Asking to Borrow a Tissue | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a daily life setting, one adult asks to borrow a tissue from another person's bag and checks permission before opening a pocket..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Asking to Borrow a Tissue to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Podría pedirte prestado un pañuelo de tu bolsa?

poh-DREE-ah peh-DEER-teh prehs-TAH-doh oon pah-NYWEH-loh deh too BOL-sah Could I borrow a tissue from your bag?
B

Están en el bolsillo lateral.

ehs-TAHN en el bol-SEE-yoh lah-teh-RAHL They're in the side pocket.
A

¿Puedo abrirlo?

PWEH-doh ah-BREER-loh May I open it?
A

¿Prefieres sacar uno tú?

preh-FYEH-rehs sah-KAHR OO-noh too Would you rather get one?
B

Puedes abrirlo.

PWEH-dehs ah-BREER-loh You can open it.
A

Ya tengo uno.

yah TEN-goh OO-noh I've got one now.
B

Por favor, cierra el bolsillo cuando termines.

por fah-VOR, SYEH-rrah el bol-SEE-yoh KWAHN-doh tehr-MEE-nehs Please close the pocket when you're done.
A

Lo cerraré con cuidado.

loh seh-rrah-REH kohn kwee-DAH-doh I'll close it carefully.
B

Lleva otro contigo si lo necesitas.

YEH-vah OH-troh kohn-TEE-goh see loh neh-seh-SEE-tahs Keep another with you if you need it.

Word by Word

Podría “Podría” expresses a polite request here: “Could I…?” in “¿Podría pedirte prestado un pañuelo de tu bolsa?”. It is useful at the beginning of a request, followed by an action such as “Podría ayudarte” in a new example. You could use it when asking another person for permission or assistance politely.
pedirte In “¿Podría pedirte prestado un pañuelo de tu bolsa?”, “pedirte” means asking you for something, with “te” referring to the person being asked. The pattern “pedirte prestado + object” is used when asking to borrow something from someone. You could use it when politely asking a friend to lend you an item.
prestado “Prestado” contributes the idea that the pañuelo is being borrowed rather than simply requested in “pedirte prestado un pañuelo”. It appears directly after “pedirte” in the expression “pedirte prestado”. You could use this expression when asking to use another person’s possession temporarily.
un “Un” introduces one unspecified pañuelo in “un pañuelo”, meaning “a” or “one”. It is used before the singular noun in this request. You can reuse the pattern “un + singular noun” when asking for one item.
pañuelo “Pañuelo” names the tissue being requested in “un pañuelo”. The noun is used after “un” and is the object of “pedirte prestado”. You could use “pañuelo” when asking for a tissue or handkerchief in an everyday situation.
de In “de tu bolsa”, “de” indicates that the pañuelo is taken from your bag, meaning “from” in this context. The pattern “de + place or possession” identifies a source. You can use it when saying where something comes from.
tu “Tu” identifies the bag as belonging to the person being addressed in “tu bolsa”, meaning “your”. It appears directly before the noun “bolsa”. You can reuse “tu + noun” when referring to something belonging to the person you are speaking to.
bolsa “Bolsa” means “bag” in “de tu bolsa”. It is the place from which the speaker wants to borrow the pañuelo. You could use it when referring to a bag in an everyday request.
Están “Están” means “are located” in “Están en el bolsillo lateral”, referring to the tissues. It is used with a plural subject and is followed here by a location. You can reuse “están en + place” to say where plural items are.
en “En” places the tissues inside the side pocket in “en el bolsillo lateral”, meaning “in”. It comes before the location phrase. You can reuse “en + place” to describe where something is located.
el “El” means “the” in “el bolsillo lateral”, introducing the specific pocket being mentioned. It appears before the noun phrase “bolsillo lateral”. You can reuse “el + noun” when referring to a specific masculine singular item.
bolsillo “Bolsillo” means “pocket” in “el bolsillo lateral”. It identifies the part of the bag where the tissues are located. You could use it when describing where a small item is kept.
lateral “Lateral” specifies that the bolsillo is on the side in “el bolsillo lateral”. It follows the noun and narrows which pocket is meant. You can reuse it after a noun when identifying a side or lateral part.
Puedo “Puedo” asks whether the speaker has permission or ability to open the pocket in “¿Puedo abrirlo?”. In this question, it functions as “May I…?” before an action. You could use “Puedo + action” when asking permission in a direct but polite way.
abrirlo “Abrirlo” means “open it” in “¿Puedo abrirlo?”, referring to the pocket mentioned earlier. It combines the action “abrir” with “lo”, which refers to the thing being opened. You can reuse “abrirlo” when asking or saying that you will open a previously mentioned object.
Prefieres “Prefieres” asks whether the other person would prefer an alternative in “¿Prefieres sacar uno tú?”. It introduces a choice about who will take out the tissue. You can reuse “¿Prefieres + action?” when offering someone a choice.
sacar “Sacar” means “take out” in “sacar uno”, referring to taking one tissue from the pocket. It is used before the object “uno” in this expression. You can reuse “sacar + object” when removing something from a bag, pocket, or other place.
uno “Uno” means “one” in “sacar uno”, standing for one tissue already understood from the conversation. It functions as the object of “sacar”. You can reuse “uno” when the item being counted or selected is clear from the context.
tú “Tú” explicitly means “you” in “sacar uno tú”, emphasizing that the other person could take one out personally. It identifies who would perform the action. You can use “tú” when you want to make the person responsible for an action especially clear.
Puedes “Puedes” gives permission or says that the other person is able to do something in “Puedes abrirlo”, meaning “You can open it”. It is followed by the action “abrirlo”. You can reuse “puedes + action” to allow or encourage someone to do something.
Ya “Ya” means “now” or “already” in “Ya tengo uno”, showing that the speaker has one at this point. It highlights a change from needing to borrow one to having one. You can reuse “ya + verb” when saying that something has happened or is true by now.
tengo “Tengo” means “I have” in “Ya tengo uno”, referring to the tissue the speaker now possesses. It is used with the object “uno”. You can reuse “tengo + object” when stating that you have something.
Por “Por” is part of the polite request “Por favor, cierra el bolsillo”, meaning “please” together with “favor”. It does not express the whole request by itself here. You can use “Por favor” before or after a request to make it polite.
favor “Favor” completes the polite expression “Por favor” in “Por favor, cierra el bolsillo”, which softens the request. Its meaning here comes from the full expression rather than from “favor” alone. You can use “Por favor” when asking someone to do something.
cierra “Cierra” tells the other person to close the pocket in “cierra el bolsillo”. It is a direct request followed by the object “el bolsillo”. You can reuse “cierra + object” when asking someone to close a door, bag, pocket, or similar item.
cuando “Cuando” introduces the time condition in “cuando termines”, meaning “when”. It connects the requested closing with the moment the other person finishes. You can reuse “cuando + action” to say when something should happen.
termines “Termines” means “you finish” in “cuando termines”, referring to finishing with the pocket or tissue. Together with “cuando”, it gives the time for the request “cierra el bolsillo”. You can reuse “cuando termines” when telling someone what to do after they finish an activity.
Lo “Lo” means “it” in “Lo cerraré”, referring to the bolsillo mentioned in the previous line. It appears before “cerraré” as the object of the action. You can reuse “lo + verb” when the object has already been identified and is masculine or treated as a masculine object.
cerraré “Cerraré” means “I will close” in “Lo cerraré con cuidado”, promising that the speaker will close the pocket. It is used with “Lo” before it and “con cuidado” after it. You can reuse “cerraré + object” when saying that you will close something.
con “Con” means “with” in “con cuidado”, describing the manner of closing the pocket. It introduces the noun “cuidado”. You can reuse “con + noun” to describe how an action is carried out.
cuidado “Cuidado” means “care” in “con cuidado”, and the full phrase means “carefully”. It describes the careful manner promised for closing the pocket. You can reuse “con cuidado” when saying that an action will be done gently or attentively.
Lleva “Lleva” tells the other person to keep or carry another tissue in “Lleva otro contigo”. It is a direct instruction followed by “otro” and “contigo”. You can reuse “lleva + object” when telling someone to take or keep something with them.
otro “Otro” means “another” in “Lleva otro”, referring to another tissue in addition to the one already obtained. It is used before “contigo” in the complete instruction. You can reuse “otro” when offering or referring to one more item of the same understood type.
contigo “Contigo” means “with you” in “Lleva otro contigo”, indicating that the other tissue should stay with the person. It completes the idea of carrying or keeping something on one’s person. You can reuse “llevar + object + contigo” when telling someone to take an item with them.
si “Si” means “if” in “si lo necesitas”, introducing the condition for carrying another tissue. It links the condition to the instruction “Lleva otro contigo”. You can reuse “si + situation” when giving advice that applies only under a certain condition.
necesitas “Necesitas” means “you need” in “si lo necesitas”, referring to needing another tissue. It follows “si” to form the condition. You can reuse “necesitas + object” when asking or stating whether someone needs something.

