About This Lesson
Use Organizing a suitcase before a trip to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Mi maleta está desordenada y nos vamos mañana.
mee mah-LEH-tah es-TAH deh-sohr-deh-NAH-dah ee nohs BAH-mohs mah-NYAH-nah. My suitcase is messy, and we leave tomorrow.
B
Dobla las camisas primero para ahorrar espacio.
DOH-blah lahs kah-MEE-sahs pree-MEH-roh pah-rah ah-oh-RRAR eh-SPAH-syoh. Fold the shirts first to save space.
A
¿Debo separar los líquidos de la ropa?
DEH-boh seh-pah-RAR lohs LEE-kee-dohs deh lah ROH-pah? Should I separate liquids from clothes?
B
Pon los líquidos en una bolsa de plástico antes de guardarlos.
POHN lohs LEE-kee-dohs en oo-nah BOHL-sah deh PLAHS-tee-koh AHN-tehs deh gwahr-DAR-lohs. Put liquids in a plastic bag before you pack them.
A
La maleta parece estar cerca del límite de peso.
lah mah-LEH-tah pah-REH-seh es-TAR SER-kah dehl LEE-mee-teh deh PEH-soh. The suitcase feels close to the weight limit.
B
Entonces, mueve los libros pesados a tu mochila.
en-TOHN-sehs MWEH-beh lohs LEE-brohs peh-SAH-dohs ah too moh-CHEE-lah. Then move heavy books to your backpack.
A
Eso hace que sea más fácil cerrar la maleta.
EH-soh AH-seh keh seh-ah mahs FAH-seel seh-RRAR lah mah-LEH-tah. That makes the suitcase easier to close.
B
Ahora debería estar lista para el viaje.
ah-OH-rah deh-beh-REE-ah es-TAR LEES-tah pah-rah ehl bee-AH-heh. It should be ready for the trip now.Word by Word
Mi
In “Mi maleta”, “Mi” means “my” and shows that the suitcase belongs to the speaker. It is placed directly before the noun it describes, as in “Mi maleta”, and is useful when identifying a personal object while preparing for a trip.
maleta
In “Mi maleta está desordenada”, “maleta” means “suitcase”. It is used with a possessive or article before it, and you would use it when talking about the luggage you are packing or carrying.
está
In “Mi maleta está desordenada”, “está” says that the suitcase is in a particular condition: messy. It is used before a describing word for a current state, and this pattern is useful when describing how an object is at a certain moment.
desordenada
In “Mi maleta está desordenada”, “desordenada” means “messy” or “untidy” and describes the suitcase’s condition. Its form matches “maleta” in the dialogue, and it can be reused after “está” to describe an object that is not organized.
y
In “está desordenada y nos vamos mañana”, “y” means “and” and joins two related statements. It is placed between the first situation and the next action, and you can use it to connect two pieces of information about the same plan.
nos
In “nos vamos mañana”, “nos” marks the speaker and at least one other person as the group involved in leaving. It belongs with “vamos” in this expression, and the pattern “nos vamos” is useful when saying that a group is leaving.
vamos
In “nos vamos mañana”, “vamos” expresses that the speakers are leaving or going. Together with “nos”, it refers to the speaker group, and “nos vamos” is useful when announcing a departure or leaving time.
mañana
In “nos vamos mañana”, “mañana” means “tomorrow” and sets the departure time. It commonly appears with an action such as “nos vamos”, and you would use it when arranging or announcing something for the following day.
Dobla
In “Dobla las camisas”, “Dobla” tells one person to fold the shirts. It is placed before the object “las camisas”, and this command pattern is useful when giving a direct instruction about organizing something.
las
In “las camisas”, “las” means “the” and identifies a specific group of shirts. It comes directly before the noun, and it is used in the pattern article plus noun when referring to particular items.
camisas
In “Dobla las camisas”, “camisas” means “shirts”. It is the object of the instruction “Dobla las camisas”, and you would use it when talking about shirts that need to be folded, packed, or moved.
primero
In “Dobla las camisas primero”, “primero” means “first” and tells the listener to do this action before the other packing tasks. It commonly follows the action or appears at the beginning of an instruction, and it is useful for setting the order of steps.
para
In “para ahorrar espacio”, “para” introduces the purpose of the action: folding the shirts in order to save space. It is followed here by an infinitive, “ahorrar”, and this pattern is useful for explaining why an action is done.
ahorrar
In “para ahorrar espacio”, “ahorrar” means “to save”, specifically to use less space in the suitcase. It follows “para” to express purpose, and the pattern “para” plus an infinitive is useful when giving a reason for an action.
espacio
In “ahorrar espacio”, “espacio” means “space”, referring to room inside the suitcase. It is used as the object of “ahorrar”, and you would use it when discussing how much room is available for packing.
