Borrowing and returning a pan | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shared kitchen, one person borrows a large pan and checks how to use, wash, and return it safely..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing and returning a pan to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Puedo pedirte prestada tu sartén grande hoy?

PWEH-doh peh-DEER-teh preh-STAH-dah too sar-TEHN GRAHN-deh oy Can I borrow your large pan today?
B

Sí, pero ten cuidado con el mango porque se calienta.

see, PEH-roh tehn kwee-DAH-doh kohn ehl MAHN-goh POR-keh seh kah-LYEHN-tah You can, but watch the handle because it gets hot.
A

¿Estará bien usarla en esta estufa?

eh-stah-RAH byen oo-SAR-lah ehn EH-stah ehs-TOO-fah Will it be all right on this stove?
B

Debería estar bien si mantienes el fuego bajo.

deh-beh-REE-ah ehs-TAR byen see mahn-TYEH-nehs ehl FWEH-goh BAH-hoh It should be fine if you keep the heat low.
A

La lavaré justo después de cenar.

lah lah-bah-REH HOOS-toh dehs-PWEHS deh seh-NAR I will wash it right after dinner.
B

Por favor, sécala bien antes de devolvérmela.

pohr fah-BOR, SEH-kah-lah byen AHN-tehs deh deh-bohl-BEHR-meh-lah Please dry it well before bringing it back to me.
A

¿Cuándo quieres que te la devuelva?

KWAHN-doh KYEH-rehs keh teh lah deh-BWEHL-bah When would you like it back?
B

Después de cenar está bien.

dehs-PWEHS deh seh-NAR ehs-TAH byen After dinner is fine.
B

No volveré a necesitarla hasta más tarde esta semana.

noh bohl-beh-REH ah neh-seh-see-TAR-lah AHS-tah mahs TAR-deh EH-stah seh-MAH-nah I will not need it again until later this week.

