Waiting in the right line | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At a front desk line, two adults check whether they are in the right place and wait with little space around them..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Waiting in the right line to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Esta es la fila correcta?

EH-stah ehs lah FEE-lah koh-REHK-tah Is this the right line?
B

La fila llega hasta el mostrador.

lah FEE-lah YEH-gah AHS-tah ehl moh-strah-DOHR It goes to the front desk.
A

¿El mostrador está más adelante?

ehl moh-strah-DOHR ehs-TAH mahs ah-deh-LAHN-teh Is the front desk up ahead?
B

Podemos verlo desde aquí.

poh-DEH-mohs BEHR-loh DEHZ-deh ah-KEE We can see it from here.
A

¿Debo ponerme detrás de ti?

DEH-boh poh-NEHR-meh deh-TRAHS deh tee Should I stand behind you?
B

Quédate cerca; no hay mucho espacio.

keh-DAH-teh SEHR-kah; noh EYE MOO-choh ehs-PAH-syoh Stay close; there isn't much space.
A

La fila avanza despacio.

lah FEE-lah ah-BAHN-sah deh-SPAH-syoh The line is moving slowly.
B

Podemos esperar un poco más.

poh-DEH-mohs ehs-peh-RAHR oon POH-koh mahs We can wait a little longer.

Word by Word

Esta In “Esta es la fila correcta?”, “Esta” means “this” and points to the line being identified. It appears before “es” and agrees with “fila”. New example: “Esta es mi mesa” means “This is my table.”
es In “Esta es la fila correcta?”, “es” means “is” and links “Esta” with the description “la fila correcta”. Use “es” to identify or describe something. New example: “La puerta es azul” means “The door is blue.”
la In “la fila correcta”, “la” means “the” and introduces the specific line being discussed. It comes before a feminine singular noun such as “fila”. New example: “la puerta” means “the door.”
fila In “la fila correcta”, “fila” means “line” or “queue”, the people waiting in order. A common reusable expression is “la fila” for a queue. New example: “La fila es larga” means “The line is long.”
correcta In “la fila correcta”, “correcta” means “right” or “correct” and describes which line it is. It follows “fila” and agrees with it. New example: “la respuesta correcta” means “the correct answer.”
llega In “La fila llega hasta el mostrador”, “llega” says that the line reaches as far as the front desk. Use “llega hasta” with a destination or endpoint. New example: “El camino llega hasta la playa” means “The path reaches as far as the beach.”
hasta In “llega hasta el mostrador”, “hasta” means “up to” or “as far as” and marks the endpoint of the line. A useful pattern is “llegar hasta” plus a place. New example: “Camina hasta la puerta” means “Walk up to the door.”
el In “el mostrador”, “el” means “the” and introduces the specific front desk. It comes before the masculine singular noun “mostrador”. New example: “el banco” means “the bench” or “the bank,” depending on context.
mostrador In “el mostrador”, “mostrador” means “front desk” or “counter”, the place the line reaches. Use it with “el” when referring to this kind of desk or counter. New example: “El mostrador está allí” means “The front desk is over there.”
está In “El mostrador está más adelante”, “está” means “is located” and gives the position of the front desk. Use “está” with a location expression such as “más adelante”. New example: “La entrada está aquí” means “The entrance is here.”
más In “más adelante”, “más” adds the idea of being farther or more forward. The full expression “más adelante” means “farther ahead”, while “más” contributes the comparison of position. New example: “La salida está más adelante” means “The exit is farther ahead.”
adelante In “más adelante”, “adelante” means “ahead” or “forward” and describes a position farther forward. Use it in the common location expression “más adelante”. New example: “El baño está adelante” means “The bathroom is ahead.”
Podemos In “Podemos verlo desde aquí”, “Podemos” means “we can” and expresses ability or possibility for the speakers together. Use “podemos” followed by an infinitive, such as “Podemos esperar”. New example: “Podemos hablar mañana” means “We can talk tomorrow.”
verlo In “Podemos verlo desde aquí”, “verlo” means “see it”; “lo” refers to the front desk mentioned in the conversation. The form combines “ver” with “lo” attached to the end, and it follows “Podemos”. New example: “Quiero verlo” means “I want to see it.”
desde In “desde aquí”, “desde” means “from” and marks the place where seeing begins. Use “desde” before a place or starting point. New example: “Lo veo desde la ventana” means “I see it from the window.”
aquí In “desde aquí”, “aquí” means “here”, referring to the speakers’ current location. Use it after a location word such as “desde”. New example: “Estoy aquí” means “I am here.”
Debo In “¿Debo ponerme detrás de ti?”, “Debo” means “should I” or “must I” as the speaker asks what action is required. Use “debo” followed by an infinitive when asking or stating what one needs to do. New example: “¿Debo esperar aquí?” means “Should I wait here?”
ponerme In “ponerme detrás de ti”, “ponerme” means “put myself” or “get myself into position”, here referring to standing behind the other person. It combines “poner” with “me” attached to the end. New example: “Voy a ponerme aquí” means “I’m going to stand here.”
detrás In “detrás de ti”, “detrás” means “behind” and describes the position relative to the person being addressed. Use the pattern “detrás de” before a person or place. New example: “El bolso está detrás de la silla” means “The bag is behind the chair.”
de In “detrás de ti”, “de” connects “detrás” with the person who is in front, so the phrase means “behind you”. A reliable pattern is “detrás de” plus a person or place. New example: “El coche está detrás de la casa” means “The car is behind the house.”
ti In “detrás de ti”, “ti” means “you” and refers to the person being addressed after the preposition “de”. Use “ti” after prepositions in expressions such as “para ti” or “de ti”. New example: “Esto es para ti” means “This is for you.”
Quédate In “Quédate cerca”, “Quédate” tells one person to stay or remain nearby. It combines the verb form for staying with “te”, referring to the person addressed. New example: “Quédate aquí” means “Stay here.”
cerca In “Quédate cerca”, “cerca” means “close” or “near”, so the person should remain nearby in the crowded line. Use “cerca” after verbs such as “quédate” to describe staying nearby. New example: “La estación está cerca” means “The station is nearby.”
no In “no hay mucho espacio”, “no” means “not” and makes the statement negative. A common pattern is “no” before the verb. New example: “No puedo entrar” means “I cannot enter.”
hay In “no hay mucho espacio”, “hay” says that space exists or is available, and “no hay” says that it does not. Use “hay” before a noun to state that something is present. New example: “Hay una silla aquí” means “There is a chair here.”
mucho In “mucho espacio”, “mucho” means “much” and describes a large amount of space. Use “mucho” with an uncountable amount such as “espacio” or “tiempo”. New example: “Hay mucho tiempo” means “There is plenty of time.”
espacio In “no hay mucho espacio”, “espacio” means “space” or room to stand, which is limited in the line. Use it in patterns such as “tener espacio para” plus an activity. New example: “No tengo espacio para sentarme” means “I don’t have room to sit down.”
avanza In “La fila avanza despacio”, “avanza” means “moves forward” and describes the line making slow progress. Use it with a subject such as “la fila” and an adverb describing speed. New example: “El autobús avanza despacio” means “The bus moves forward slowly.”
despacio In “avanza despacio”, “despacio” means “slowly” and explains how the line moves. Use it after a verb to describe slow movement or action. New example: “Camina despacio” means “Walk slowly.”
esperar In “Podemos esperar”, “esperar” means “to wait”, the action the speakers can continue doing. It follows “podemos” as the action that is possible. New example: “Necesito esperar aquí” means “I need to wait here.”
un In “un poco más”, “un” introduces the small quantity expressed by “un poco”. Together, “un poco más” means “a little more”. New example: “Espera un poco” means “Wait a little.”
poco In “un poco más”, “poco” contributes the idea of a small amount, so the full phrase means “a little more”. A useful pattern is “un poco de” plus a noun for a small amount of something. New example: “Necesito un poco de agua” means “I need a little water.”