Debo
In “¿Debo separar los líquidos...?”, “Debo” asks whether the speaker should or must do something. It is followed by the infinitive “separar”, and this question pattern is useful when asking whether an action is required or advisable.
separar
In “separar los líquidos de la ropa”, “separar” means “to separate” the liquids from the clothes. It is followed by the items being separated and “de” introduces what they are kept apart from, a useful pattern for sorting belongings.
los
In “los líquidos”, “los” means “the” and identifies the specific liquids being discussed. It comes directly before “líquidos”, and the article-plus-noun pattern is useful when referring to particular items.
líquidos
In “los líquidos”, “líquidos” means “liquids”, such as liquid items being packed for travel. It is the object of “separar” and later appears in “Pon los líquidos”, so it is useful when discussing which items need separate packing.
de
In “separar los líquidos de la ropa”, “de” means “from” and marks what the liquids are separated from. The pattern “separar X de Y” is useful when explaining that two groups of things should be kept apart.
la
In “la ropa”, “la” means “the” and identifies the specific clothes in the suitcase. It is placed directly before “ropa”, and this article-plus-noun pattern is useful when referring to particular clothing.
ropa
In “separar los líquidos de la ropa”, “ropa” means “clothes”. It is the group from which the liquids should be kept apart, and you would use it when discussing clothing being packed, folded, or organized.
Pon
In “Pon los líquidos en una bolsa”, “Pon” tells one person to put the liquids somewhere. It is followed by the object and the place introduced by “en”, and this command pattern is useful when giving instructions for packing an item.
en
In “en una bolsa de plástico”, “en” means “in” and introduces the container where the liquids should be placed. The pattern “poner algo en un recipiente” is useful when saying where an object belongs.
una
In “una bolsa de plástico”, “una” means “a” or “one” and introduces a nonspecific bag. It comes directly before “bolsa”, and this article-plus-noun pattern is useful when mentioning an item that has not been identified previously.
bolsa
In “una bolsa de plástico”, “bolsa” means “bag”. It is the container for the liquids, and you would use it when talking about a bag used to hold or organize travel items.
plástico
In “una bolsa de plástico”, “plástico” identifies the material of the bag: plastic. It follows the noun in this expression, and the pattern “bolsa de plástico” is useful when specifying what a container is made of.
antes
In “antes de guardarlos”, “antes” means “before” and places one action earlier than another. Here it is followed by “de” and an infinitive, and this pattern is useful for giving the order of two actions.
guardarlos
In “antes de guardarlos”, “guardarlos” means “to put them away” or “to pack them”, referring to the liquids. The form combines “guardar” with “los”, and it is useful when the object is mentioned as an attached pronoun after an infinitive.
parece
In “La maleta parece estar cerca del límite de peso”, “parece” means “seems” and presents the situation as an impression rather than a confirmed measurement. It is followed by the infinitive phrase “estar cerca...”, and this pattern is useful when describing how something appears.
estar
In “parece estar cerca del límite”, “estar” means “to be” and describes the suitcase’s position relative to the limit. It follows “parece” in this construction, and the pattern “parece estar” is useful for describing an apparent condition or location.
cerca
In “estar cerca del límite de peso”, “cerca” means “close” or “near”. It is followed by “de” and the thing that is nearby, and the pattern “cerca de” is useful for describing proximity to a place, point, or limit.
del
In “cerca del límite”, “del” means “of the” and introduces the limit that the suitcase is close to. It is the contracted form used in the exact expression “cerca del límite”, and this pattern is useful after “cerca” when naming what something is near.
límite
In “el límite de peso”, “límite” means “limit”, here the maximum amount allowed. It is specified by “de peso”, and you would use it when discussing a boundary that luggage or another item should not exceed.
peso
In “el límite de peso”, “peso” means “weight”. It specifies what kind of limit is being discussed, and the pattern “límite de peso” is useful when talking about baggage restrictions.
