Learning Guitar in Your Free Time | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At home, one adult describes learning guitar through online lessons and practicing in a quiet room..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Learning Guitar in Your Free Time to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

AH-seh POH-koh em-peh-SEH ah ah-pren-DEHR ah toh-KAHR lah gee-TAH-rrah. I recently started learning guitar.
B

¿Tomas clases?

TOH-mahs KLAH-sehs? Are you taking lessons?
A

Tomo clases en línea después del trabajo.

TOH-moh KLAH-sehs en LEE-neh-ah dehs-PWEHS dehl trah-BAH-hoh. I'm taking online lessons after work.
B

¿Es difícil para un principiante?

ehs dee-FEE-seel PAH-rah oon preen-see-pee-AHN-teh? Is it difficult for a beginner?
A

El ritmo es difícil, pero me gusta.

ehl REET-moh ehs dee-FEE-seel, PEH-roh meh GOO-stah. The rhythm is hard, but I enjoy it.
B

¿Con qué frecuencia practicas?

kohn keh freh-KWEN-see-ah PRAHK-tee-kahs? How often do you practice?
A

Practico por la noche, cuando mi habitación está tranquila.

prahk-TEE-koh pohr lah NOH-cheh, KWAHN-doh mee ah-bee-tah-see-OHN eh-STAH trahn-KEE-lah. I practice in the evening when my room is quiet.
B

Un horario regular debería ayudarte a mejorar.

oon oh-RAH-ryoh reh-goo-LAHR deh-beh-REE-ah ah-yoo-DAHR-teh ah meh-hoh-RAHR. A regular time should help you improve.

Word by Word

Hace In “Hace poco”, “Hace” helps express time that has passed, giving the meaning “recently” together with “poco”. The same pattern can be reused with a time period, as in “Hace dos días” in a new example.
poco In “Hace poco”, “poco” means a short amount of time, so the expression refers to something that happened recently. It commonly follows “Hace” when talking about elapsed time.
empecé “empecé” means “I started” in this dialogue, referring to beginning to learn guitar. It is the dialogue form used with “a aprender” to introduce the activity that began.
a In “a aprender”, “a” introduces the action that was started. The reusable pattern is “empezar a” followed by an action, as in “empezar a estudiar” in a new example.
aprender “aprender” means “to learn” in this dialogue. It follows “a” in “a aprender” and names the skill being begun; the same pattern is “aprender a” plus a skill or activity.
tocar In “tocar la guitarra”, “tocar” means “to play” a musical instrument. It is used before the instrument in this expression, and the pattern can be reused with another instrument in a new example.
la “la” is the definite article “the” before “guitarra” in “la guitarra”. It accompanies this feminine singular noun in the dialogue.
guitarra “guitarra” means “guitar”, the instrument the speaker has started learning to play. It is used after “tocar” in “tocar la guitarra” to name the instrument.
Tomas “Tomas” means “you take” or “you attend” in the question “¿Tomas clases?”. It is used with “clases” to ask whether one person attends lessons.
clases “clases” means “lessons” or “classes” in “Tomas clases” and “Tomo clases”. It is the activity taken or attended, and it commonly follows “tomar” in this use.
Tomo “Tomo” means “I take” or “I attend” in “Tomo clases”. It identifies the speaker as the person attending the lessons and can be reused before an activity or service in a new example.
en In “en línea”, “en” introduces the format in which the lessons take place. The pattern “en línea” is used for something done online.
línea In “en línea”, “línea” is part of the expression meaning “online”. Keep it together with “en” when describing lessons or another activity carried out online.
después “después” means “after” in “después del trabajo”. It places the lessons later than work and is commonly followed by a time, event, or “de” phrase.
del “del” means “of the” or “from the” in “del trabajo”. It is the form used before “trabajo” in this time expression, and the pattern is “después del” plus an event or period.
trabajo “trabajo” means “work” in “después del trabajo”. Together with “después del”, it identifies when the speaker takes the lessons.
Es “Es” means “is” in the question “¿Es difícil para un principiante?”. It introduces the description of whether the activity is difficult for a beginner.
difícil “difícil” means “difficult” or “hard” in the questions about learning and the statement about rhythm. It follows “es” when describing the level of difficulty of something.
para “para” means “for” in “para un principiante”. It identifies the person for whom the activity may be difficult, and it commonly comes before a person or group affected by an assessment.
un “un” is the indefinite article “a” or “an” before “principiante”. It introduces one beginner without identifying a particular person.
principiante “principiante” means “beginner” in “para un principiante”. It names someone who is at the beginning of learning an activity and can follow “un” in the same pattern.
El “El” is the definite article “the” before “ritmo” in “El ritmo”. It introduces the specific rhythm being discussed.
ritmo “ritmo” means “rhythm” in “El ritmo es difícil”. It names the musical element that the speaker finds hard.
pero “pero” means “but” and connects the difficulty of the rhythm with the speaker’s enjoyment in “pero me gusta”. It introduces a contrast between two parts of the statement.
me In “me gusta”, “me” marks the person to whom the experience is pleasing: the speaker. Together with “gusta”, the expression means “I like it”; this pattern can be reused with another thing that the speaker likes.
gusta In “me gusta”, “gusta” expresses that the rhythm is pleasing to the speaker, giving the meaning “I like it” with “me”. The expression is used before the thing that is liked when that thing is stated explicitly, as in “Me gusta la música” in a new example.
Con In “Con qué frecuencia”, “Con” is part of the question expression asking how often something happens. Keep it together with “qué frecuencia” in this reusable question pattern.
qué In “Con qué frecuencia”, “qué” means “what” within the expression “how often”. It combines with “frecuencia” to ask about the regularity of an activity.
frecuencia “frecuencia” means “frequency” in “Con qué frecuencia”, which asks how often the person practices. The pattern “con qué frecuencia” can be placed before a verb phrase in a new question.
practicas “practicas” means “you practice” in the question “¿Con qué frecuencia practicas?”. It names the activity being asked about and follows the frequency expression.
Practico “Practico” means “I practice” in “Practico por la noche”. It identifies the speaker as the person doing the activity and can be followed by a time expression.
por In “por la noche”, “por” introduces the time period during which the practice happens. The pattern “por” plus a part of the day is used to place an activity in time.
noche “noche” means “night” or “evening” in “por la noche”. Together with “por”, it tells when the speaker practices.
cuando “cuando” means “when” in “cuando mi habitación está tranquila”. It introduces the condition or time at which the speaker practices.
mi “mi” means “my” and shows that “habitación” belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It comes directly before the noun in “mi habitación”.
habitación “habitación” means “room” in “mi habitación está tranquila”. It identifies the place whose state makes the practice suitable.
está “está” means “is” when describing the room’s state in “está tranquila”. It connects “habitación” with the condition “tranquila” in this sentence.
tranquila “tranquila” means “quiet” or “calm” in “mi habitación está tranquila”. It describes the room as having a peaceful state suitable for practicing.
horario “horario” means “schedule” or a regular time arrangement in “Un horario regular”. It names the planned timing that should help the learner improve.
regular “regular” means “regular” in “Un horario regular”. It describes a schedule that follows a consistent pattern and comes after “horario” here.
debería “debería” means “should” in “debería ayudarte a mejorar”. It presents the regular schedule as something expected or recommended to help the learner improve.
ayudarte “ayudarte” means “help you” in “debería ayudarte a mejorar”. The form contains “ayudar” with “te” attached, and the reusable pattern is “ayudar a alguien a” plus an action.
mejorar “mejorar” means “to improve” in “ayudarte a mejorar”. It names the result that the regular schedule should help the learner achieve and follows “a” after “ayudarte”.

