienes” means “have” here, in a question asking one person informally whether they have a hammer. A useful pattern is “¿Tienes + noun?” when asking someone if they have something.
un “Un” means “a” before the singular noun “martillo”; here it introduces one unspecified hammer. It is also used in the pattern “un + singular noun” when referring to one item.
martillo “Martillo” means “hammer,” the tool the speaker wants to use. You can reuse it after an article or another determiner, as in “un martillo” or “el martillo.”
que “Que” links “un martillo” with the clause “que pueda usar,” describing the hammer the speaker can use. A useful pattern is “noun + que + clause” to add information about a noun.
pueda “Pueda” expresses “can” or “be able to” in “que pueda usar,” referring to the ability to use the hammer being requested. A useful pattern is “que pueda + infinitive,” as in “que pueda usar.”
usar “Usar” means “use” in “pueda usar,” describing what the speaker wants to do with the hammer. It is used after “poder” in the pattern “poder + infinitive.”
Usa “Usa” tells one person informally to use something. A useful pattern is “Usa + object” when giving a direct instruction about what to use.
este “Este” means “this one,” pointing to the nearby tool that the other person should use. It is useful when selecting one item from several visible items.
pero “Pero” means “but” and introduces an instruction that contrasts with the suggestion to use the tool. It commonly links two parts when the second part adds a limitation or different instruction.
sujeta “Sujeta” tells one person informally to grip or hold something, here the handle. A useful pattern is “sujeta + object,” as in “sujeta el mango.”
bien “Bien” tells the listener to perform the action well or firmly; in “sujeta bien el mango,” it describes how to grip the handle. It can be reused after an action verb to describe how the action should be done.
el “El” means “the” and introduces the specific handle in “el mango.” It is used before a singular noun when the listener can identify the thing being discussed.
mango “Mango” means “handle,” specifically the part of the hammer that should be gripped. A useful pattern is “el mango” when referring to a particular tool handle.
Lo “Lo” means “it” and refers back to the hammer in “Lo necesito.” It appears before “necesito” in the reusable pattern “Lo necesito para + infinitive” when explaining what an object is needed for.
necesito “Necesito” means “I need”; here the speaker needs the hammer for repairing the shelf. A useful pattern is “Necesito + noun” or “Lo necesito para + infinitive.”
para “Para” introduces the purpose in “para arreglar este estante,” meaning that the hammer is needed in order to fix the shelf. A useful pattern is “para + infinitive” to explain what something is for.
arreglar “Arreglar” means “fix” or “repair” in “para arreglar este estante.” It is used after “para” in the pattern “para + infinitive” to state a purpose.
estante “Estante” means “shelf,” the object the speaker wants to fix. A useful pattern is “este estante” when referring to a particular shelf.
También “También” means “also” and adds the question about nails to the earlier question about the hammer. It commonly appears before the verb when adding another need or action.
necesitas “Necesitas” means “you need” in an informal question addressed to one person. A useful pattern is “¿Necesitas + noun?” when asking whether someone needs something.
clavos “Clavos” means “nails,” referring to several nails that may be needed for the shelf. It can be reused after a verb such as “necesitas” when asking about a quantity of nails.
clavo “Clavo” means “nail,” referring here to one item in “un clavo.” A useful pattern is “un clavo” when requesting or mentioning a single nail.
ayudaría “Ayudaría” means “would help,” expressing that one nail would be useful for the task. A useful pattern is “[something] ayudaría” when saying that something would be helpful in a situation.
Están “Están” means “are” and indicates the location of the nails in “Están en la caja.” It is useful in the pattern “están en + place” when referring to multiple things that are located somewhere.
en “En” means “in” and places the nails inside the box in “están en la caja.” It commonly follows a location verb such as “están” before the place.
la “La” means “the” and introduces the specific box in “la caja.” It is used before a singular noun when the particular item is identifiable in the situation.
caja “Caja” means “box,” the container where the nails are located. A useful pattern is “en la caja” when saying that something is inside the box.
a In “a tu lado,” “a” helps express the location relative to the listener; the whole expression means “beside you.” A useful pattern is “a + possessive + lado” for describing something positioned next to a person.
tu “Tu” means “your” and identifies the side belonging to the person being addressed in “a tu lado.” It is placed before a noun in patterns such as “tu lado.”
lado “Lado” means “side”; in “a tu lado,” the whole expression means “beside you.” This expression is useful when telling someone that an object is next to them.
Devolveré “Devolveré” means “I will return,” referring to the speaker’s plan to give the hammer back later. A useful pattern is “Devolveré + object” when promising to return something.
cuando “Cuando” means “when” and introduces the time at which the speaker will return the hammer in “cuando termine.” A useful pattern is “cuando + clause” for connecting an action with the time it happens.
termine “Termine” means “finish” here and refers to the speaker finishing the repair. In “cuando termine,” it describes a future event after which the hammer will be returned; the pattern “cuando + termine” can connect an action to that future point.
Déjalo “Déjalo” means “leave it,” telling one person informally to leave the hammer in the specified place. The attached “lo” refers to the hammer, and a useful pattern is “Déjalo + place,” as in “Déjalo aquí.”
aquí “Aquí” means “here,” identifying the place where the hammer should be left. It is useful after a verb of placement or movement when pointing to the current location.
con “Con” means “with” and places the hammer together with the other tools in “con las otras herramientas.” A useful pattern is “con + noun” when saying what something is together with.
las “Las” means “the” and introduces the specific group of tools in “las otras herramientas.” It is used before a plural noun when the group is identifiable in the situation.
otras “Otras” means “other” in “las otras herramientas,” distinguishing these tools from the hammer being returned. It is useful before a plural noun when referring to additional items in the same context.
herramientas “Herramientas” means “tools,” referring to the other tools kept in the shared space. A useful pattern is “con las otras herramientas” when putting one tool together with the rest.
termines “Termines” means “finish” in “cuando termines,” referring to the person being addressed finishing the task. It is useful in the pattern “cuando + termines” when giving an instruction connected to what someone will do later.

