About This Lesson
Use Lost Travel Card to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Creo que perdí mi tarjeta de transporte en el tren.
KRAY-oh keh pehr-DEE mee tahr-HEH-tah deh trahns-POHR-teh ehn ehl trehn. I think I lost my travel card on the train.
B
Deberías ir a la oficina de objetos perdidos.
deh-beh-REE-ahs eer ah lah oh-fee-SEE-nah deh ohb-HEH-tohs pehr-DEE-dohs. You should go to the lost property office.
A
¿Pueden bloquear la tarjeta para que no se use?
PWEH-dehn bloh-keh-AR lah tahr-HEH-tah pah-rah keh noh seh OO-seh? Can they stop the card from being used?
B
Pueden ayudarte a llenar un formulario para bloquearla.
PWEH-dehn ah-yoo-DAHR-teh ah yeh-NAHR oon fohr-moo-LAHR-yoh pah-rah bloh-keh-AR-lah. They can help you fill out a form to block it.
A
Tengo conmigo los datos de mi cuenta.
TEHNG-goh kohn-MEE-goh lohs DAH-tohs deh mee KWEHN-tah. I have my account details with me.
B
Esa información ayudará al personal.
EH-sah een-fohr-mah-see-OHN ah-yoo-dah-RAH ahl pehr-soh-NAHL. That information will help the staff.
A
Entonces preguntaré si debería pedir una tarjeta nueva.
ehn-TOHN-sehs preh-goon-tah-REH see deh-beh-REE-ah peh-DEER oo-nah tahr-HEH-tah NWEH-bah. Then I'll ask whether I should get a new card.
B
Pregunta primero, porque alguien podría haberla entregado.
preh-GOON-tah pree-MEH-roh, POHR-keh ahl-GYEHN poh-DREE-ah ah-BEHR-lah ehn-treh-GAH-doh. Ask first, because someone might have handed it in.Word by Word
Creo
«Creo» means “I think” here and introduces the speaker’s belief about losing the card. It commonly comes before «que» plus the statement being considered.
que
«que» links «Creo» to the thought being expressed; here it means “that.” It commonly follows a verb of thinking before a clause.
perdí
«perdí» means “I lost” in this dialogue. It is the first-person past form of perder, used for the speaker’s completed loss.
mi
«mi» marks that the travel card belongs to or is associated with the speaker: “my.” It comes directly before «tarjeta».
tarjeta
«tarjeta» means “card” here, specifically the travel card. It is the noun modified by «mi» and followed by «de transporte».
de
«de» connects «tarjeta» with «transporte», giving the relation “of” or “for transport.” In «de transporte», it identifies the card’s purpose or type.
transporte
«transporte» means “transport” in «tarjeta de transporte». The phrase refers to a card used for transport, and «de» links this noun to «tarjeta».
en
«en» places the lost card on or in the train: “on” here. It commonly introduces the place or setting connected with an event such as «perdí».
el
«el» is the masculine singular “the” before «tren». It identifies a specific train in «en el tren».
tren
«tren» means “train” and is the place connected by «en» in «en el tren». It can follow «en» to say where something happened or was.
Deberías
«Deberías» means “you should” and gives advice to the person being addressed. It is used before «ir» to recommend going somewhere.
ir
«ir» means “to go” and completes the advice «Deberías ir». It is followed here by the destination phrase «a la oficina de objetos perdidos».
a
«a» marks the destination after «ir»: “to” in «ir a la oficina». It is used before «la oficina...» to show where the person should go.
la
«la» is the feminine singular “the” before «oficina». It identifies the specific office in «a la oficina».
oficina
«oficina» means “office,” here the office where lost property is handled. It is the main noun in «la oficina de objetos perdidos».
objetos
In «objetos perdidos», «objetos» means “objects” or personal property. It is the noun modified by «perdidos» in the name of the lost-property office.
perdidos
In «objetos perdidos», «perdidos» means “lost” and describes «objetos». It agrees with that plural noun in this description of a lost-property office.
Pueden
«Pueden» means “they can” and refers to the office staff. It is used before «bloquear» to say what they are able to do.
bloquear
«bloquear» means “to block,” here to prevent the card from being used. It follows «Pueden» as an infinitive, and in «para bloquearla» it states the purpose of the form.
para
«para» marks purpose in «para que no se use» and «para bloquearla». In this dialogue it introduces what the blocking action is intended to achieve.
no
«no» makes «se use» negative: the card should not be used. It comes directly before the verbal group «se use».
se
In «para que no se use», «se» helps express that the card is not used without naming the user. Its meaning here comes from the whole construction «no se use», not from «se» alone.
use
In «para que no se use», «use» means “be used” for the card. It is the verb form inside the purpose clause describing the use that blocking should prevent.
ayudarte
«ayudarte» means “help you”: the ending identifies the person receiving help. It follows «Pueden» in «Pueden ayudarte» to say what the staff can do for the speaker.
llenar
«llenar» means “to fill out” here, referring to completing the form. It follows «ayudarte» in «ayudarte a llenar un formulario», a common way to describe helping someone do an action.
un
«un» means “a” before «formulario», introducing one unspecified form. It is used directly before the masculine singular noun «formulario».
formulario
«formulario» means “form,” specifically the document used to block the card. In «un formulario para bloquearla», «para» introduces the form’s purpose.
bloquearla
«bloquearla» means “to block it,” with the attached object pronoun referring back to the card. The pronoun is attached to the infinitive, and the whole form follows «para» to express purpose.
