About This Lesson
Use Leaving Space in a Crowded Line to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Esta fila se está llenando mucho.
EHS-tah FEE-lah seh ehs-TAH yeh-NAHN-doh MOO-choh. This line is getting really crowded.
B
Dejemos un poco de espacio a un lado.
deh-HEH-mos oon POH-koh deh ehs-PAH-syoh ah oon LAH-doh. Let's leave some room on the side.
A
¿Me muevo un poco hacia atrás?
meh MWEH-boh oon POH-koh AH-syah ah-TRAS? Should I move back a little?
B
Eso haría más fácil que la gente pasara.
EH-soh ah-REE-ah mahs FAH-seel keh lah HEN-teh pah-SAH-rah. That would make it easier for people to pass.
A
¿Está suficientemente lejos?
ehs-TAH soo-fee-SYEN-teh-men-teh LEH-hos? Is this far enough?
B
Ahora hay un camino despejado.
ah-OH-rah eye oon kah-MEE-noh dehs-peh-HAH-doh. There is a clear path now.
A
Puedo estar más cerca de la pared.
PWEH-doh ehs-TAR mahs SEHR-kah deh lah pah-RED. I can stand closer to the wall.
B
Así mantenemos abierto el paso.
ah-SEE mahn-teh-NEH-mos ah-BYEHR-toh ehl PAH-soh. That keeps the walkway open.Word by Word
Esta
In "Esta fila", "Esta" means "this" and points to the line being discussed. It accompanies the noun fila; reuse it before a nearby noun when identifying one specific thing. You would use it when pointing out a particular item or place.
fila
In "Esta fila", "fila" means line or queue, specifically the line people are waiting in. It is the thing that is becoming crowded; reuse "fila" when talking about people waiting in order. You would use it at a station, store, or other waiting area.
se
In "se está llenando", "se" is part of the expression showing that the line is becoming full. It works with "está llenando" to present a change happening to the line; reuse the full expression when something is filling up. You would use it to describe increasing crowding.
está
In "se está llenando", "está" supplies the "is" part of the ongoing change. It is a form of estar used with "llenando" here; reuse estar when describing a current state or ongoing situation. You would use it while reporting what is happening now.
llenando
In "se está llenando", "llenando" means filling up or becoming full. It is related to llenar and combines with "está" to describe a process in progress. You would use it when a place, container, or space is becoming full.
mucho
In "se está llenando mucho", "mucho" means a lot or very much and strengthens the description of how crowded the line is becoming. It follows the verb phrase here to show a large degree. You would use it when emphasizing that an action or change is happening a lot.
Dejemos
In "Dejemos un poco de espacio", "Dejemos" means "let's leave" and proposes a joint action. It is related to dejar and is followed by the thing to be left; reuse "Dejemos + object" for a suggestion to act together. You would use it when proposing a practical adjustment to another person.
un
In "un poco de espacio", "un" introduces a small, unspecified amount. It belongs with "poco" to form "un poco de" before the noun; reuse that pattern when referring to a little of something. You would use it when asking for or describing a small amount.
poco
In "un poco de espacio", "poco" means a little and refers to a small amount. Together with "un" and "de", it forms "un poco de" before the noun; reuse this pattern for a small amount. You would use it when requesting only a small change or quantity.
de
In "un poco de espacio", "de" links the amount "un poco" to what it measures. It forms the pattern "un poco de + noun"; reuse it when saying a little of something. You would use it when connecting an amount to a specific thing.
espacio
In "un poco de espacio", "espacio" means room or space to leave open. It is the thing being left beside the line; reuse "dejar espacio" when making room for movement. You would use it when people need room to pass or stand.
a
In "a un lado", "a" marks the position on or toward one side. It works with lado as part of the location phrase; reuse "a un lado" when positioning something to one side. You would use it when directing someone away from the main passage.
lado
In "a un lado", "lado" means side. It identifies where the space should be left; reuse "a un lado" for a position beside the main area. You would use it when describing where someone or something should move.
