Borrowing a pen and notebook | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shared space, one person borrows a pen and notebook for a short list and agrees where to put them back..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a pen and notebook to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Puedo usar un bolígrafo?

PWEH-doh oo-SAR oon boh-LEE-grah-foh? Can I use a pen?
B

Toma el negro de la taza.

TOH-mah el NEH-groh deh lah TAH-sah. Take the black one from the cup.
A

También necesito un cuaderno.

tahm-BYEHN neh-seh-SEE-toh oon kwah-DEHR-noh. I need a notebook too.
B

Hay uno viejo en el cajón.

eye OO-noh BYEH-hoh en el kah-HOHN. There is an old one in the drawer.
A

Solo necesito escribir una lista corta.

SOH-loh neh-seh-SEE-toh es-kree-BEER OO-nah LEES-tah KOR-tah. I only need to write a short list.
B

Devuelve los dos cuando termines.

deh-BWEHL-beh lohs dohs KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-nehs. Bring both back when you finish.
A

Los pondré en tu escritorio.

lohs pohn-DREH en too ehk-skree-TOH-ryoh. I will put them on your desk.
B

Así es fácil encontrarlos.

ah-SEE es fah-SEEL en-kohn-TRAR-lohs. That makes them easy to find.

Word by Word

Puedo In “¿Puedo usar un bolígrafo?”, “Puedo” means “can I” or “am I able to,” asking for permission to use something. It is the first-person form of poder. A useful pattern is “Puedo” followed by an infinitive, such as “Puedo usar”.
usar In “Puedo usar un bolígrafo”, “usar” means “to use.” It appears after “Puedo” in the pattern “Puedo usar + object” to ask whether you may use something. The same infinitive can follow other expressions of ability or need.
un In “un bolígrafo”, “un” means “a” and introduces one masculine noun. It agrees with “bolígrafo” in this expression. Use “un” before a masculine singular noun when referring to one unspecified item.
bolígrafo “Bolígrafo” means “pen” in “un bolígrafo.” The full noun phrase refers to one pen that the speaker wants to use. It can be used after a determiner such as “un” when referring to one pen.
Toma In “Toma el negro de la taza”, “Toma” tells one person to take something. It is a direct instruction addressed to the person in the conversation. A useful pattern is “Toma + object,” as in “Toma el negro”.
el In “el negro”, “el” identifies one masculine item already understood from the context. Here it combines with “negro” to refer to the black pen. Use “el” before a masculine singular noun or a masculine description used to identify an item.
negro In “el negro”, “negro” identifies the black one, meaning the black pen from the cup. It functions as the identifying description of the item, with the implied “bolígrafo” understood from the earlier line. A useful pattern is “el” plus a description when choosing one item from several.
de In “de la taza”, “de” means “from,” showing where the pen should be taken from. It connects the item with its source or location. A useful pattern is “de” plus a place or container.
la In “la taza”, “la” means “the” before the feminine singular noun “taza.” It identifies the specific cup being mentioned. Use “la” before a known feminine singular noun.
taza “Taza” means “cup” in “de la taza.” The phrase identifies the cup from which the black pen should be taken. It can be used after “de la” to name the source or container.
También In “También necesito un cuaderno”, “También” means “also” or “too,” adding the notebook to the pen that is already needed. It commonly appears before the verb in this sentence. Use it to add another person, item, or need to what has already been mentioned.
necesito In “También necesito un cuaderno”, “necesito” means “I need.” It expresses the speaker’s need for the notebook. It is the first-person form of necesitar and can be followed by the needed object.
cuaderno “Cuaderno” means “notebook” in “un cuaderno.” It names the second item the speaker needs. A useful pattern is “necesito un cuaderno” for stating that a notebook is needed.
Hay In “Hay uno viejo en el cajón”, “Hay” means “there is” and introduces the existence or availability of an item. Here it tells the listener that an old notebook is in the drawer. Use “Hay” to say that something exists or is located somewhere.
uno In “uno viejo”, “uno” means “one,” referring to one notebook without repeating “cuaderno.” The following description “viejo” helps identify which one. A useful pattern is “uno” plus a description when selecting one item.
viejo In “uno viejo”, “viejo” means “old” and describes the notebook available in the drawer. It agrees with the masculine item being referred to by “uno.” It can be used after a noun or after “uno” to identify an older item.
en In “en el cajón”, “en” means “in” and shows the location of the notebook. It is followed here by the specific place “el cajón.” A useful pattern is “en” plus a location.
cajón “Cajón” means “drawer” in “en el cajón.” The phrase tells the listener where the old notebook is. It can follow “en el” when naming a specific drawer as a location.
Solo In “Solo necesito escribir una lista corta”, “Solo” means “only,” limiting what the speaker needs to do. It shows that writing a short list is the speaker’s sole purpose. Use “solo” before the relevant verb or expression to indicate a limitation.
escribir In “necesito escribir una lista corta”, “escribir” means “to write.” It follows “necesito” and names the action the speaker needs to do. A useful pattern is “necesito escribir + object.”
una In “una lista corta”, “una” means “a” and introduces one feminine noun. It agrees with “lista” in this expression. Use “una” before a feminine singular noun when referring to one unspecified item.
lista “Lista” means “list” in “una lista corta.” It names the short set of items that the speaker wants to write. It can be used after “una” when referring to one list.
corta In “una lista corta”, “corta” means “short” and describes the list. It agrees with “lista” in this expression. It can follow a noun to describe its length.
Devuelve In “Devuelve los dos cuando termines”, “Devuelve” tells the listener to return both items. It is a direct instruction about bringing the borrowed things back. A useful pattern is “Devuelve + object” when asking someone to return something.
los This word appears as “los” in “los dos” and as “Los” in “Los pondré”. In “los dos”, it points to the two masculine items being discussed; in “Los pondré”, “Los” means “them,” referring to those items. Pay attention to its position: it accompanies “dos” in the first expression and comes before the verb in the second.
dos In “los dos”, “dos” means “two” and refers together to the pen and the notebook. The expression tells the listener to return both items, not just one. A useful pattern is “los dos” when referring to two known masculine items as a group.
cuando In “cuando termines”, “cuando” means “when” and introduces the time at which the return should happen. It connects the instruction with the event of finishing. A useful pattern is “cuando” followed by the event that sets the time.
termines In “cuando termines”, “termines” means “you finish.” It identifies finishing as the condition for returning the pen and notebook. The pattern “cuando termines” can be used to refer to an action that should happen after someone finishes something.
pondré In “Los pondré en tu escritorio”, “pondré” means “I will put.” It tells what the speaker plans to do with the two items. It is the first-person future form of poner; a useful pattern is “pondré + object + location.”
tu In “tu escritorio”, “tu” means “your” and identifies the desk as belonging to the person being addressed. It comes directly before “escritorio.” Use “tu” before a singular noun when referring to something belonging to one person.
escritorio “Escritorio” means “desk” in “tu escritorio.” It names the place where the speaker will put the pen and notebook. It can follow “tu” when referring to the listener’s desk.
Así In “Así es fácil encontrarlos”, “Así” means “that way” or “in that manner,” referring to putting the items on the desk. It explains the result of that arrangement. A useful pattern is “Así” followed by a statement about the resulting situation.
es In “es fácil”, “es” means “is” and links the situation with the description “fácil.” It states that finding the items has an easy result. A useful pattern is “es” plus an adjective to describe a situation.
fácil In “es fácil encontrarlos”, “fácil” means “easy.” It describes finding the two items as requiring little difficulty. A useful pattern is “es fácil” followed by an infinitive to describe an easy action.
encontrarlos In “es fácil encontrarlos”, “encontrarlos” means “to find them,” referring to the pen and notebook. It combines the infinitive “encontrar” with “los,” meaning “them,” attached to the end. A useful pattern is “es fácil” plus an infinitive with its object when describing an easy action.

