Snowy streets and bus delays | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: On a snowy morning, two adults discuss icy sidewalks, safer shoes, and possible bus delays before leaving..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Snowy streets and bus delays to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Nevó mucho durante la noche.

neh-BOH MOO-choh doo-RAHN-teh lah NO-cheh. It snowed a lot during the night.
B

Las aceras pueden estar heladas esta mañana.

lahss ah-SEH-rahs PWEH-den eh-STAR eh-LAH-dahs EH-stah mah-NYAH-nah. The sidewalks may be icy this morning.
A

Entonces debería llevar botas con mejor agarre.

ehn-TON-sehs deh-beh-REE-ah yeh-BAR BOH-tahs kohn meh-HOR ah-GAH-rreh. Then I should wear boots with better grip.
B

También deberías caminar con más cuidado de lo normal.

tahm-BYEN deh-beh-REE-ahs kah-mee-NAR kohn mahs koo-EE-dah-doh deh loh nor-MAHL. You should also walk more carefully than usual.
A

¿Crees que los autobuses se retrasarán?

KREHSS keh lohs ow-toh-BOO-sehs seh reh-trah-sah-RAHN? Do you think buses will be delayed?
B

Probablemente, porque el tráfico avanza despacio cuando nieva.

proh-bah-BLEH-men-teh, POR-keh el TRAH-fee-koh ah-BAN-sah deh-SPAH-see-oh KWAHN-doh NYEH-bah. Probably, because traffic moves slowly in snow.
A

Déjame mirar la aplicación de transporte antes de salir.

DEH-hah-meh mee-RAR lah ah-plee-kah-SYOHN deh trahns-POR-teh AHN-tehs deh sah-LEER. Let me check the transport app before leaving.
B

Eso puede ahorrarte tiempo.

EH-soh PWEH-deh ah-oh-RAR-teh TYEHM-poh. That may save you time.

Word by Word

Nevó “Nevó” means that snow fell in the past, as in “Nevó mucho durante la noche.” It is useful for reporting what the weather was like earlier.
mucho “mucho” means a lot here and describes the amount of snow in “Nevó mucho”. It can be placed after a verb to show a large amount or degree.
durante “durante” means during and introduces the period when something happened in “durante la noche”. Use “durante” before a time period.
la “la” means the before the singular noun “noche” in “la noche”. In the dialogue, the same article appears as “Las” before the plural noun “aceras”.
noche “noche” means night in “durante la noche”. It is used after “durante” to name the time period when it snowed.
aceras “aceras” means sidewalks in “Las aceras pueden estar heladas”. It refers to the walking surfaces beside streets, and it is used as the subject of “pueden estar”.
pueden “pueden” expresses possibility in “pueden estar heladas”: the sidewalks may be icy. It is followed here by the infinitive “estar” and agrees with the plural subject “Las aceras”.
estar “estar” means be in the expression “estar heladas”, describing the condition the sidewalks may have. Use “estar” before an adjective when describing a current or possible state.
heladas “heladas” describes the sidewalks as icy or frozen in “Las aceras pueden estar heladas”. It is an adjective used after “estar” and matches the plural noun “aceras”.
esta “esta” means this in “esta mañana”, pointing to the morning when the speaker is talking. It appears before the singular noun “mañana” in this time expression.
mañana “mañana” means morning in “esta mañana”. Together, “esta mañana” identifies the current morning when the sidewalks may be icy.
Entonces “Entonces” means then and connects the earlier weather information with the speaker’s conclusion in “Entonces debería llevar botas”. Use it to introduce a result or decision.
debería “debería” expresses what the speaker thinks is advisable for themself in “debería llevar botas”. It is followed by an infinitive to state the recommended action.
llevar “llevar” means wear here in “llevar botas”, referring to having boots on the feet. Use “llevar” with a clothing item when describing what someone wears.
botas “botas” means boots in “llevar botas”. It is the clothing item used as the object of “llevar”.
con “con” means with and links the boots to the feature they have in “botas con mejor agarre”. Use “con” to describe an object together with a feature or quality.
mejor “mejor” means better in “mejor agarre”, comparing the grip of these boots with the grip that would be less suitable on icy streets. It appears before the noun “agarre” here.
agarre “agarre” means grip or traction in “botas con mejor agarre”. The phrase describes boots that hold the ground better while walking.
También “También” means also and adds another recommendation in “También deberías caminar”. It is placed at the beginning here to connect this advice with the previous advice about boots.
deberías “deberías” expresses advice addressed to one person in “deberías caminar”. It is followed by an infinitive to say what the person ought to do.
caminar “caminar” means walk in “deberías caminar con más cuidado”. Use it after a recommendation such as “deberías” to name the advised action.
más “más” means more in “con más cuidado”, indicating a greater degree of care while walking. It appears before “cuidado” to form this comparison.
cuidado “cuidado” means care in “caminar con más cuidado”, describing how carefully someone should walk. The reusable pattern is “caminar con cuidado” for walking carefully.
de “de” helps form the comparison “más cuidado de lo normal”, meaning more care than usual. In this expression, it links the greater amount with the reference point “lo normal”.
lo “lo” forms the expression “lo normal”, meaning what is normal or usual. Together with “de”, it provides the comparison point in “más cuidado de lo normal”.
normal “normal” means usual or normal in “lo normal”. It names the ordinary level of care used as the comparison point.
Crees “Crees” means do you think in the question “¿Crees que los autobuses se retrasarán?”. It asks for someone’s opinion and is followed by a clause introduced by “que”.
que “que” means that and introduces the idea being asked about after “¿Crees...?”. In “Crees que los autobuses se retrasarán”, it connects the opinion question with the following clause.
los “los” means the and appears before the plural noun “autobuses” in “los autobuses”. It identifies the buses being discussed as a specific plural group.
autobuses “autobuses” means buses in “los autobuses se retrasarán”. It is the subject of the question about possible delays.
se “se” is part of the expression “se retrasarán”, which says that the buses will be delayed. It appears together with the verb form “retrasarán” when the buses are described as undergoing the delay.
retrasarán “retrasarán” means will be delayed in “los autobuses se retrasarán”. Together with “se”, it refers to a possible future delay affecting the buses.
Probablemente “Probablemente” means probably and gives a likely answer to the question about bus delays. It can be placed at the beginning of a sentence to express probability.
porque “porque” means because and introduces the reason in “porque el tráfico avanza despacio”. Use it to connect an explanation or cause to a previous statement.
el “el” means the before the singular noun “tráfico” in “el tráfico”. It identifies the traffic as the specific thing moving slowly.
tráfico “tráfico” means traffic in “el tráfico avanza despacio”. It is the subject described as moving slowly when it snows.
avanza “avanza” means moves forward or progresses in “el tráfico avanza despacio”. It describes how traffic moves, and it is followed here by the adverb “despacio”.
despacio “despacio” means slowly in “avanza despacio”. It describes the speed of the traffic after the verb “avanza”.
cuando “cuando” means when and introduces the condition or time “cuando nieva”. Use it to connect an event with the situation in which it happens.
nieva “nieva” means it snows in “cuando nieva”. It is used for the weather situation that makes traffic move slowly.
Déjame “Déjame” means let me in “Déjame mirar la aplicación”. It is used to ask permission or announce that the speaker wants to do the action expressed by the following infinitive.
mirar “mirar” means check or look at in “mirar la aplicación de transporte”. It is followed here by the thing being checked, “la aplicación”.
aplicación “aplicación” means application or app in “la aplicación de transporte”. It is the digital tool the speaker wants to check before leaving.
transporte “transporte” means transport in “la aplicación de transporte”. The phrase “de transporte” specifies that the application concerns transportation.
antes “antes” means before in “antes de salir”. Together with “de salir”, it places the checking of the app earlier than the action of leaving.
salir “salir” means leave or go out in “antes de salir”. After “antes de”, use an infinitive to name the action that has not happened yet.
Eso “Eso” means that and refers to the action just mentioned, checking the transport app, in “Eso puede ahorrarte tiempo”. It can be used as a pronoun to refer to an already mentioned action or situation.
puede “puede” expresses possibility in “puede ahorrarte tiempo”: that action may save time. It is followed by the infinitive “ahorrarte”.
ahorrarte “ahorrarte” means save you in “puede ahorrarte tiempo”. It combines the action of saving with “te”, the person who benefits from the saved time.
tiempo “tiempo” means time in “ahorrarte tiempo”. It is the thing that may be saved by checking the transport app before leaving.