Grammar Points

Hay + sustantivo

Hay espacio.

EYE ehs-PAH-syoh

There is space.

Hay means “there is” or “there are” and does not change between singular and plural nouns.

Quédate + adverbio

Quédate cerca.

keh-DAH-teh SEHR-kah

Stay nearby.

Quédate is the informal command form of quedarse, used to tell one person to stay.

Spanish Vocabulary

cerca adv
SEHR-kah close; nearby

Quédate cerca

correcta adj
koh-REHK-tah right; correct

la fila correcta

desde aquí phrase
DEHZ-deh ah-KEE from here

Podemos verlo desde aquí

detrás de prep
deh-TRAHS deh behind

detrás de ti

esta det
EH-stah this Esta

Esta es la fila correcta

fila noun
FEE-lah line

la fila

llegar verb
yeh-GAHR to reach; to go as far as llega

La fila llega hasta el mostrador

más adelante adv
mahs ah-deh-LAHN-teh further ahead

El mostrador está más adelante

mostrador noun
moh-strah-DOHR front desk; counter

el mostrador

ponerse verb
poh-NEHR-seh to stand; to position oneself ponerme

¿Debo ponerme detrás de ti?

quedarse verb
keh-DAHR-seh to stay Quédate

Quédate cerca

verlo verb
BEHR-loh to see it

Podemos verlo desde aquí

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is this the right line?

Show Answer¿Esta es la fila correcta?

It goes to the front desk.

Show AnswerLa fila llega hasta el mostrador.

Is the front desk up ahead?

Show Answer¿El mostrador está más adelante?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to stand; to position oneself

Show Answerponerme

to see it

Show Answerverlo

line

Show Answerfila

right; correct

Show Answercorrecta