Grammar Points

Imperativo afirmativo de tú

Sujeta bien el mango.

soo-HEH-tah byehn ehl MAHN-goh

Grip the handle firmly.

The affirmative tú command uses the third-person singular present form: sujeta.

Imperativo con pronombre unido

Déjalo aquí.

DEH-hah-loh ah-KEE

Leave it here.

In an affirmative command, the object pronoun attaches to the verb: deja + lo = déjalo.

Spanish Vocabulary

ayudar verb
ah-yoo-DAHR to help ayudaría

Un clavo ayudaría

bien adv
byehn well; firmly

sujeta bien

clavo noun
KLAH-boh nail clavos

¿También necesitas clavos?

este pron
EHS-teh this one

Usa este

mango noun
MAHN-goh handle

el mango

martillo noun
mahr-TEE-yoh hammer

un martillo

necesitar verb
neh-seh-see-TAHR to need necesitas

¿También necesitas...?

poder verb
poh-DEHR can; to be able to pueda

que pueda usar

sujetar verb
soo-heh-TAHR to grip; to hold sujeta

sujeta bien el mango

también adv
tahm-BYEHN also

¿También necesitas clavos?

tener verb
teh-NEHR to have tienes

¿Tienes un martillo...?

usar verb
oo-SAHR to use

pueda usar

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you have a hammer I can use?

Show Answer¿Tienes un martillo que pueda usar?

I need it to fix this shelf.

Show AnswerLo necesito para arreglar este estante.

Do you also need any nails?

Show Answer¿También necesitas clavos?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

can; to be able to

Show Answerpueda

to grip; to hold

Show Answersujeta

handle

Show Answermango

to need

Show Answernecesitas