Fixing a Wrong Food Order | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At a service counter, a customer explains that the food order is wrong and a staff member arranges a replacement..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Fixing a Wrong Food Order to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Disculpe, creo que recibí el pedido equivocado.

dees-KOOL-peh, KRAY-oh keh reh-see-BEE ehl peh-DEE-doh eh-kee-boh-KAH-doh. Excuse me, I think I received the wrong order.
B

Déjeme comprobarlo. ¿Qué pidió?

DEH-heh-meh kohm-proh-BAR-loh. keh pee-DYOH? Let me check that. What did you order?
A

Pedí sopa, pero esta bandeja tiene una ensalada.

peh-DEE SOH-pah, PEH-roh ehs-tah bahn-DEH-hah TYEH-neh oon ehn-sah-LAH-dah. I ordered soup, but this tray has a salad.
B

Puedo cambiarla enseguida.

PWEH-doh kahm-BYAR-lah ehn-seh-GHEE-dah. I can replace it right away.
A

¿Debo esperar aquí mientras la trae?

DEH-boh ehs-peh-RAR ah-KEE MYEHN-trahs lah TRAH-eh? Should I wait here while you get it?
B

Por favor, espere junto al mostrador.

por fah-BOR, ehs-PEH-reh HOON-toh ahl moh-strah-DOR. Please wait by the counter.
A

Me moveré allí ahora.

meh moh-beh-RAY ah-YEE ah-OH-rah. I will move over there now.
B

Su sopa debería estar lista pronto.

soo SOH-pah deh-beh-REE-ah ehs-TAR LEES-tah PROHN-toh. Your soup should be ready soon.

