Using a shared laundry room | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shared laundry room, two adults talk about using an available machine and collecting clothes promptly..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Using a shared laundry room to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?

PWEH-doh oo-SAR lah lah-vahn-deh-REE-ah kohm-pahr-TEE-dah Can I use the shared laundry room?
B

Está abierta ahora.

eh-STAH ah-BYEHR-tah ah-OH-rah It is open now.
A

¿Está libre esta máquina?

eh-STAH LEE-breh EH-stah MAH-kee-nah Is this machine free?
B

Esta está disponible.

EH-stah eh-STAH dees-poh-NEE-bleh This one is available.
A

¿Dónde debo poner mi cesta?

DOHN-deh DEH-boh poh-NEHR mee KES-tah Where should I put my basket?
B

Ponla junto a la pared.

POHN-lah HOON-toh ah lah pah-REHD Set it beside the wall.
A

Sacaré mi ropa cuando termine el lavado.

sah-kah-REH mee ROH-pah KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-neh el lah-VAH-doh I will take my clothes out when the wash is done.
B

Por favor, recoge la ropa enseguida.

pohr fah-VOHR reh-KOH-heh lah ROH-pah en-seh-GEE-dah Please collect them right away.

Word by Word

Puedo Puedo means “can” or “may” in the question “¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?”. It is the dialogue form used to ask permission to do something. A common pattern is Puedo + infinitive, such as Puedo usar... .
usar Usar means “to use” in “¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?”. It follows Puedo and names the action for which the speaker is asking permission. Reuse Puedo + usar + an object when asking to use something.
la La is the definite article before “lavandería” in “la lavandería compartida”, meaning “the”. It introduces this specific laundry room. Reuse la before a feminine singular noun when referring to a specific item or place.
lavandería Lavandería means “laundry room” in “la lavandería compartida”. Together with la and compartida, it identifies the shared place where laundry is done. It can be reused in phrases about entering, using, or finding the laundry room.
compartida Compartida means “shared” and describes “la lavandería” in “la lavandería compartida”. It tells the learner that the laundry room is used by more than one person. Reuse it after a noun when describing something shared, keeping the noun phrase together.
Está Está means “is” when describing the current condition of the laundry room in “Está abierta ahora”. It presents the room as open at this moment. A useful pattern is Está + description of a current state.
abierta Abierta means “open” in “Está abierta ahora”. Here it describes the laundry room as open and available for use. It can be reused after Está to describe a place or facility that is open.
ahora Ahora means “now” in “Está abierta ahora”. It shows that the room is open at the present time. It commonly appears at the end of a sentence to specify when something is true.
libre Libre means “free” or “unoccupied” in “¿Está libre esta máquina?”. Here it asks whether the machine is not being used. Reuse Está libre to ask whether a place, seat, or machine is available for use.
esta Esta means “this one” in “Esta está disponible”. It points to the feminine item already understood, here the machine. It can be used on its own when the noun has already been mentioned.
máquina Máquina means “machine” in “esta máquina”. In this dialogue, it refers to a laundry machine whose availability is being checked. Reuse it with a description or question about a particular machine.
disponible Disponible means “available” in “Esta está disponible”. It says that the indicated machine can be used. Reuse está disponible when stating that a place, object, or service is available.
Dónde Dónde means “where” in “¿Dónde debo poner mi cesta?”. It asks for the location for an action. A common pattern is ¿Dónde + verb...? when asking where something should happen.
debo Debo means “should” or “must” in “¿Dónde debo poner mi cesta?”. It asks what the speaker is expected or required to do. It is commonly followed by an infinitive, as in debo poner.
poner Poner means “to put” or “to place” in “debo poner mi cesta”. It names the action that follows debo. Reuse poner + object when saying where someone should place something.
mi Mi means “my” in “mi cesta”. It identifies the basket as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before the noun it describes, as in mi cesta.
cesta Cesta means “basket” in “mi cesta”. Here it is the item the speaker wants to place in the laundry room. Reuse it after a possessive such as mi when referring to a basket.
Ponla Ponla means “put it” in “Ponla junto a la pared”. It is a direct instruction, and la refers back to “mi cesta”. Reuse Ponla + location when telling someone where to place a feminine item.
junto Junto contributes the meaning “beside” in the expression “junto a la pared”. Together, junto a gives the location of the basket next to the wall. Reuse junto a + place or object to describe something positioned beside it.
a A completes the location expression “junto a la pared”, meaning “beside the wall”. In this phrase, it links junto with the place or object next to which something is positioned. Reuse junto a before the location or object.
pared Pared means “wall” in “la pared”. It identifies the surface beside which the basket should be placed. Reuse it with la when referring to a specific wall.
Sacaré Sacaré means “I will take out” in “Sacaré mi ropa cuando termine el lavado”. It expresses the speaker’s planned action of removing the clothes. Reuse Sacaré + object when stating that you will take something out.
ropa Ropa means “clothes” in “mi ropa”. Here it refers to the clothes in the laundry that the speaker plans to remove. Reuse ropa with a possessive or with an action involving clothes.
cuando Cuando means “when” in “cuando termine el lavado”. It introduces the time at which the speaker will take out the clothes. Reuse cuando before an event that tells when another action happens.
termine Termine means “finishes” in “cuando termine el lavado”. It makes the end of the wash the time for the action in “Sacaré mi ropa”. Reuse cuando + event to say when an action will occur.
el El is the definite article before “lavado” in “el lavado”, meaning “the”. It refers to the specific wash or laundry cycle being discussed. Reuse el before a masculine singular noun when referring to a specific thing.
lavado Lavado means “wash” or “laundry” in “el lavado”. Here it refers to the wash being completed before the clothes are removed. Reuse el lavado when talking about a particular wash or laundry cycle.
Por favor Por favor is the polite expression “please” in “Por favor, recoge la ropa enseguida”. Por and favor together soften the instruction that follows. Reuse Por favor before a request or instruction.
recoge Recoge means “collect” or “take out” in “recoge la ropa”. Here it gives the listener a direct instruction to collect the clothes. Reuse recoge + object when asking someone to collect or take out something.
enseguida Enseguida means “right away” in “recoge la ropa enseguida”. It tells the listener to collect the clothes without delay. It commonly appears after the action to specify that it should happen immediately.