Grammar Points

Hace poco + pretérito

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

AH-seh POH-koh em-peh-SEH ah ah-pren-DEHR ah toh-KAHR lah gee-TAH-rrah.

I recently started learning to play the guitar.

«Hace poco» significa “recently” y suele acompañar una acción pasada, como «empecé».

Me gusta + infinitivo

Me gusta practicar por la noche.

meh GOO-stah prahk-tee-KAHR pohr lah NOH-cheh.

I like to practice in the evening.

En español, «me gusta» expresa “I like”; el verbo siguiente permanece en infinitivo.

Spanish Vocabulary

aprender verb
ah-pren-DEHR to learn

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

clase noun
KLAH-seh lesson clases

¿Tomas clases?

después del trabajo phrase
dehs-PWEHS dehl trah-BAH-hoh after work

Tomo clases en línea después del trabajo.

difícil adj
dee-FEE-seel difficult

¿Es difícil para un principiante?

empezar verb
em-peh-SAHR to start empecé

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

en línea phrase
en LEE-neh-ah online

Tomo clases en línea después del trabajo.

guitarra noun
gee-TAH-rrah guitar

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

hace poco adv
AH-seh POH-koh recently

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

principiante noun
preen-see-pee-AHN-teh beginner

¿Es difícil para un principiante?

ritmo noun
REET-moh rhythm

El ritmo es difícil, pero me gusta.

tocar verb
toh-KAHR to play an instrument

Hace poco empecé a aprender a tocar la guitarra.

tomar verb
toh-MAHR to take tomas

¿Tomas clases?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Are you taking lessons?

Show Answer¿Tomas clases?

Is it difficult for a beginner?

Show Answer¿Es difícil para un principiante?

How often do you practice?

Show Answer¿Con qué frecuencia practicas?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to learn

Show Answeraprender

guitar

Show Answerguitarra

to start

Show Answerempecé

lesson

Show Answerclases