About This Lesson
Use Borrowing cleaning supplies to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
¿Tienes un paño de limpieza que pueda usar?
TYEH-nehs oon PAH-nyoh deh leem-PYEH-sah keh PWEH-dah oo-SAR Do you have a cleaning cloth I can use?
B
Hay uno en la caja.
eye OO-noh en lah KAH-hah There is one in the box.
A
¿Tienes también un aerosol limpiador?
TYEH-nehs tahm-BYEHN oon ah-eh-roh-SOHL leem-pyah-DOHR Do you have cleaning spray too?
B
El aerosol está al lado del paño.
ehl ah-eh-roh-SOHL ehs-TAH al LAH-doh dehl PAH-nyoh The spray is beside it.
A
Necesito limpiar este escritorio.
neh-seh-SEE-toh leem-PYAR ES-teh ehs-kree-TOH-ryoh I need to clean this desk.
B
Usa solo una pequeña cantidad.
OO-sah SOH-loh OO-nah peh-KEH-nyah kahn-tee-DAHD Use only a small amount.
A
Limpiaré el escritorio y volveré a poner los dos en su lugar.
leem-pyah-REH ehl ehs-kree-TOH-ryoh ee bohl-beh-REH ah poh-NEHR lohs dohs en soo loo-GAHR I will wipe the desk and put both back.
B
Guárdalos juntos en la caja.
GWAHR-dah-lohs HOON-tohs en lah KAH-hah Keep them together in the box.Word by Word
Tienes
In “Tienes un paño de limpieza que pueda usar?”, “Tienes” asks whether the other person has something available. It is useful in questions about whether someone has an item, as in this request for a cloth.
un
In “un paño”, “un” introduces one unspecified cloth. It is placed before a singular masculine noun, and this pattern is useful when asking for or mentioning one item.
paño
“Paño” means cloth, specifically the cleaning cloth requested in “un paño de limpieza”. It can be used with a purpose phrase such as “de limpieza” when identifying what kind of cloth is needed.
de
In “paño de limpieza”, “de” links the cloth with its purpose, giving the meaning “cleaning cloth”. This pattern can connect a noun with the use or type associated with it.
limpieza
In “paño de limpieza”, “limpieza” refers to cleaning and specifies the purpose of the cloth. It is useful for describing supplies or activities connected with cleaning.
que
In “que pueda usar”, “que” connects “paño” with the information that the speaker can use it. A noun can be followed by “que” and a clause that describes or identifies it, as in this request.
pueda
In “que pueda usar”, “pueda” expresses that the speaker can use the cloth. It appears before “usar” to describe the intended ability or possibility, which is useful when asking for an item that may be used.
usar
“Usar” means to use and completes “pueda usar”, referring to using the cloth. It is used after a form expressing ability or possibility when stating what someone can do with an item.
Hay
In “Hay uno en la caja”, “Hay” says that an item exists or is available. It is useful for telling someone where an available object is located.
uno
In “Hay uno”, “uno” means one and stands for one cloth already mentioned. This form is useful when referring to one available item without repeating the noun.
en
In “en la caja”, “en” marks the location inside the box. It is commonly used before a place or container when saying where something is.
la
In “la caja”, “la” identifies the specific box being discussed. It is used before a singular feminine noun when referring to a known item or place.
caja
“Caja” means box, the container where the cloth is located in “en la caja”. It can be used after a location word such as “en” to identify a container.
también
In “¿Tienes también un aerosol limpiador?”, “también” adds another requested item, meaning also or too. It is useful when extending a request to include an additional supply.
aerosol
“Aerosol” means spray in “un aerosol limpiador”. Here it names the cleaning spray that the speaker also wants to use, and it can be combined with a describing word to identify the product.
limpiador
In “aerosol limpiador”, “limpiador” describes the spray as intended for cleaning. It is useful after the product name when specifying what the product is for.
El
In “El aerosol”, “El” identifies the known spray that was just mentioned. It is used before a singular masculine noun when referring to a specific item.
está
In “El aerosol está al lado del paño”, “está” says where the spray is located. It is useful with a location expression when pointing out the position of an object.
al
In “al lado del paño”, “al” is the contracted form used before “lado” and contributes to the meaning “beside” or “next to”. The full location expression is useful when telling someone where an object is relative to another object.
lado
In “al lado del paño”, “lado” means side and forms part of the location expression meaning beside the cloth. This expression is useful for locating one item next to another.
del
In “al lado del paño”, “del” connects “lado” with the reference object, the cloth, and means of the. It is used in this location expression to identify what something is beside.