Me
In "Me muevo", "Me" refers to the speaker as the person moving. With "muevo", it expresses that the speaker moves themself; reuse "Me" before a verb when the action directly involves the speaker. You would use it when offering to adjust your own position.
muevo
In "¿Me muevo un poco hacia atrás?", "muevo" means "I move" and asks whether the speaker should change position. It is related to mover and appears with "Me" here; reuse "Me muevo + direction" to ask or state that you are moving yourself. You would use it when checking whether a physical adjustment is appropriate.
hacia
In "hacia atrás", "hacia" marks direction toward the back. It combines with a directional word to show where movement is headed; reuse "hacia + direction" when indicating the direction of movement. You would use it when explaining where someone should move.
atrás
In "hacia atrás", "atrás" means back or backward. Together with "hacia", it specifies movement toward the rear; reuse the full phrase when describing backward movement. You would use it when asking someone to move away from the front or current position.
Eso
In "Eso haría más fácil", "Eso" refers to the proposed movement back. It points to an action or idea already mentioned; reuse it when referring back to something previously discussed. You would use it when explaining the result of another person's suggestion.
haría
In "Eso haría más fácil", "haría" means "would make" and presents a possible result. It is related to hacer and takes the result phrase "más fácil"; reuse "Eso haría + result" when explaining what an action would cause. You would use it to describe a benefit that would follow from a change.
más
In "más fácil", "más" means more and increases the degree of fácil. It compares the ease of the situation with how it is now; reuse "más + adjective" to describe a higher degree of a quality. You would use it when saying that one arrangement improves something.
fácil
In "haría más fácil que la gente pasara", "fácil" means easy and describes the passing as easier. It follows "haría más" and connects to the clause introduced by "que". You would use it when explaining that an action reduces difficulty.
que
In "que la gente pasara", "que" introduces the clause describing what becomes easier. It links "más fácil" to the event of people passing; reuse it to connect a result or description to a following clause. You would use it when explaining a consequence involving another action.
la
In "la gente", "la" marks the noun phrase as referring to the people in the situation. It comes directly before gente; reuse it before a specific feminine noun phrase. You would use it when referring to a particular group or thing already relevant.
gente
In "la gente pasara", "gente" means the people who need to pass. It is the group whose movement is described after "que"; reuse "la gente" when referring to people as a group. You would use it when discussing people moving through a shared space.
pasara
In "que la gente pasara", "pasara" means pass, referring to people moving through the open space. It is related to pasar and appears inside the clause after "que"; reuse it in a clause describing the movement that would become easier. You would use it when explaining whether people can get through.
suficientemente
In "suficientemente lejos", "suficientemente" means sufficiently or enough. It modifies lejos to ask whether the distance meets the needed amount; reuse "suficientemente + adjective or adverb" when checking whether something meets a standard. You would use it when confirming that a position or amount is adequate.
lejos
In "suficientemente lejos", "lejos" means far, giving the distance of the speaker's position. With "suficientemente", it asks whether the position is far enough away; reuse it when describing distance. You would use it when checking whether someone has moved far enough.
Ahora
In "Ahora hay un camino despejado", "Ahora" means now and shifts attention to the current result. It appears at the beginning to mark the new situation; reuse it when reporting a present change after an action. You would use it to confirm that conditions have changed.
hay
In "Ahora hay un camino despejado", "hay" means there is or there exists and introduces what is present. It is followed by the noun phrase "un camino despejado"; reuse "hay + noun phrase" to say that something exists or is available. You would use it when pointing out an available route or space.
camino
In "un camino despejado", "camino" means path or route. It identifies the route now available for people to use; reuse it when talking about a way through a place. You would use it when describing a route that people can walk along.
despejado
In "un camino despejado", "despejado" means clear or unobstructed and describes the path as open for movement. It modifies camino and explains why people can pass; reuse it for a route or area that has been cleared. You would use it when confirming that nothing is blocking a passage.