Tengo
«Tengo» means “I have” here, referring to possessing or having the account details with the speaker. It is followed by «conmigo» and the thing possessed, «los datos de mi cuenta».
conmigo
«conmigo» means “with me” and says the account details are currently with the speaker. It appears in «Tengo conmigo...» to describe something the speaker has at hand.
los
«los» is the masculine plural “the” before «datos». It identifies the specific account details in «los datos de mi cuenta».
datos
«datos» means “details” here, specifically the account details. It is followed by «de mi cuenta», which identifies the account the details concern.
cuenta
«cuenta» means “account” in «mi cuenta». It is linked to «datos» by «de» to specify the account involved.
Esa
«Esa» means “that” and points back to the information just mentioned. It comes before «información» and matches that noun in this phrase.
información
«información» means “information,” referring to the account details. It is the subject of «ayudará» in «Esa información ayudará al personal».
ayudará
«ayudará» means “will help” and says that the information will be useful to the staff. It is followed by «al personal», which identifies who will receive that help.
al
«al» means “to the” in «al personal». It is the contracted form of «a» plus «el», used here to mark the staff as the people helped.
personal
«personal» means “staff” in this context, referring to the people working at the office. It follows «al» as the group receiving help.
Entonces
«Entonces» means “then” and marks the next step in the plan after going to the office. It commonly connects a next action to what was just said.
preguntaré
«preguntaré» means “I will ask,” referring to a future question the speaker plans to make. It is followed by «si» to introduce what the speaker will ask about.
si
«si» means “whether” in «preguntaré si debería pedir una tarjeta nueva». It introduces the matter being asked about rather than expressing a condition here.
debería
«debería» means “should” in the question about getting a new card. It expresses uncertainty about the appropriate action and comes before «pedir».
pedir
«pedir» means “to ask for” or “request” a new card here. It follows «debería» as the action being considered, and its object is «una tarjeta nueva».
una
«una» means “a” before «tarjeta», introducing one new card. It is the feminine singular indefinite article in «una tarjeta nueva».
nueva
«nueva» means “new” and describes «tarjeta» in «una tarjeta nueva». It comes after the noun here and matches it in feminine singular form.
Pregunta
«Pregunta» means “ask” and gives a direct instruction to the person being addressed. It is followed by «primero» to say that asking should be the first step.
primero
«primero» means “first” and orders the instruction «Pregunta primero». It is used here to put asking about the lost card before requesting a replacement.
porque
«porque» means “because” and introduces the reason for asking first. It links «Pregunta primero» with the possibility that someone returned the card.
alguien
«alguien» means “someone,” an unspecified person who may have handed in the card. It is the subject of «podría haberla entregado».
podría
«podría» means “might” or “could” and expresses a possibility about what someone did with the card. It is followed by «haberla entregado» to describe a possible completed action.
haberla
In «podría haberla entregado», «haberla» contributes “have it” to the perfect construction, with the object referring to the card. The object pronoun is attached to the infinitive form of «haber».
entregado
«entregado» means “handed in” in «haberla entregado», referring to someone returning the card to the office. Together with «haberla» it describes a possible completed action after «podría».
Grammar Points
Pretérito indefinido en primera persona: perdí
Perdí la tarjeta de transporte.
pehr-DEE lah tahr-HEH-tah deh trahns-POHR-teh.I lost the travel card.
The verb perder changes to perdí for a completed action by “I”; the accent is essential.
Spanish Vocabulary
ayudar
verb
ah-yoo-DAHR
to help
ayudarte
bloquear
verb
bloh-keh-AR
to block
cuenta
noun
KWEHN-tah
account
formulario
noun
fohr-moo-LAHR-yoh
form
ir
verb
eer
to go
llenar
verb
yeh-NAHR
to fill out; to fill
objeto perdido
phrase
ohb-HEH-toh pehr-DEE-doh
lost property item
oficina de objetos perdidos
phrase
oh-fee-SEE-nah deh ohb-HEH-tohs pehr-DEE-dohs
lost property office
perder
verb
pehr-DEHR
to lose
perdí
Creo que perdí mi tarjeta de transporte.
tarjeta de transporte
phrase
tahr-HEH-tah deh trahns-POHR-teh
travel card
tren
noun
trehn
train
usar
verb
oo-SAHR
to use
se use
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
That information will help the staff.
Show Answer
Esa información ayudará al personal.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to lose
Show Answer
perdítrain
Show Answer
trento help
Show Answer
ayudarteto block