Word by Word

Disculpe “Disculpe” is a polite way to get someone’s attention or briefly apologize; here the customer uses it to open the service interaction. It is useful at a counter before explaining a problem.
creo In “creo que recibí el pedido equivocado”, “creo” says that the speaker thinks or believes something without presenting it as completely certain. Use “creo que” before a belief or impression.
que In “creo que recibí el pedido equivocado”, “que” links the speaker’s thought to its content. In “¿Qué pidió?”, the capitalized form “Qué” asks what was ordered; the accent and question use distinguish it here.
recibí “Recibí” reports that the speaker received the order in “recibí el pedido equivocado.” It can be reused before the thing that was received when explaining what arrived.
el In “el pedido”, “el” introduces the specific order the speaker received. It comes directly before “pedido” in this noun phrase.
pedido “Pedido” names the food order in “el pedido equivocado”, the order that the customer received. The exact phrase “el pedido” is useful when identifying or discussing an order at a service counter.
equivocado “Equivocado” describes “el pedido” as incorrect, explaining why the customer needs help. It follows the noun in “el pedido equivocado”; this position is useful when describing an item as wrong.
Déjeme “Déjeme comprobarlo” is a polite request or offer meaning “let me check it.” It introduces the action the staff member offers to perform in response to the problem.
comprobarlo “Comprobarlo” means to check the matter or item referred to by “lo” in “Déjeme comprobarlo.” It keeps the object attached to the action word and is useful when offering to check something already understood.
pidió In “¿Qué pidió?”, “pidió” asks what the customer ordered. This exact question is useful at a service counter when clarifying a customer’s order.
Pedí “Pedí sopa” tells the staff member that the speaker ordered soup earlier. It can be reused before the item that was ordered, as in the exact phrase “Pedí sopa.”
sopa “Sopa” is the soup that the customer says they ordered and later expects to receive. It appears after “Pedí” in “Pedí sopa”, which is useful for naming a food order.
pero “Pero” marks the contrast between ordering soup and finding salad on the tray. The phrase “Pedí sopa, pero” shows how it links a first statement with a second statement that conflicts with it.
esta “Esta” points to the tray being identified in front of the speakers. It comes before “bandeja” in “esta bandeja”; use it before a noun when pointing to a nearby or currently indicated item.
bandeja “Bandeja” names the tray that contains the wrong food. In “esta bandeja”, it identifies the object the customer is showing or discussing.
tiene “Tiene” says that the tray contains or has the salad in “esta bandeja tiene una ensalada.” It is useful for reporting what an object contains or has.
una “Una” introduces “ensalada” as one salad or an unspecified salad in “una ensalada.” It appears directly before the noun when introducing one item.
ensalada “Ensalada” names the salad on the tray, contrasted with the soup the customer ordered. The phrase “una ensalada” is useful when identifying what a tray contains.
Puedo “Puedo cambiarla” offers or states that the staff member can replace the wrong item. It introduces the proposed solution and is followed by the action in the sentence.
cambiarla “Cambiarla” means to replace the item being discussed in “Puedo cambiarla.” The object is attached to the action word, which is useful when the item to be replaced is already clear.
enseguida “Enseguida” means immediately or right away, promising that the replacement will happen quickly. In “Puedo cambiarla enseguida”, it gives the timing of the proposed action.
Debo In “¿Debo esperar aquí?”, “Debo” asks whether the speaker is expected or required to do something. Use “¿Debo...?” when checking what action you should take.
esperar “Esperar” is the action the customer asks whether to do in “Debo esperar aquí.” It names the action after “Debo” and is useful when asking whether to remain until something happens.
aquí “Aquí” locates the waiting place at the speaker’s current position. It contrasts with “allí” later, where the speaker says they will move to another place.
mientras “Mientras la trae” means “while the staff member brings it”, linking the waiting period with another action. Use “mientras” before a clause describing an action happening during the same period.
la In “mientras la trae”, “la” refers to the food item being brought, understood from the order discussion. It appears before “trae” as part of the expression for bringing that item.
trae “Trae” describes the staff member bringing the replacement item in “mientras la trae.” It is useful in a clause about someone bringing an understood item to the current place.
Por favor “Por favor” makes “espere” a polite request to wait. Here “por” links the request to a favor and “favor” supplies the idea of that favor; together they form the fixed expression “Por favor”, meaning “please.”
espere “Espere” tells the customer to wait in “Por favor, espere.” With “Por favor”, it is a polite service instruction for someone who should remain until the replacement is ready.
junto “Junto al mostrador” tells the customer to stay next to or by the counter. “Junto” contributes the idea of close position and is used in the location phrase “junto a” before a place.
al In “junto al mostrador”, “al” is the written unit used before “mostrador” to form the location phrase meaning “by the counter.” It should be recognized as part of this fixed-looking location expression.
mostrador “Mostrador” is the service counter where the customer should wait. It is the place named after “junto al” in “junto al mostrador.”
Me “Me moveré allí” uses “Me” as part of the expression describing the speaker moving themself to another place. It identifies the speaker as the person relocating and stays with “moveré” in this sentence.
moveré “Moveré” says that the speaker will move to the indicated place in “Me moveré allí ahora.” It is useful for announcing a change of position or location.
allí “Allí” points to the other place where the speaker will move, away from the current spot. It contrasts with “aquí” in the waiting question and indicates a place over there.
ahora “Ahora” says that the move will happen now rather than later. It appears at the end of “Me moveré allí ahora” to specify immediate timing.
Su In “Su sopa”, “Su” identifies the soup as the customer’s or as intended for the customer. It comes before “sopa” and is useful in this position when referring to something belonging to or intended for the person addressed.
debería “Debería estar lista pronto” expresses an expectation that the soup will be ready soon rather than an absolute promise. It is followed by “estar” and is useful when giving a likely expected outcome.
estar “Estar lista” describes the soup as being in a ready state. It follows “debería” in “Su sopa debería estar lista pronto” and is used before a description of an expected state.
lista “Lista” describes the soup as ready in “estar lista.” It names the expected state and can be reused in the exact phrase “estar lista” when saying that something is ready.
pronto “Pronto” means soon, placing the expected readiness in the near future. It gives the timing in “debería estar lista pronto” and is useful when an event is expected shortly.

Grammar Points

Déjeme + infinitivo + pronombre

Déjeme comprobarlo.

DEH-heh-meh kohm-proh-BAR-loh.

Let me check it.

In formal requests, the pronouns attach to the verb: déjeme means “let me,” and comprobarlo means “check it.”

Futuro: raíz + -é

moveré

moh-beh-RAY

I will move

The ending -é marks the first-person singular future tense: moveré means “I will move.”

Spanish Vocabulary

comprobarlo verb
kohm-proh-BAR-loh to check it
creo verb
KRAY-oh I think
Déjeme verb
DEH-heh-meh let me
Disculpe verb
dees-KOOL-peh excuse me
equivocado adj
eh-kee-boh-KAH-doh wrong
Pedí verb
peh-DEE I ordered
pedido noun
peh-DEE-doh order
pero conj
PEH-roh but
pidió verb
pee-DYOH ordered
Qué pron
keh what
recibí verb
reh-see-BEE I received
sopa noun
SOH-pah soup

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Let me check that. What did you order?

Show AnswerDéjeme comprobarlo. ¿Qué pidió?

I can replace it right away.

Show AnswerPuedo cambiarla enseguida.

Should I wait here while you get it?

Show Answer¿Debo esperar aquí mientras la trae?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

let me

Show AnswerDéjeme

I received

Show Answerrecibí

order

Show Answerpedido

wrong

Show Answerequivocado