Puedo
In "Puedo estar más cerca", "Puedo" means "I can" and expresses the speaker's ability or possibility. It is related to poder and is followed by estar here; reuse "Puedo + verb" to offer or state what you can do. You would use it when offering a possible action.
estar
In "Puedo estar más cerca de la pared", "estar" means be or stay in a position. It follows "Puedo" to name the possible state or action; reuse "Puedo + estar" when saying that you can remain or position yourself somewhere. You would use it when choosing where to stand.
cerca
In "más cerca de la pared", "cerca" means near or close. It describes the speaker's position relative to the wall; reuse "cerca de + place or person" for proximity, with más when comparing positions. You would use it when describing a location near a reference point.
pared
In "de la pared", "pared" means wall and gives the reference point for the distance. It follows de in the phrase describing where the speaker can stand; reuse it when identifying a wall as a physical location. You would use it when directing someone to stand beside a wall.
Así
In "Así mantenemos abierto el paso", "Así" means this way or so and connects the proposed arrangement to its result. It introduces how the action keeps the passage open; reuse it at the start of a sentence to show how an action achieves a result. You would use it when explaining the purpose of a practical arrangement.
mantenemos
In "mantenemos abierto el paso", "mantenemos" means we keep or maintain. It describes the speakers preserving the passage in an open state; it is related to mantener and takes "abierto el paso" as what is maintained. You would use it when a group keeps something in a particular condition.
abierto
In "mantenemos abierto el paso", "abierto" means open and describes the passage as available for movement. It completes the idea of keeping the route unobstructed; reuse it with a place or passage that remains available. You would use it when confirming that people can continue through.
el
In "el paso", "el" marks paso as the specific passage relevant to the situation. It comes before the noun; reuse it before a specific masculine noun phrase. You would use it when referring to a particular passage or item already understood.
paso
In "el paso", "paso" means passage or walkway, the space people use to move through. It is the thing kept open in "mantenemos abierto el paso"; reuse it when talking about a passage that people can use. You would use it when keeping a route clear in a crowded place.
Grammar Points
estar + gerundio
La fila se está llenando.
lah FEE-lah seh ehs-TAH yeh-NAHN-doh.The line is filling up.
Use estar + gerundio for an action happening right now; se belongs to the reflexive verb llenarse.
haría + adjective
Eso haría el camino fácil.
EH-soh ah-REE-ah ehl kah-MEE-noh FAH-seel.That would make the path easy.
The conditional form haría expresses a hypothetical result: “would make.”
Spanish Vocabulary
a un lado
phrase
ah oon LAH-doh
to the side; on one side
a un lado
dejar
verb
deh-HAR
to leave
Dejemos
Dejemos un poco de espacio.
espacio
noun
ehs-PAH-syoh
space; room
un poco de espacio
fácil
adj
FAH-seel
easy
más fácil
fila
noun
FEE-lah
line
Esta fila
gente
noun
HEN-teh
people
la gente
hacer
verb
ah-SEHR
to make; to do
haría
Eso haría más fácil
hacia atrás
phrase
AH-syah ah-TRAS
backward; toward the back
hacia atrás
llenarse
verb
yeh-NAR-seh
to fill up; to become crowded
se está llenando
La fila se está llenando mucho.
moverse
verb
moh-BEHR-seh
to move
Me muevo
¿Me muevo un poco hacia atrás?
pasar
verb
pah-SAR
to pass; to go through
pasara
que la gente pasara
suficientemente
adv
soo-fee-SYEN-teh-men-teh
enough; sufficiently
suficientemente lejos
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
This line is getting really crowded.
Show Answer
Esta fila se está llenando mucho.Should I move back a little?
Show Answer
¿Me muevo un poco hacia atrás?Is this far enough?
Show Answer
¿Está suficientemente lejos?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to leave
Show Answer
Dejemosspace; room
Show Answer
espacioline
Show Answer
filato make; to do