Grammar Points

hay + sustantivo

Hay uno viejo en el cajón.

eye OO-noh BYEH-hoh en el kah-HOHN.

There is an old one in the drawer.

Hay significa “there is” o “there are” y no cambia según si el sustantivo es singular o plural.

infinitivo + pronombre de objeto

Puedo encontrarlos.

PWEH-doh en-kohn-TRAR-lohs.

I can find them.

El pronombre los se une al infinitivo encontrar: encontrarlos. Significa “find them”.

Spanish Vocabulary

bolígrafo noun
boh-LEE-grah-foh pen

¿Puedo usar un bolígrafo?

cuaderno noun
kwah-DEHR-noh notebook

También necesito un cuaderno.

hay verb
eye there is; there are

Hay uno viejo en el cajón.

necesito verb
neh-seh-SEE-toh I need

También necesito un cuaderno.

negro adj
NEH-groh black one

Toma el negro de la taza.

puedo verb
PWEH-doh can; am able to

¿Puedo usar un bolígrafo?

también adv
tahm-BYEHN too; also

También necesito un cuaderno.

taza noun
TAH-sah cup

Toma el negro de la taza.

toma verb
TOH-mah take

Toma el negro de la taza.

uno pron
OO-noh one

Hay uno viejo en el cajón.

usar verb
oo-SAR to use

¿Puedo usar un bolígrafo?

viejo adj
BYEH-hoh old

Hay uno viejo en el cajón.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use a pen?

Show Answer¿Puedo usar un bolígrafo?

Take the black one from the cup.

Show AnswerToma el negro de la taza.

I need a notebook too.

Show AnswerTambién necesito un cuaderno.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

cup

Show Answertaza

to use

Show Answerusar

black one

Show Answernegro

pen

Show Answerbolígrafo