Grammar Points

Infinitivo + pronombre átono

pedirte prestado; abrirlo

peh-DEER-teh prehs-TAH-doh; ah-BREER-loh

to borrow from you; to open it

Los pronombres te y lo pueden unirse al final de un infinitivo.

Imperativo informal: cierra / lleva

cierra; lleva

SYEH-rrah; YEH-vah

close; carry

Para dar una instrucción informal a una persona, se usan formas como cierra y lleva.

Spanish Vocabulary

abrir verb
ah-BREER to open abrirlo

¿Puedo abrirlo?

bolsa noun
BOL-sah bag

¿Podría pedirte prestado un pañuelo de tu bolsa?

bolsillo noun
bol-SEE-yoh pocket

Están en el bolsillo lateral.

cerrar verb
seh-RAHR to close cierra

Por favor, cierra el bolsillo cuando termines.

estar verb
ehs-TAHR to be; to be located están

Están en el bolsillo lateral.

lateral adj
lah-teh-RAHL side

Están en el bolsillo lateral.

pañuelo noun
pah-NYWEH-loh tissue; handkerchief

¿Podría pedirte prestado un pañuelo de tu bolsa?

pedir prestado phrase
peh-DEER prehs-TAH-doh to borrow pedirte prestado

¿Podría pedirte prestado un pañuelo de tu bolsa?

preferir verb
preh-feh-REER to prefer prefieres

¿Prefieres sacar uno tú?

sacar verb
sah-KAHR to take out; to get

¿Prefieres sacar uno tú?

tener verb
teh-NEHR to have tengo

Ya tengo uno.

ya adv
yah already; now

Ya tengo uno.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

They're in the side pocket.

Show AnswerEstán en el bolsillo lateral.

May I open it?

Show Answer¿Puedo abrirlo?

Would you rather get one?

Show Answer¿Prefieres sacar uno tú?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to be; to be located

Show Answerestán

tissue; handkerchief

Show Answerpañuelo

to open

Show Answerabrirlo

bag

Show Answerbolsa