Word by Word

Puedo “Puedo” asks whether the speaker is able or allowed to do something; here it asks for permission to borrow the pan. The reusable pattern is “¿Puedo + infinitive...?” for a polite permission request.
pedirte “Pedirte” means asking you for something or asking you to lend something to the speaker. It combines pedir with te, referring to the person being asked. The pattern “pedirte + object” is useful when asking one person for something.
prestada “Prestada” describes the pan as something being borrowed in “pedirte prestada tu sartén”. It is feminine here because it refers to sartén. The pattern “pedir prestada + feminine object” is used when asking to borrow an item.
tu “Tu” means your and identifies the pan as belonging to the person being addressed. It appears before the noun in “tu sartén”. The pattern “tu + noun” expresses possession when speaking to one person.
sartén “Sartén” names the pan being borrowed, used, washed, and returned in this dialogue. In “tu sartén grande”, it is the central object of the request. The phrase “una sartén” is useful when referring to a frying pan.
grande “Grande” means large and describes the size of “sartén” in “sartén grande”. It follows the noun in this phrase. The pattern “noun + grande” describes a large object.
hoy “Hoy” means today and places the borrowing on the current day. It appears at the end of “¿Puedo pedirte prestada tu sartén grande hoy?”. The word can be added to a request to specify when something will happen.
Sí “Sí” gives an affirmative answer to the request to borrow the pan. Here it is followed by a limitation in “Sí, pero...”. The pattern “Sí, pero...” allows someone to agree while adding a warning or condition.
pero “Pero” introduces a contrast between allowing the borrowing and warning about the handle. It connects “Sí” with “ten cuidado con el mango”. The pattern “..., pero ...” is useful for agreeing while adding an important qualification.
ten “Ten” gives a direct instruction to be careful in “ten cuidado con el mango”. It is used here to warn the listener before using the pan. The reusable expression is “ten cuidado con + noun” when warning someone about a thing.
cuidado “Cuidado” means care or caution in “ten cuidado con el mango”; the whole expression means be careful. It names the attention the listener should take, while ten makes it an instruction. The pattern “tener cuidado con + noun” is used for warnings.
con “Con” links the caution to the thing that requires attention in “cuidado con el mango”. Here it indicates what the listener must be careful with. The pattern “cuidado con + noun” is common when warning about an object or situation.
el “El” is the definite article before “mango”, identifying the handle being discussed. It helps refer to a specific handle rather than an unspecified one. The pattern “el + noun” is used for a specific masculine noun.
mango “Mango” means handle here, specifically the handle of the pan. It is the part that may become hot in “el mango”. The phrase “cuidado con el mango” is useful when warning someone about this part of a pan.
porque “Porque” means because and introduces the reason for the warning about the handle. It links “ten cuidado con el mango” to “se calienta”. The pattern “porque + explanation” gives a reason for advice or information.
se In “se calienta”, “se” helps present the handle as undergoing a change and becoming hot. The complete phrase “el mango se calienta” explains why caution is needed. A useful pattern is “subject + se + verb” when the subject undergoes a change.
calienta “Calienta” contributes the meaning becomes hot in “se calienta”. Together with se, it says that the handle heats up during use. The phrase “se calienta” can describe an object that becomes hot.
Estará “Estará” asks about the pan’s future condition in “¿Estará bien usarla en esta estufa?”. It presents the question of whether using it on this stove will be okay. The pattern “¿Estará bien + infinitive...?” asks whether a future action will be acceptable.
bien “Bien” means all right or fine in “estará bien” and “está bien”. It describes an acceptable condition rather than physical appearance. The pattern “estar bien” is used to say that something is okay.
usarla “Usarla” means use it, with la referring to the pan. It combines the infinitive usar with the object pronoun la in “usarla en esta estufa”. The form is useful when an infinitive action has a feminine object already understood.
en “En” places the use of the pan on or in the stove in “usarla en esta estufa”. It links the action to the equipment involved. The pattern “usar algo en + equipment or place” specifies where something is used.
esta “Esta” means this and identifies a specific nearby stove in “esta estufa”; it also identifies the current week in “esta semana”. It appears before the noun it points to. The pattern “esta + noun” refers to a particular thing or time period.
estufa “Estufa” means stove and names the equipment on which the pan may be used. It appears in “esta estufa”. The phrase “usar algo en una estufa” is useful when discussing cooking equipment.
Debería “Debería” expresses a qualified expectation: the pan should be fine if the heat stays low. It makes the answer less absolute in “Debería estar bien si...”. The pattern “debería + infinitive” is used for what is expected or advisable.
estar “Estar” means be and completes “debería estar bien”, describing the pan’s condition. It follows debería as an infinitive. The pattern “estar + adjective or condition” describes how something is.
si “Si” means if and introduces the condition for the pan being fine: “si mantienes el fuego bajo”. It connects a condition with its expected result. The pattern “si + condition” is used when an outcome depends on something.
mantienes “Mantienes” means you keep or maintain in “mantienes el fuego bajo”. It tells the listener to keep the heat at a low level. The pattern “mantener + object + description” explains how an object or condition should be kept.
fuego “Fuego” means heat in this cooking context, referring to the stove’s heat rather than an open fire. It appears in “mantienes el fuego bajo”. The phrase “mantener el fuego bajo” is useful for giving cooking instructions.
bajo “Bajo” means low and describes the level of the heat in “el fuego bajo”. It tells the listener not to use high heat. The phrase “fuego bajo” is a reusable cooking instruction.
La “La” means it and refers back to the feminine noun sartén in “La lavaré”. It is the object pronoun for the pan. The pattern “La + verb” is used when a known feminine object is receiving the action.
lavaré “Lavaré” says that the speaker will wash the pan. In “La lavaré”, the future verb is combined with the object pronoun La. The phrase is useful when promising to clean an item later.
justo “Justo” means right or immediately in “justo después de cenar”. It emphasizes that the washing will happen directly after dinner. The pattern “justo después de + event” specifies an immediate time sequence.
después “Después” means after and places the washing later than dinner. It appears in “después de cenar”, followed by de and an infinitive. The pattern “después de + infinitive or time” expresses what happens afterward.
de “De” links después with the action “cenar” in “después de cenar”. Here it helps form the time expression after having dinner. The same linking pattern appears in “antes de devolvérmela”.
cenar “Cenar” means have dinner and appears as an infinitive after “después de”. It identifies the event that happens before the pan is washed. The pattern “después de cenar” is used to say after dinner.
Por “Por” contributes to the polite expression “Por favor”, which softens the request to dry the pan. In this dialogue it should be understood together with favor, not as an isolated translation of for. The pattern “Por favor” is used before a polite request.
favor “Favor” is part of “Por favor”, the expression meaning please. Together with Por, it makes the instruction “sécala bien” more polite. The expression “Por favor” can introduce a request to another person.
sécala “Sécala” means dry it, with la referring to the pan. It combines the instruction to dry with the object pronoun la in “sécala bien”. The form is useful for giving a direct instruction about a known feminine object.
antes “Antes” means before and places the drying before the return of the pan. It appears in “antes de devolvérmela”. The pattern “antes de + infinitive” expresses an action that must happen first.
devolvérmela “Devolvérmela” means return it to me: the pan is the thing returned and the speaker is the recipient. It combines devolver with me and la in the infinitive phrase “antes de devolvérmela”. The pattern is useful when saying that an item should be returned to a particular person.
Cuándo “Cuándo” asks when and requests the time for returning the pan in “¿Cuándo quieres que te la devuelva?”. Its accent marks its use in the direct question. The pattern “¿Cuándo + verb...?” asks about timing.
quieres “Quieres” asks what time the other person wants or prefers in “¿Cuándo quieres que te la devuelva?”. It expresses the recipient’s preference about the return. The pattern “quieres que + action” asks what action someone wants another person to carry out.
que “Que” links “quieres” with the requested action “te la devuelva”. It introduces what the other person wants to happen. The pattern “quieres que + clause” is used to ask about someone’s desired action.
te “Te” means to you and identifies the person who will receive the pan back in “te la devuelva”. It marks the recipient of the return. The pattern “te + verb” can show that an action is done for or toward the person being addressed.
devuelva “Devuelva” expresses the requested action of returning the pan in “que te la devuelva”. It follows que after quieres and refers to the return to the other person. The pattern “querer que + action” is used when one person wants another action to happen.
está “Está” means is in “Después de cenar está bien”. Together with bien, it says that returning the pan after dinner is acceptable. The reusable expression “está bien” confirms that a time, plan, or action is okay.
No “No” negates the future statement in “No volveré a necesitarla”. It tells the listener that the speaker will not need the pan again during the stated period. The pattern “No + verb” makes a negative statement.
volveré “Volveré” contributes the idea of doing something again in “volveré a necesitarla”. Here it does not mean physically returning; the complete construction says the speaker will need the pan again later. The pattern “volver a + infinitive” expresses repetition.
a In “volveré a necesitarla”, “a” links volveré to the infinitive necesitarla and helps form the idea of doing something again. Its meaning comes from the complete construction “volver a + infinitive”. This pattern is used to describe a repeated action.
necesitarla “Necesitarla” means need it, with la referring to the pan. It combines the infinitive necesitar with the object pronoun la in “volveré a necesitarla”. The form is useful when saying that a known feminine object will be needed.
hasta “Hasta” means until and sets the time limit for not needing the pan again. It appears in “hasta más tarde esta semana”. The pattern “hasta + time expression” identifies the point up to which something remains true.
más “Más” contributes the idea of a later time in “más tarde”. It modifies tarde to move the reference point forward. The expression “más tarde” is used when referring to a later time.
tarde “Tarde” means late or later in the time expression “más tarde”. Here it refers to a point later in the week, not to the time of day alone. The pattern “más tarde” is useful for referring to a later time.
semana “Semana” means week and appears in “esta semana”, referring to the current week. It gives the time frame for when the pan may be needed again. The phrase “esta semana” is used to talk about the current week.