Entonces
In “Entonces, mueve los libros”, “Entonces” means “then” and introduces a consequence or next step based on the suitcase being near its weight limit. It commonly appears at the beginning of a response, and it is useful when moving from a situation to a resulting instruction.
mueve
In “mueve los libros pesados a tu mochila”, “mueve” tells one person to move the books. It is followed by the object and the destination introduced by “a”, and this command pattern is useful when instructing someone to transfer an item.
libros
In “los libros pesados”, “libros” means “books”. They are the items to be moved to the backpack, and you would use it when identifying books among the belongings being packed.
pesados
In “los libros pesados”, “pesados” means “heavy” and describes the books that should be moved. Its form matches “libros” in the dialogue, and it can be placed after a noun to identify belongings by their weight.
a
In “mueve los libros pesados a tu mochila”, “a” introduces the destination of the movement: the backpack. The pattern “mover algo a un lugar” is useful when saying where an object should be transferred.
tu
In “tu mochila”, “tu” means “your” and identifies the backpack as belonging to the person being addressed. It comes directly before the noun, and this pattern is useful when assigning an object to the listener.
mochila
In “mueve los libros pesados a tu mochila”, “mochila” means “backpack”. It is the destination for the books, and you would use it when talking about the bag carried on someone’s back.
Eso
In “Eso hace que sea más fácil cerrar la maleta”, “Eso” means “that” and refers to the action just suggested: moving the heavy books. It appears at the beginning as the subject of the result, and it is useful when referring back to an immediately preceding action or idea.
hace
In “Eso hace que sea más fácil cerrar la maleta”, “hace” presents the earlier action as causing a result. It is used with “que” and the following result clause, and this pattern is useful for explaining how one action changes a situation.
que
In “hace que sea más fácil”, “que” connects the cause with the resulting situation. It introduces the clause describing what becomes easier, and this construction is useful when explaining the effect of an action.
sea
In “sea más fácil cerrar la maleta”, “sea” states the resulting condition: closing the suitcase is easier. It appears after “hace que” in the result clause, and this pattern is useful when describing a change caused by an action.
más
In “más fácil”, “más” means “more” and helps form the comparison “easier”. It comes before the describing word, and this pattern is useful when comparing how difficult an action is before and after a change.
fácil
In “sea más fácil cerrar la maleta”, “fácil” means “easy”, with “más” making the meaning “easier”. It describes the action introduced by “cerrar”, and this pattern is useful when evaluating how simple an action is.
cerrar
In “cerrar la maleta”, “cerrar” means “to close” the suitcase. It is an infinitive used after “más fácil”, followed by its object, and this pattern is useful when describing an action that has become easier to do.
Ahora
In “Ahora debería estar lista”, “Ahora” means “now” and marks the current point after the packing changes. It commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence, and it is useful when stating the present result of completed steps.
debería
In “debería estar lista”, “debería” expresses that the suitcase is expected to be ready or ought to be ready. It is followed by the infinitive “estar”, and this pattern is useful for making a reasonable expectation about a present result.
lista
In “estar lista para el viaje”, “lista” means “ready” and describes the suitcase as prepared. Its form matches the feminine noun “maleta” understood from the dialogue, and the pattern “estar listo o lista para” is useful when saying that something is prepared for an event.
viaje
In “para el viaje”, “viaje” means “trip”. It names the event for which the suitcase is being prepared, and the pattern “para el viaje” is useful when discussing items or plans connected with travel.
Grammar Points
Imperativo afirmativo: pon
Pon los líquidos en una bolsa.
POHN lohs LEE-kee-dohs en oo-nah BOHL-sah.Put the liquids in a bag.
“Pon” es el imperativo irregular de poner para dar una instrucción informal.
Infinitivo + pronombre de objeto: guardarlos
Antes de guardarlos, separa los líquidos.
AHN-tehs deh gwahr-DAR-lohs, seh-PAH-rah lohs LEE-kee-dohs.Before storing them, separate the liquids.
El pronombre “los” se une al infinitivo “guardar” y sustituye a los líquidos.
Spanish Vocabulary
ahorrar
verb
ah-oh-RRAR
to save
Para ahorrar espacio.
camisa
noun
kah-MEE-sah
shirt
camisas
Dobla las camisas primero.
desordenado
adj
deh-sohr-deh-NAH-doh
messy
desordenada
Mi maleta está desordenada.
doblar
verb
doh-BLAR
to fold
dobla
Dobla las camisas primero.
espacio
noun
eh-SPAH-syoh
space
Para ahorrar espacio.
irse
verb
EER-seh
to leave; to go away
nos vamos
Nos vamos mañana.
líquido
noun
LEE-kee-doh
liquid
líquidos
Separar los líquidos de la ropa.
maleta
noun
mah-LEH-tah
suitcase
Mi maleta está desordenada.
mañana
adv
mah-NYAH-nah
tomorrow
Nos vamos mañana.
primero
adv
pree-MEH-roh
first
Dobla las camisas primero.
ropa
noun
ROH-pah
clothes
Separar los líquidos de la ropa.
separar
verb
seh-pah-RAR
to separate
¿Debo separar los líquidos de la ropa?
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
shirt
Show Answer
camisassuitcase
Show Answer
maletato save
Show Answer
ahorrarspace