A Light Problem | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a room, two adults check a light that does not work and use a small lamp until the bulb can be replaced..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use A Light Problem to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

La luz no funciona.

lah LOOS noh foon-SYOH-nah. The light does not work.
B

¿Revisaste el interruptor?

reh-bee-SAS-teh ehl een-teh-roop-TOR? Did you check the switch?
A

Lo revisé y todavía no funciona.

loh reh-bee-SAY ee toh-dah-BEE-ah noh foon-SYOH-nah. I checked it, and it still does not work.
B

Tal vez la bombilla es vieja.

tahl BES lah bohm-BEE-yah es BYEH-hah. Maybe the bulb is old.
A

La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora.

lah ah-bee-tah-SYOHN es-TAH deh-mah-SYAH-doh os-KOO-rah ah-OH-rah. The room is too dark now.
B

Puedo traer una lámpara pequeña.

PWEH-doh trah-ER oo-nah LAHM-pah-rah peh-KEH-nyah. I can bring a small lamp.
A

Deberíamos cambiar la bombilla más tarde.

deh-beh-REE-ah-mos kahm-BYAR lah bohm-BEE-yah mahs TAR-deh. We should change the bulb later.
B

Usa la lámpara hasta que la cambiemos.

OO-sah lah LAHM-pah-rah AH-stah keh lah kahm-BYEH-mos. Use the lamp until we replace it.

Word by Word

La La is the definite article meaning “the” before luz in “La luz”. It introduces the specific light being discussed. A reusable pattern is “La + noun” for a feminine noun phrase.
luz Luz means “light” here, referring to the light that is not working. It is the noun described by “no funciona” in “La luz no funciona”. A reusable pattern is “la luz” for a specific light.
no No makes “funciona” negative in “La luz no funciona”, so the light does not work. It normally appears directly before the word or expression being negated. A reusable pattern is “no + verb” for a negative statement.
funciona Funciona says that the light works or functions in “La luz no funciona”. The form is related to the verb funcionar and appears here after no. A reusable pattern is “[subject] no funciona” when something is not working.
Revisaste Revisaste asks whether the other person checked something in “¿Revisaste el interruptor?”. It refers to a completed check. A reusable pattern is “¿Revisaste + object?” when asking whether someone checked something.
el El is the definite article meaning “the” before interruptor in “el interruptor”. It points to the specific switch being checked. A reusable pattern is “el + noun” for a specific noun phrase.
interruptor Interruptor means “switch”, specifically the switch that may control the light in “¿Revisaste el interruptor?”. It is the object of revisaste. A reusable pattern is “revisar el interruptor” when checking a switch.
Lo Lo means “it” in “Lo revisé” and refers here to the switch, “el interruptor”. It is placed before revisé as the thing that was checked. A reusable pattern is “Lo revisé” when saying that you checked a previously mentioned thing.
revisé Revisé says that the speaker checked the previously mentioned thing in “Lo revisé”. Together with Lo, it means “I checked it”; revisé is related to revisar. A reusable pattern is “Lo revisé” for reporting that a check has been completed.
y Y means “and” and joins “Lo revisé” with “todavía no funciona”. It connects the completed check with the continuing problem. A reusable pattern is “clause y clause” to link two related statements.
todavía Todavía means “still” in “todavía no funciona”, showing that the problem continues after the check. It works with the negative statement to say that the light remains not working. A reusable pattern is “todavía + negative statement” for an ongoing situation.
Tal vez Tal vez is one expression meaning “maybe” in “Tal vez la bombilla es vieja”. Tal and vez work together to introduce a possibility, so the speaker is not presenting the bulb’s age as certain. A reusable pattern is “Tal vez + statement” when suggesting a possible explanation.
bombilla Bombilla means “bulb” in “la bombilla es vieja” and later in “cambiar la bombilla”. It refers to the bulb that may be causing the light problem. A reusable pattern is “cambiar la bombilla” when replacing a bulb.
es Es connects la bombilla with vieja in “la bombilla es vieja”, saying what the bulb is like. It is a form of ser used to make this description. A reusable pattern is “noun es adjective” for describing something.
vieja Vieja describes the bombilla as “old” in “la bombilla es vieja”. It is part of the description of the possible cause of the light problem. A reusable pattern is “es vieja” when describing something as old.
habitación Habitación means “room” in “La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora”. It is the place whose current condition is being described. A reusable pattern is “la habitación” for referring to a specific room.
está Está presents the room as being in the condition described by “demasiado oscura” in “La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora”. It is a form of estar used for this state. A reusable pattern is “está + adjective” for describing a current condition.
demasiado Demasiado means “too” or “excessively” in “demasiado oscura”, so the room is darker than is acceptable or useful. It modifies the adjective oscura. A reusable pattern is “demasiado + adjective” for describing an excessive degree.
oscura Oscura means “dark” and describes the room in “La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora”. Together with demasiado, it expresses that the room is too dark. A reusable pattern is “está oscura” for saying that a place is dark.
ahora Ahora means “now” and places the room’s darkness at the current time in “está demasiado oscura ahora”. It adds when the situation is true. A reusable pattern is to place ahora after a statement about a current condition.
Puedo Puedo says that the speaker can or is able to do something in “Puedo traer una lámpara pequeña”. It is followed by the action traer. A reusable pattern is “Puedo + infinitive” for offering or stating an ability to do something.
traer Traer means “bring” in “Puedo traer una lámpara pequeña”. It is the action the speaker says they can do. A reusable pattern is “Puedo traer + object” when offering to bring something.
una Una means “a” in “una lámpara pequeña”, introducing one unspecified lamp. It comes directly before lámpara. A reusable pattern is “una + noun” when introducing an unspecified feminine noun.
lámpara Lámpara means “lamp” in “una lámpara pequeña”. It is the object that the speaker can bring and that should be used while the bulb is unavailable. A reusable pattern is “usar la lámpara” when referring to using the lamp.
pequeña Pequeña means “small” and describes the lamp in “una lámpara pequeña”. It adds the lamp’s size to the noun phrase. A reusable pattern is “lámpara pequeña” when referring to a small lamp.
Deberíamos Deberíamos presents changing the bulb as something the speakers should do in “Deberíamos cambiar la bombilla”. It expresses a recommendation about a shared action. A reusable pattern is “Deberíamos + infinitive” for suggesting what should be done.
cambiar Cambiar means “change” or, for the bulb here, “replace” in “cambiar la bombilla”. It names the planned action for solving the light problem. A reusable pattern is “cambiar + object” when changing or replacing something.
más Más contributes to the time expression “más tarde”, which means “later”. In this dialogue it places the bulb replacement after the present time. A reusable pattern is “más tarde” when referring to a later time.
tarde Tarde combines with más in “más tarde” to refer to a time after now. The full expression means “later” in the plan to change the bulb. A reusable pattern is “más tarde” when postponing an action.
Usa Usa gives the instruction to use the lamp in “Usa la lámpara”. It is related to the verb usar and is followed by the object la lámpara. A reusable pattern is “Usa + object” when telling someone to use something.
hasta Hasta means “until” in “hasta que la cambiemos”. It introduces the point that ends the lamp’s temporary use. A reusable pattern is “hasta que + clause” for saying that an action continues until another event happens.
que Que links the endpoint clause in “hasta que la cambiemos”. Here it helps form the expression “hasta que”, rather than independently carrying the meaning “that”. A reusable pattern is “hasta que + clause” for connecting an action with the event that ends it.
cambiemos Cambiemos refers to the shared action of replacing the bulb in “hasta que la cambiemos”. It identifies the event that will end the need to use the lamp. A reusable pattern is “hasta que + subject + action” for saying what must happen first.

