About This Lesson
Use Staying inside during bad weather to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
El tiempo parece malo.
el TYEM-poh pah-REH-seh MAH-loh The weather looks bad.
B
Puede venir una tormenta.
PWEH-deh beh-NEER OO-nah tor-MEN-tah A storm may be coming.
A
¿Deberíamos quedarnos dentro?
deh-beh-REE-ah-mohs keh-DAHR-nohs DEN-troh Should we stay inside?
B
Esperemos aquí hasta que pase.
eh-speh-REH-mohs ah-KEE AHS-tah keh PAH-seh Let's wait here until it passes.
A
¿Podemos salir cuando pare?
poh-DEH-mohs sah-LEER KWAHN-doh PAH-reh Can we go out after it stops?
B
Podemos ver el tiempo otra vez y decidir entonces.
poh-DEH-mohs behr el TYEM-poh OH-trah behs ee deh-see-DEER en-TOHN-sehs We can check the weather again and decide then.
A
Podemos preparar un poco de té mientras esperamos.
poh-DEH-mohs preh-pah-RAHR oon POH-koh deh TEH MYEN-trahs ehs-peh-RAH-mohs We can make some tea while we wait.
B
Eso ayudará a pasar el tiempo.
EH-soh ah-yoo-dah-RAH ah pah-SAHR el TYEM-poh That will help pass the time.Word by Word
El
In "El tiempo parece malo", "El" means "the" and introduces "tiempo". A reliable reuse pattern is "El + noun" when referring to a specific thing.
tiempo
In "El tiempo parece malo", "tiempo" means "weather". The same word appears in "pasar el tiempo", where it means "time", so the surrounding expression determines the meaning.
parece
In "parece malo", "parece" means "seems" or "looks" and describes how the weather appears. A useful pattern is "parece + description", as in "parece malo".
malo
In "El tiempo parece malo", "malo" means "bad" and describes the weather. It can be used after "parece" to describe an apparent condition.
Puede
In "Puede venir una tormenta", "Puede" indicates that a storm may come, so it expresses possibility here. A useful pattern is "Puede + infinitive", as in "Puede venir".
venir
In "Puede venir una tormenta", "venir" means "to come" and describes the storm arriving. After "Puede", it stays in this infinitive form.
una
In "una tormenta", "una" means "a" and introduces one unspecified storm. A useful pattern is "una + noun", as in "una tormenta".
tormenta
In "una tormenta", "tormenta" means "storm". It names the weather event that may come in this dialogue.
Deberíamos
In "¿Deberíamos quedarnos dentro?", "Deberíamos" asks whether staying inside is a good or advisable choice. A useful suggestion pattern is "Deberíamos + infinitive", as in "Deberíamos quedarnos".
quedarnos
In "quedarnos dentro", "quedarnos" means "to stay" or "to remain", with the action referring to the speakers. A useful pattern is "quedarnos + place", as in "quedarnos dentro".
dentro
In "quedarnos dentro", "dentro" means "inside" and gives the place where the speakers will remain. It can follow a verb of staying to specify the location.
Esperemos
In "Esperemos aquí", "Esperemos" means "let's wait" and invites both speakers to wait. A useful pattern is "Esperemos + place or time", as in "Esperemos aquí".
aquí
In "Esperemos aquí", "aquí" means "here" and identifies the place where they will wait. It commonly follows the verb when stating where an action happens.
hasta
In "hasta que pase", "hasta" marks the endpoint of waiting. Together with "que pase", the construction means "until it passes"; a useful pattern is "hasta que + clause".
que
In "hasta que pase", "que" links the waiting period to the event that ends it. The reusable construction is "hasta que + clause", meaning "until ...".
pase
In "hasta que pase", "pase" means "passes" or "goes by", referring to the bad weather or storm. It is useful in the pattern "hasta que pase" when waiting for an event to end.