Grammar Points

poder + infinitivo

Puedo usar la lavandería compartida.

PWEH-doh oo-SAR lah lah-vahn-deh-REE-ah kohm-pahr-TEE-dah

I can use the shared laundry room.

En español, puedo va seguido de un verbo en infinitivo para expresar capacidad o permiso.

Futuro simple: -ré

Sacaré la ropa cuando termine el lavado.

sah-kah-REH lah ROH-pah KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-neh el lah-VAH-doh

I will take out the clothes when the wash finishes.

La terminación -ré expresa una acción futura en primera persona: sacaré significa «I will take out».

Spanish Vocabulary

abierta adj
ah-BYEHR-tah open

Está abierta ahora.

ahora adv
ah-OH-rah now

Está abierta ahora.

compartida adj
kohm-pahr-TEE-dah shared

la lavandería compartida

disponible adj
dees-poh-NEE-bleh available

Esta está disponible.

dónde adv
DOHN-deh where

¿Dónde debo poner mi cesta?

está verb
eh-STAH is

Está abierta ahora.

esta pron
EH-stah this one

Esta está disponible.

lavandería noun
lah-vahn-deh-REE-ah laundry room; laundromat

¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?

libre adj
LEE-breh free; available

¿Está libre esta máquina?

máquina noun
MAH-kee-nah machine

¿Está libre esta máquina?

puedo verb
PWEH-doh can; may

¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?

usar verb
oo-SAR to use

¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use the shared laundry room?

Show Answer¿Puedo usar la lavandería compartida?

It is open now.

Show AnswerEstá abierta ahora.

Is this machine free?

Show Answer¿Está libre esta máquina?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to use

Show Answerusar

laundry room; laundromat

Show Answerlavandería

is

Show Answerestá

open

Show Answerabierta