Grammar Points

sustantivo + adjetivo con concordancia de género

La habitación está demasiado oscura.

lah ah-bee-tah-SYOHN es-TAH deh-mah-SYAH-doh os-KOO-rah.

The room is too dark.

Los adjetivos concuerdan en género y número con el sustantivo: habitación y oscura son femeninos singulares.

hasta que + subjuntivo

Usa la lámpara hasta que cambiemos la bombilla.

OO-sah lah LAHM-pah-rah AH-stah keh kahm-BYEH-mos lah bohm-BEE-yah.

Use the lamp until we change the light bulb.

Después de hasta que, se usa el subjuntivo cuando la acción futura todavía no ha ocurrido.

Spanish Vocabulary

bombilla noun
bohm-BEE-yah light bulb

Tal vez la bombilla es vieja.

demasiado adv
deh-mah-SYAH-doh too; excessively

La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora.

estar verb
es-TAR to be está

La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora.

funcionar verb
foon-syoh-NAR to work; to function funciona

La luz no funciona.

habitación noun
ah-bee-tah-SYOHN room

La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora.

interruptor noun
een-teh-roop-TOR switch

¿Revisaste el interruptor?

luz noun
LOOS light

La luz no funciona.

oscuro adj
os-KOO-roh dark oscura

La habitación está demasiado oscura ahora.

revisar verb
reh-bee-SAR to check revisaste

¿Revisaste el interruptor?

tal vez adv
tahl BES maybe

Tal vez la bombilla es vieja.

todavía adv
toh-dah-BEE-ah still; yet

Lo revisé y todavía no funciona.

viejo adj
BYEH-hoh old vieja

Tal vez la bombilla es vieja.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The light does not work.

Show AnswerLa luz no funciona.

Did you check the switch?

Show Answer¿Revisaste el interruptor?

I checked it, and it still does not work.

Show AnswerLo revisé y todavía no funciona.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

room

Show Answerhabitación

to work; to function

Show Answerfunciona

to check

Show Answerrevisaste

switch

Show Answerinterruptor