Choosing a Movie with Friends | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: Before a movie, two friends watch a trailer, choose a light film with clear subtitles, and plan to get a snack..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Choosing a Movie with Friends to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

keh peh-LEE-koo-lah deh-beh-REE-ah-mohs behr Which movie should we watch?
B

Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

kee-EH-roh AHL-goh lee-HEH-roh, tahl behs OO-nah koh-MEH-dyah I want something light, maybe a comedy.
A

Esta película tiene buenas críticas y subtítulos claros.

EH-stah peh-LEE-koo-lah TYEH-neh BWEH-nahs KREE-tee-kahs ee soob-TEE-too-lohs KLAH-rohs This film has strong reviews and clear subtitles.
B

¿Podemos ver el tráiler antes de elegir?

poh-DEH-mohs behr ehl TRAHY-lehr AHN-tehs deh eh-leh-HEER Can we watch the trailer before we choose?
A

El tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir.

ehl TRAHY-lehr deh-beh-REE-ah ah-yoo-DAHR-nohs ah deh-see-DEER The trailer should help us decide.
B

La historia parece divertida, pero no demasiado difícil.

lah ees-TOH-ryah pah-REH-seh dee-behr-TEE-dah, PEH-roh noh deh-mah-SYAH-doh dee-FEE-seel The story looks fun but not too difficult.
A

Entonces, vamos a elegir esta película.

ehn-TOHN-sehs, BAH-mohs ah eh-leh-HEER EH-stah peh-LEE-koo-lah Then let's choose this film.
B

Vamos a comprar algo de comer antes de que empiece.

BAH-mohs ah kohm-PRAHR AHL-goh deh koh-MEHR AHN-tehs deh keh ehm-PYEH-seh Let's get a snack before it starts.

