Checking a table-setting list | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At home, two adults check a list for setting a table and notice that one spoon is still needed..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Checking a table-setting list to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Miremos la lista.

mee-REH-mohs lah LEES-tah Let's look at the list.
B

La tengo aquí.

lah TEHN-goh ah-KEE I have it here.
A

¿Están listas las tazas?

ehs-TAHN LEES-tahs lahs TAH-sahs Are the cups ready?
B

Las lavé todas.

lahs lah-BEH TOH-dahs I washed them all.
A

¿Falta algo?

FAHL-tah AHL-goh Is anything missing?
B

Todavía necesitamos una cuchara.

toh-dah-BEE-ah neh-seh-see-TAH-mohs OO-nah koo-CHAH-rah We still need one spoon.
A

Puedo conseguir otra.

PWEH-doh kohn-seh-GHEER OH-trah I can get another one.
B

Entonces, la mesa está puesta.

ehn-TOHN-sehs lah MEH-sah ehs-TAH PWEHS-tah Then the table is set.

Word by Word

Miremos Miremos means “let’s look at” here and invites the other person to look together at the list. Its citation form is mirar; Miremos is the form used for this shared suggestion. A useful pattern is Miremos + an object, as in Miremos la lista. You could use it at home when suggesting that someone inspect something with you.
la In Miremos la lista, la means “the” and introduces the feminine singular noun lista. In La tengo aquí, capitalized La means “it” and refers back to the list. The article comes before a noun, while the pronoun appears before the verb. Use these forms when referring to a specific feminine singular item or to that item again.
lista Lista means “list” in la lista, referring here to the list for setting the table. The citation form is lista, and it appears after the article la. A useful pattern is la + lista when referring to a specific list. You could use it while checking items that need to be prepared.
tengo Tengo means “I have” in La tengo aquí, expressing that the speaker has the list with them here. Its citation form is tener; tengo is the form used with “I.” A useful pattern is tengo + an object, as in La tengo aquí. Use it when telling someone where an item you have is located.
aquí Aquí means “here” and tells where the speaker has the list in La tengo aquí. It commonly comes after the verb to identify the location of something. Use it when showing that an item is in the current place.
Están Están supplies “are” in ¿Están listas las tazas? and asks about the cups’ current state. Its citation form is estar; Están is the form used with the plural subject las tazas. A useful pattern is estar + a description of a state, as in Están listas. Use it when checking whether several items are ready.
listas Listas means “ready” here and describes the cups in ¿Están listas las tazas? The citation form is listo; listas is the feminine plural form matching the cups. It is used after estar to describe readiness. Use it when asking or saying that several feminine items are ready.
las In las tazas, las means “the” and introduces the feminine plural noun tazas. In Las lavé todas, Las means “them” and refers to the cups. The article comes before a noun, while the pronoun comes before the verb. Use these forms for specific feminine plural items or to refer back to them.
tazas Tazas means “cups” in las tazas, referring to the cups being prepared for the table. The citation form is taza; tazas is the plural form used for more than one cup. A useful pattern is las tazas when referring to specific cups. Use it in a household situation involving cups or table setting.
lavé Lavé means “I washed” in Las lavé todas, reporting that the speaker washed the cups. Its citation form is lavar; lavé is the form used with “I” for this completed action. A useful pattern is lavar + an object, as in Las lavé todas. Use it when reporting that you have washed something.
todas Todas means “all of them” in Las lavé todas and emphasizes that the whole group of cups was washed. The citation form is todo; todas is the feminine plural form referring to the cups. It appears after the verb here to indicate the complete group. Use it when confirming that every item in a group was handled.
Falta Falta means “is missing” in ¿Falta algo? and asks whether something is absent from the items being checked. Its citation form is faltar; Falta is the form used with the singular indefinite subject algo. A useful pattern places the missing thing after faltar. Use it when checking a list or preparation and looking for an absent item.
algo Algo means “anything” in the question ¿Falta algo? and refers to an unspecified item that might be missing. It is used here after Falta to ask whether there is any missing thing. Use it when checking whether an unspecified item is absent.
Todavía Todavía means “still” in Todavía necesitamos una cuchara and shows that the need remains. It commonly comes before the verb it modifies. Use it when something is not yet complete or an item is still needed.
necesitamos Necesitamos means “we need” in Todavía necesitamos una cuchara, stating that both people still require one spoon. Its citation form is necesitar; necesitamos is the form used with “we.” A useful pattern is necesitamos + an object, as in necesitamos una cuchara. Use it when explaining what a group still requires.
una Una means “one” or “a” in una cuchara and identifies a single feminine item. It comes before the feminine singular noun cuchara. A useful pattern is una + a feminine singular noun. Use it when specifying one item that is needed.
cuchara Cuchara means “spoon” in una cuchara, the item still needed for the table. It appears after the determiner una. Use it when identifying a spoon in a household or table-setting situation.
Puedo Puedo means “I can” in Puedo conseguir otra and expresses the speaker’s ability or offer to get another spoon. Its citation form is poder; Puedo is the form used with “I.” A useful pattern is Puedo + an infinitive, as in Puedo conseguir. Use it when offering to do something helpful.
conseguir Conseguir means “get” in Puedo conseguir otra and names the action the speaker can do. It is an infinitive following Puedo. A useful pattern is Puedo conseguir + the item to be obtained. Use it when offering to obtain something that is needed.
otra Otra means “another one” in Puedo conseguir otra and refers to another spoon without repeating the noun. It is the feminine singular form used because it refers to cuchara. It can stand alone when the understood item is clear. Use it when offering one more item of the same understood type.
Entonces Entonces means “then” here and connects getting the spoon with the result that the table is set. It commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence introducing a consequence or next result. Use it when one action leads to a stated outcome.
mesa Mesa means “table” in la mesa está puesta, referring to the table being prepared for the meal. It appears after the article la. A useful pattern is la mesa when referring to a specific table. Use it in household conversations about preparing or using a table.
está Está means “is” in la mesa está puesta and introduces the table’s current state. Its citation form is estar; está is the form used with the singular subject la mesa. It is used before puesta to describe the table as prepared. Use it when stating the current state of a singular item.
puesta Puesta means “set” in la mesa está puesta, describing the table as prepared for the meal. The verb is poner; puesta is the feminine singular form used with mesa. It appears after está to describe the table’s resulting state. Use it when confirming that the table has been set.