Grammar Points

antes de + infinitivo

antes de salir

AHN-tehs deh sah-LEER

before leaving

Use antes de followed by an infinitive when the subject is understood or shared.

futuro de un verbo pronominal

se retrasarán

seh reh-trah-sah-RAHN

they will be delayed

The pronoun se stays with the verb, while retrasarán is the future form for ellos/ellas.

Spanish Vocabulary

acera noun
ah-SEH-rah sidewalk Las aceras

Las aceras pueden estar heladas esta mañana.

agarre noun
ah-GAH-rreh grip

Entonces debería llevar botas con mejor agarre.

bota noun
BOH-tah boot botas

Entonces debería llevar botas con mejor agarre.

caminar verb
kah-mee-NAR to walk

También deberías caminar con más cuidado de lo normal.

con cuidado phrase
kohn koo-EE-dah-doh carefully; with care

También deberías caminar con más cuidado de lo normal.

durante prep
doo-RAHN-teh during

Nevó mucho durante la noche.

helado adj
eh-LAH-doh icy; frozen heladas

Las aceras pueden estar heladas esta mañana.

llevar verb
yeh-BAR to wear; to carry

Entonces debería llevar botas con mejor agarre.

nevar verb
neh-BAR to snow Nevó

Nevó mucho durante la noche.

noche noun
NO-cheh night la noche

Nevó mucho durante la noche.

poder verb
poh-DAIR to be able to; may pueden

Las aceras pueden estar heladas esta mañana.

también adv
tahm-BYEN also

También deberías caminar con más cuidado de lo normal.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

It snowed a lot during the night.

Show AnswerNevó mucho durante la noche.

Do you think buses will be delayed?

Show Answer¿Crees que los autobuses se retrasarán?

That may save you time.

Show AnswerEso puede ahorrarte tiempo.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

icy; frozen

Show Answerheladas

to be able to; may

Show Answerpueden

to snow

Show AnswerNevó

boot

Show Answerbotas