Grammar Points

Infinitivo + pronombre de objeto: usarla

¿Quieres usarla?

KYEH-rehs oo-SAR-lah

Do you want to use it?

In Spanish, an object pronoun can attach to an infinitive: usar + la → usarla.

Imperativo afirmativo + pronombre: sécala

Sécala bien.

SEH-kah-lah byen

Dry it well.

With an affirmative command, the object pronoun attaches to the verb; an accent may show the original stress: seca + la → sécala.

Spanish Vocabulary

calentarse verb
kah-lehn-TAR-seh to get hot se calienta

porque se calienta

estar bien phrase
ehs-TAR byen to be all right estará bien

¿Estará bien usarla en esta estufa?

estufa noun
ehs-TOO-fah stove

esta estufa

fuego noun
FWEH-goh heat

el fuego bajo

grande adj
GRAHN-deh large

tu sartén grande

hoy adv
oy today

hoy

mango noun
MAHN-goh handle

con el mango

mantener verb
mahn-teh-NEHR to keep mantienes

si mantienes el fuego bajo

pedir prestada phrase
peh-DEER preh-STAH-dah to borrow pedirte prestada

¿Puedo pedirte prestada tu sartén grande hoy?

sartén noun
sar-TEHN pan

tu sartén grande

tener cuidado phrase
teh-NEHR kwee-DAH-doh to be careful ten cuidado

ten cuidado con el mango

usar verb
oo-SAR to use usarla

usarla en esta estufa

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Will it be all right on this stove?

Show Answer¿Estará bien usarla en esta estufa?

I will wash it right after dinner.

Show AnswerLa lavaré justo después de cenar.

When would you like it back?

Show Answer¿Cuándo quieres que te la devuelva?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

pan

Show Answersartén

large

Show Answergrande

to use

Show Answerusarla

handle

Show Answermango