Grammar Points

poder + infinitivo

Puedo conseguir otra.

PWEH-doh kohn-seh-GHEER OH-trah

I can get another one.

Use a conjugated form of poder followed by an infinitive to express ability or possibility.

estar + adjetivo con concordancia

Están listas.

ehs-TAHN LEES-tahs

They are ready.

The adjective agrees with the subject in gender and number: listas is feminine plural.

Spanish Vocabulary

algo pron
AHL-goh anything; something

¿Falta algo?

aquí adv
ah-KEE here

La tengo aquí.

estar verb
ehs-TAHR to be Están

¿Están listas las tazas?

faltar verb
fahl-TAHR to be missing Falta

¿Falta algo?

lavar verb
lah-BAHR to wash lavé

Las lavé todas.

lista noun
LEES-tah list

la lista

listo adj
LEES-toh ready listas

listas

mirar verb
mee-RAHR to look Miremos

Miremos la lista.

taza noun
TAH-sah cup tazas

las tazas

tener verb
teh-NEHR to have tengo

La tengo aquí.

todavía adv
toh-dah-BEE-ah still

Todavía necesitamos una cuchara.

todo pron
TOH-doh all todas

Las lavé todas.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Let's look at the list.

Show AnswerMiremos la lista.

I have it here.

Show AnswerLa tengo aquí.

Are the cups ready?

Show Answer¿Están listas las tazas?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to look

Show AnswerMiremos

cup

Show Answertazas

ready

Show Answerlistas

to have

Show Answertengo