Necesito
In “Necesito limpiar este escritorio”, “Necesito” means I need and introduces a necessary action. It is useful before an action when explaining what must be done, here cleaning the desk.
limpiar
“Limpiar” means to clean in “Necesito limpiar este escritorio”. It follows “Necesito” as the action that is needed and can be used with the object being cleaned.
este
In “este escritorio”, “este” means this and points to the particular desk being discussed. It is useful before a noun when identifying a nearby or currently relevant item.
escritorio
“Escritorio” means desk, the object to be cleaned in “este escritorio”. It can be used with a demonstrative such as “este” to identify a specific desk.
Usa
In “Usa solo una pequeña cantidad”, “Usa” gives one person the instruction to use something. It is useful at the beginning of a direct instruction about how to handle a product.
solo
In “Usa solo una pequeña cantidad”, “solo” limits the amount to only a small quantity. It is useful when restricting how much of a product or material someone should use.
una
In “una pequeña cantidad”, “una” introduces one unspecified quantity. It is placed before the singular noun “cantidad” and is useful when referring to a limited amount.
pequeña
In “una pequeña cantidad”, “pequeña” describes the quantity as small. It is useful before a noun when specifying the size or limited extent of something.
cantidad
“Cantidad” means amount, as in the amount of cleaning spray to use. It is useful with an adjective such as “pequeña” when giving instructions about how much of something is needed.
Limpiaré
In “Limpiaré el escritorio”, “Limpiaré” says that the speaker will clean the desk. It is useful for stating a future action or plan involving a specific object.
y
In “Limpiaré el escritorio y volveré a poner los dos en su lugar”, “y” connects two actions performed by the speaker. It is useful between actions that belong to the same plan.
volveré
In “volveré a poner”, “volveré” contributes the idea of returning to an action, so the full expression means that the speaker will put the items back. This pattern is useful when returning something to its previous place or repeating an action.
a
In “volveré a poner”, “a” links “volveré” with the action “poner”. Together, the expression describes putting the supplies back, and it is useful in a pattern for saying that an action will happen again or be resumed.
poner
“Poner” means to put in “volveré a poner los dos en su lugar”. It is useful with an object and a destination or location, as in putting the two supplies in their proper place.
los
In “los dos”, “los” helps refer to the two known supplies as a group. This expression is useful when identifying two specific masculine items without repeating their names.
dos
In “los dos”, “dos” counts the two supplies, the cloth and the spray. It is useful with a definite expression when referring to both items in a known pair.
su
In “su lugar”, “su” marks the place associated with the two supplies, meaning their proper place. It is useful before a noun when referring to something belonging or assigned to a person or group.
lugar
In “en su lugar”, “lugar” means place and refers to where the supplies belong. The full expression is useful when telling someone to return an object to its proper location.
Guárdalos
In “Guárdalos juntos en la caja”, “Guárdalos” tells one person to keep the supplies or put them away, with the them-reference included in the form. It is useful for giving a direct instruction about storing known objects.
juntos
In “Guárdalos juntos”, “juntos” means together and describes keeping the two supplies as one group. It is useful after an instruction when objects should remain in the same place or arrangement.
Grammar Points
limpiaré + sustantivo
Limpiaré el escritorio.
leem-pyah-REH ehl ehs-kree-TOH-ryohI will wipe the desk.
Limpiaré is the first-person singular future form of limpiar; the -é ending means “I will.”
estar al lado de + sustantivo
La caja está al lado del escritorio.
lah KAH-hah ehs-TAH al LAH-doh dehl ehs-kree-TOH-ryohThe box is beside the desk.
Use estar al lado de to describe a location. Del combines de and el before a masculine noun.
Spanish Vocabulary
aerosol limpiador
phrase
ah-eh-roh-SOHL leem-pyah-DOHR
cleaning spray
al lado de
prep
al LAH-doh deh
beside
caja
noun
KAH-hah
box
está
verb
ehs-TAH
is
hay
verb
eye
there is
limpiar
verb
leem-PYAR
clean
necesito
verb
neh-seh-SEE-toh
need
paño de limpieza
phrase
PAH-nyoh deh leem-PYEH-sah
cleaning cloth
pueda
verb
PWEH-dah
can
también
adv
tahm-BYEHN
too
tienes
verb
TYEH-nehs
have
usar
verb
oo-SAR
use
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
There is one in the box.
Show Answer
Hay uno en la caja.Do you have cleaning spray too?
Show Answer
¿Tienes también un aerosol limpiador?I need to clean this desk.
Show Answer
Necesito limpiar este escritorio.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
use
Show Answer
usartoo
Show Answer
tambiénbox
Show Answer
cajacan