Waiting in Line | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Esta es la fila del mostrador?

   Is this line for the counter?

   Esta es

   This is

   fila

   line; queue

   del

   of the

   mostrador

   counter

   More detail

   Esta es means “this is” here. Esta is a feminine singular demonstrative pronoun, and es is the third-person singular present form of ser. Here, esta refers to the feminine singular line identified by the fixed translation. Example: Esta es la entrada. — “This is the entrance.” fila means “line” or “queue” here. It is a feminine noun: la fila. Depending on context, the same word can also mean an ordered row. Example: La fila empieza aquí. — “The line starts here.” del is the contraction of de + el, meaning “of the” in this noun phrase: de + el → del. Spanish does not contract de + la. mostrador means “counter,” such as a service or shop counter. It is a masculine noun: el mostrador. In la fila del mostrador, del mostrador identifies the counter associated with the line, yielding the intended meaning “the line for the counter.” Together, these chunks form a question asking whether this is the line for the counter. The opening ¿ and closing ? mark the whole Spanish utterance as a question.

2. Aquí empieza.

   This is where it starts.

   Aquí

   here

   empieza

   starts

   More detail

   Aquí means “here,” indicating the place relevant to the utterance. It is a location adverb, so it does not change for gender or number. Contrast it with ahí (“there, near you”) or allí (“there, farther away”) when that distance distinction matters. empieza means “starts” in this sentence. Its base form is empezar; empieza is the present-tense form for a third-person singular subject. Spanish often leaves the subject unspoken, so this form identifies the event as singular without requiring a stated noun. For example: La película empieza a las ocho. — “The film starts at eight.” Together, Aquí empieza. literally places the beginning at “here”: “It starts here” or, with the fixed translation’s phrasing, “This is where it starts.”

3. ¿Necesito un ticket?

   Do I need a ticket?

   Necesito

   I need

   ticket

   ticket

   More detail

   Necesito means “I need” here. It is the first-person singular present form of necesitar (“to need”): yo necesito, with the subject pronoun usually omitted because the verb form identifies the speaker. Example: Necesito ayuda. — “I need help.” ticket is a masculine singular noun meaning “ticket” in this sentence. The article un matches it in masculine singular: un ticket. The indefinite article marks an unspecified ticket; it does not by itself add a separate emphasis on the quantity one. The plural is tickets. Example: Tengo un ticket. — “I have a ticket.” Together, Necesito un ticket means “I need a ticket.” The surrounding ¿...? turns this into a yes-or-no question: ¿Necesito un ticket? — “Do I need a ticket?” Spanish can keep this word order for such a question; the question marks and spoken intonation signal the question.

4. Toma uno de esta caja.

   Take one from this box.

   Toma

   Take

   uno

   one

   esta

   this

   caja

   box

   More detail

   Toma is the affirmative tú command of tomar (“to take”). It addresses one person informally; the corresponding present-tense form is tomas, while the command uses toma. Example: Toma el libro. — “Take the book.” uno means “one” here and stands alone as a pronoun for one item. Its exact referent is not named in this sentence. As a number, it is distinct from the indefinite article un: un libro means “a book,” while uno can mean “one” when the noun is omitted. esta means “this” and is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative. It agrees with the noun it modifies: esta caja is “this box,” while este libro is “this book.” The form esta here has no written accent; está is a different form of estar meaning “is.” caja means “box.” It is a feminine singular noun, so the matching demonstrative is esta. A useful plural is cajas: estas cajas means “these boxes.” The pattern uno de + noun phrase means “one of/from a specified group or source,” with the exact relation supplied by context. In uno de esta caja, de links the one item to esta caja; the fixed translation expresses this as “one from this box.” Together, Toma uno de esta caja. is an informal singular instruction: “Take one from this box.”

5. ¿Cuándo es mi turno?

   When is my turn?

   Cuándo

   when

   es

   is

   mi

   my

   turno

   turn

   More detail

   Cuándo asks about time or position in an event: “when?” The accent marks its interrogative use. Compare cuándo in a question with cuando in a clause such as cuando llegues (“when you arrive”). es is the third-person singular present form of ser, whose base form means “to be.” In this question, ser connects cuándo with the speaker’s turn. For example, ¿Cuándo es la reunión? means “When is the meeting?” mi means “my” before a singular noun. It does not change according to the noun’s gender; its plural form is mis, as in the labeled example mis turnos (“my turns”). turno is a masculine noun meaning “turn.” Its plural is turnos. Here it means the speaker’s place or opportunity in an ordered activity, consistent with the surrounding reference to being after another person. In another context, turno can refer to a work shift, but that is not the meaning established here. Together, mi turno means “my turn,” and ¿Cuándo es mi turno? asks when the speaker’s turn comes: “When is my turn?”

6. Vas después de esa persona.

   You're after that person.

   Vas

   you go / you’re going

   después de

   after

   esa

   that

   persona

   person

   More detail

   Vas is the present-tense form of ir for tú: vas = “you go” or “you are going.” Here, with después de, it places you later in an order or sequence; it is not an affirmative command. Compare voy (“I go”), va (“he/she goes” or formal “you go”), and vas (“you go,” informal singular). después de is a reusable expression meaning “after.” It links the position or event that comes later to what follows it. For example: Voy después de Ana. — “I go after Ana.” esa means “that” and is the feminine singular demonstrative form. It agrees with the feminine singular noun persona, rather than expressing the person’s identity by itself. The nearby forms are ese for a masculine singular noun and esas for a feminine plural noun. persona means “person.” Although it refers to a human being of any gender, the noun is grammatically feminine: una persona. Its plural is personas. Together, vas después de esa persona means “you’re after that person”: in the relevant sequence, that person comes before you and you come next or later. The preceding question about the speaker’s turn supports an ordering of turns, while the sentence itself does not specify anything beyond your position after that person.

7. Esperaré aquí.

   I will wait here.

   Esperaré

   I will wait

   aquí

   here

   More detail

   Esperaré is the first-person singular future form of esperar, “to wait” here. The ending -é marks “I” in the simple future: esperaré = “I will wait.” Compare the present espero = “I wait / I am waiting.” Example: Esperaré cinco minutos. — “I will wait five minutes.” aquí means “here,” referring to the speaker’s location or the place understood in the situation. It is an adverb, so it does not change for gender or number. Compare allí = “there.” Example: Trabajo aquí. — “I work here.” Together, Esperaré aquí. means “I will wait here.” The speaker states a future decision or intention to remain waiting at the relevant place.

8. La persona de adelante casi termina.

   The person ahead is almost finished.

   persona

   person

   de adelante

   ahead; in front

   casi

   almost

   termina

   finishes

   More detail

   persona means “person.” It is a feminine singular noun here, shown by la persona; the article agrees with the noun. A useful contrast is la persona / las personas for singular and plural. de adelante identifies the person by position: “ahead” or “in front.” The pattern de + position can describe where someone or something is located, as in la fila de adelante (“the front row”). It does not itself specify who that person is. casi means “almost” and modifies what follows. It shows that the action is close to completion but is not presented as complete. For example, Casi llego means “I’m almost there.” termina is the third-person singular present form of terminar, “to finish” or “to end.” The form agrees with the singular subject la persona: la persona termina. The present can describe an action happening now or a current state of progress. Compare termino (“I finish,” with yo) and terminan (“they finish” or “you all finish,” depending on context). Together, la persona de adelante means “the person ahead,” casi termina means “is almost finished,” and the full utterance means “The person ahead is almost finished.” The sentence presents that person as nearing completion; it does not state that the person has already finished.`