Word by Word

Qué In “Qué película”, Qué asks which movie is being considered. It appears at the beginning of the question “¿Qué película deberíamos ver?”. Use “Qué” before a noun when asking which option someone means.
película Película means movie or film in “Qué película deberíamos ver?”. It identifies the thing the speakers are choosing to watch. The same word appears in “Esta película tiene buenas críticas” when referring to the selected film.
deberíamos Deberíamos expresses what the speakers should do: “deberíamos ver” means should watch. The form presents watching the movie as a suggestion for the group. Use it with an infinitive for a recommendation, as in “deberíamos ver”.
ver Ver means to watch or see in “deberíamos ver”. It is the action being suggested after deberíamos. Use it after a suggestion about watching something, as in “Qué película deberíamos ver”.
Quiero Quiero means I want in “Quiero algo ligero”. It states the speaker’s preference for what kind of movie to choose. Use it before the thing wanted, as in “Quiero algo”.
algo Algo means something in “Quiero algo ligero”. It refers to an unspecified thing, here a movie with a light character. Use “algo” before a description such as “algo ligero”.
ligero Ligero means light or easygoing in “algo ligero”, describing the kind of movie the speaker wants. Here it refers to the film’s tone rather than physical weight. Use it after “algo” to describe something light or easygoing.
tal vez Tal vez is a whole expression meaning maybe in “tal vez una comedia”. Tal and vez work together to introduce an uncertain suggestion, rather than each carrying the complete meaning separately. Use “tal vez” before a possible choice, as in “tal vez una comedia”.
una Una means a in “una comedia”, introducing one unspecified comedy. It matches comedia in the phrase “una comedia”. Use it before a feminine singular noun when presenting one possible item.
comedia Comedia means comedy in “tal vez una comedia”. It names one possible type of movie. Use it after “una” when suggesting a comedy as an option.
Esta Esta means this in “Esta película”, pointing to the particular film the speaker is discussing. It appears capitalized because it begins the sentence. Use “Esta” before a feminine singular noun, as in “Esta película”.
tiene Tiene means has in “Esta película tiene buenas críticas y subtítulos claros”. It says that the film possesses or offers the qualities mentioned afterward. Use it before what something has, as in “tiene buenas críticas”.
buenas Buenas means good in “buenas críticas”, describing the reviews positively. Its feminine plural form matches críticas in this phrase. Use it before a feminine plural noun when describing several things as good, as in “buenas críticas”.
críticas Críticas means reviews in “buenas críticas”, referring to evaluations of the film. Together, “buenas críticas” says that the movie has favorable reviews. Use it after a description such as “buenas” when talking about reviews.
y Y means and in “buenas críticas y subtítulos claros”. It links the film’s good reviews with its clear subtitles. Use “y” to connect two qualities or items in the same statement.
subtítulos Subtítulos means subtitles in “subtítulos claros”. It refers to the written words displayed with the movie. Use it with a description such as “subtítulos claros” when discussing the subtitles of a film.
claros Claros means clear in “subtítulos claros”, describing subtitles that are easy to understand. Its masculine plural form matches subtítulos. Use it after a plural noun when describing those subtitles as clear, as in “subtítulos claros”.
Podemos Podemos means can we in the question “¿Podemos ver el tráiler antes de elegir?”. It asks whether the group is able or allowed to watch the trailer first. Use it before an infinitive to ask about doing something together, as in “Podemos ver”.
el The article el means the in “El tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir”. In the dialogue it is written as “El” because it begins the sentence and comes before tráiler. Use it before this masculine singular noun in the phrase “El tráiler”.
tráiler Tráiler means trailer in “El tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir”. It refers to the short preview of the movie that the friends want to watch. Use it with “ver” when talking about watching a trailer, as in “ver el tráiler”.
antes Antes means before in the expressions “antes de elegir” and “antes de que empiece”. It places one action earlier than another. Use “antes de” before an infinitive and “antes de que” before a clause.
de De helps form the time expression “antes de elegir”, meaning before choosing, and also appears in “algo de comer”, meaning something to eat. Its contribution depends on the expression around it. Use “antes de” before an infinitive and “algo de” before a description of what something is for.
elegir Elegir means to choose in “antes de elegir”. It names the action that will happen after the trailer is watched. Use it after “antes de” when referring to choosing something.
debería Debería expresses should in “El tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir”. It presents helping the friends decide as the expected or appropriate result of the trailer. Use it before an infinitive, as in “debería ayudarnos”.
ayudarnos Ayudarnos means to help us in “debería ayudarnos a decidir”. The form identifies the friends as the people receiving the help. Use it with “a” and an infinitive when describing what the help will enable, as in “ayudarnos a decidir”.
a A links ayudarnos with the action decidir in “ayudarnos a decidir”, giving the meaning to decide. It introduces the infinitive that describes the purpose or result of the help. Use the pattern “ayudar a” followed by an action.
decidir Decidir means to decide in “ayudarnos a decidir”. It names the choice the trailer is expected to help the friends make. Use it after “ayudarnos a” in the pattern “ayudarnos a decidir”.
La La means the in “La historia parece divertida”. It introduces the particular story being discussed. Use it before a feminine singular noun, as in “La historia”.
historia Historia means story in “La historia parece divertida, pero no demasiado difícil”. It refers to the movie’s story or plot. Use it with “parece” when giving an impression of a story, as in “La historia parece”.
parece Parece means seems or looks in “La historia parece divertida”. It introduces the speaker’s impression of the story rather than stating an absolute fact. Use it before a description, as in “parece divertida”.
divertida Divertida means fun or entertaining in “La historia parece divertida”. It describes the story positively and matches historia in the phrase. Use it after “parece” to say that something seems entertaining.
pero Pero means but in “divertida, pero no demasiado difícil”. It introduces a second point that limits or contrasts with the first: the story is fun, but it is not too difficult. Use “pero” to connect contrasting descriptions.
no No means not in “no demasiado difícil”. It negates the description that follows. Use it before an adjective or expression when saying that a quality does not apply in the stated way.
demasiado Demasiado means too or excessively in “no demasiado difícil”. With no, the phrase means not too difficult. Use it before an adjective to indicate an excessive degree, as in “demasiado difícil”.
difícil Difícil means difficult in “no demasiado difícil”. It describes the level of challenge of the story. Use it after “demasiado” when saying that something is too difficult, or after “no” to say it is not too difficult.
Entonces Entonces means then in “Entonces, vamos a elegir esta película”. It marks the decision that follows from the earlier discussion. Use it at the start of a response when moving from a conclusion to an action.
vamos Vamos expresses let’s in “vamos a elegir” and “Vamos a comprar”. It proposes a shared action by the speakers. Use “vamos a” followed by an infinitive to suggest doing something together.
comprar Comprar means to buy in “Vamos a comprar algo de comer”. It describes getting the snack before the movie starts. Use it after “vamos a” when proposing a purchase, as in “vamos a comprar”.
comer Comer means to eat in “algo de comer”. Here it describes what the snack is for: something to eat. Use the pattern “algo de comer” for something intended to be eaten.
que Que introduces the clause “que empiece” in “antes de que empiece”. It connects the expression before with the event that has not started yet. Use “antes de que” before a clause when one event must happen before another.
empiece Empiece means starts in “antes de que empiece”, referring to the movie beginning. It completes the clause after “antes de que”. Use it in the pattern “antes de que empiece” when saying that something should happen before an event starts.

Grammar Points

deberíamos + infinitivo

¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

keh peh-LEE-koo-lah deh-beh-REE-ah-mohs behr

Which movie should we watch?

Use deberíamos before an infinitive to express a suggestion or what we should do.

antes de + infinitivo

Podemos ver el tráiler antes de elegir.

poh-DEH-mohs behr ehl TRAHY-lehr AHN-tehs deh eh-leh-HEER

We can watch the trailer before choosing.

Use antes de followed by an infinitive to say that one action happens before another.

Spanish Vocabulary

algo pron
AHL-goh something

Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

buenas adj
BWEH-nahs good; strong

Esta película tiene buenas críticas y subtítulos claros.

comedia noun
koh-MEH-dyah comedy

Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

críticas noun
KREE-tee-kahs reviews

Esta película tiene buenas críticas y subtítulos claros.

deberíamos verb
deh-beh-REE-ah-mohs should

¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

ligero adj
lee-HEH-roh light

Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

película noun
peh-LEE-koo-lah movie; film

¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

qué det
keh which

¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

quiero verb
kee-EH-roh I want

Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

tal vez adv
tahl behs maybe

Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

tiene verb
TYEH-neh has

Esta película tiene buenas críticas y subtítulos claros.

ver verb
behr to watch; to see

¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Which movie should we watch?

Show Answer¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

The trailer should help us decide.

Show AnswerEl tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir.

Then let's choose this film.

Show AnswerEntonces, vamos a elegir esta película.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

should

Show Answerdeberíamos

comedy

Show Answercomedia

movie; film

Show Answerpelícula

I want

Show Answerquiero