Podemos
In "Podemos salir", "Podemos" means "we can" and presents going out as an available option. A useful pattern is "Podemos + infinitive", as in "Podemos salir".
salir
In "Podemos salir", "salir" means "to go out", referring to leaving the house or indoor place. After "Podemos", it appears in the infinitive form.
cuando
In "cuando pare", "cuando" means "when" and introduces the time condition for going out. A useful pattern is "cuando + clause", as in "cuando pare".
pare
In "cuando pare", "pare" means "stops", referring to the storm or bad weather stopping. It identifies the event that must happen before they decide to go out.
ver
In "ver el tiempo", "ver" means "to see" or "to check" the weather. A useful pattern is "ver + noun", as in "ver el tiempo".
otra
In "otra vez", "otra" contributes to the meaning "again" together with "vez". The reusable expression is "otra vez", used when something happens one more time.
vez
In "otra vez", "vez" refers to a time or occasion, and the full expression means "again". Use the complete pattern "otra vez" rather than assigning the meaning "again" to "vez" alone.
y
In "ver el tiempo otra vez y decidir entonces", "y" means "and" and links the actions of checking and deciding. A useful pattern is "action y action".
decidir
In "decidir entonces", "decidir" means "to decide" what to do after checking the weather. A useful pattern here is "decidir + time expression", as in "decidir entonces".
entonces
In "decidir entonces", "entonces" means "then" and refers to the later time after checking the weather. It can follow an action to show when the next decision will happen.
preparar
In "preparar un poco de té", "preparar" means "to prepare" or "to make" tea. A useful pattern is "preparar + noun", as in "preparar un poco de té".
un
In "un poco de té", "un" begins the quantity expression meaning "a little" or "some". The reusable pattern is "un poco de + noun".
poco
In "un poco de té", "poco" means "a little" and expresses a small amount. Together with "un" and "de", it forms the pattern "un poco de + noun".
de
In "un poco de té", "de" links the amount to what is being measured: a little of tea. The useful pattern is "un poco de + noun".
té
In "un poco de té", "té" means "tea", the drink they plan to prepare while waiting. It follows the quantity pattern "un poco de + noun".
mientras
In "mientras esperamos", "mientras" means "while" and links two actions happening during the same period. A useful pattern is "mientras + clause", as in "mientras esperamos".
esperamos
In "mientras esperamos", "esperamos" means "we wait" and describes the waiting action that continues while the tea is prepared. It can follow "mientras" to describe an action occurring at the same time.
Eso
In "Eso ayudará a pasar el tiempo", "Eso" means "that" or "it" and refers back to the idea of making tea. A useful pattern is "Eso + verb" when referring to something just mentioned.
ayudará
In "Eso ayudará a pasar el tiempo", "ayudará" says that the tea will help. The useful construction is "ayudar a + infinitive", as in "ayudará a pasar".
a
In "ayudará a pasar el tiempo", "a" is part of the construction "ayudar a + infinitive" and links helping with the action that follows. The complete pattern is "ayudar a pasar el tiempo".
pasar
In "pasar el tiempo", "pasar" means "to pass" or "to spend" time. The reusable expression is "pasar el tiempo", used for occupying time while waiting.
Grammar Points
hasta que + subjuntivo
Esperemos aquí hasta que pase la tormenta.
eh-speh-REH-mohs ah-KEE AHS-tah keh PAH-seh lah tor-MEN-tahLet's wait here until the storm passes.
Use the subjunctive after hasta que when the event is expected but has not happened yet.
Spanish Vocabulary
aquí
adv
ah-KEE
here
Esperemos aquí hasta que pase.
dentro
adv
DEN-troh
inside
¿Deberíamos quedarnos dentro?
esperemos
verb
eh-speh-REH-mohs
let's wait
Esperemos aquí hasta que pase.
hasta que
conj
AHS-tah keh
until
Esperemos aquí hasta que pase.
malo
adj
MAH-loh
bad
El tiempo parece malo.
parece
verb
pah-REH-seh
seems; looks
El tiempo parece malo.
pase
verb
PAH-seh
passes; goes away
Esperemos aquí hasta que pase.
quedarnos
verb
keh-DAHR-nohs
to stay
¿Deberíamos quedarnos dentro?
salir
verb
sah-LEER
to go out
¿Podemos salir cuando pare?
tiempo
noun
TYEM-poh
weather; time
El tiempo parece malo.
tormenta
noun
tor-MEN-tah
storm
Puede venir una tormenta.
venir
verb
beh-NEER
to come
Puede venir una tormenta.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
The weather looks bad.
Show Answer
El tiempo parece malo.A storm may be coming.
Show Answer
Puede venir una tormenta.Should we stay inside?
Show Answer
¿Deberíamos quedarnos dentro?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to come
Show Answer
venirlet's wait
Show Answer
esperemosinside
Show Answer
dentrostorm