Checking the Correct Line | Learn Spanish in English

About This Lesson

Use Checking the Correct Line to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Disculpe, ¿esta es la fila correcta?

dees-KOOL-peh, EH-stah es lah FEE-lah koh-REK-tah? Excuse me, is this the right line?

Esta fila es para el mostrador de información.

EH-stah FEE-lah es PAH-rah el moh-strah-DOR deh een-for-mah-SYOHN. This queue is for the information desk.

Necesito renovar mi tarjeta de membresía.

neh-seh-SEE-toh reh-noh-BAR mee tar-HEH-tah deh mem-breh-SEE-ah. I need to renew my membership card.

Entonces, debe hacer fila junto al cartel azul.

en-TOHN-sehs, DEH-beh ah-SER FEE-lah HOON-toh al kar-TEL ah-SOOL. Then you should join the line by the blue sign.

Casi esperé en el lugar equivocado.

KAH-see ehs-peh-REH en el loo-GAR eh-kee-boh-KAH-doh. I almost waited in the wrong place.

Es confuso porque las dos filas están cerca.

es kon-FOO-soh POR-keh las DOHS FEE-las es-TAHN SEHR-kah. It is confusing because both lines are close.

Voy a cambiarme de fila antes de que llegue más gente.

boy ah kahm-BYAR-meh deh FEE-lah AHN-tes deh keh YEH-gheh mahs HEN-teh. I'll move before more people arrive.

Esa fila es más corta ahora.

EH-sah FEE-lah es mahs KOR-tah ah-OH-rah. That line is shorter now.

Word by Word

Disculpe “Disculpe” is a polite way to get someone’s attention or say “excuse me” here. Use it when speaking respectfully to a service worker or another adult you do not know.

esta “esta” points to the feminine noun “fila” and means “this” in “esta es la fila correcta”. It is useful when identifying a nearby object or option, as in “esta fila”.

es “es” links “esta” with the identification “la fila correcta”, giving the meaning “is”. It is used here to ask whether something is the correct line.

la “la” is the definite article before the feminine noun “fila”, meaning “the”. In “la fila correcta”, it refers to a specific line.

fila “fila” means a line or queue of people waiting. Use it for a queue at a public service area, as in “hacer fila”.

correcta “correcta” describes “fila” as the right or correct one. In “la fila correcta”, it helps identify which line is appropriate.

para “para” marks the purpose or service connected with something. In “Esta fila es para el mostrador de información”, it says what the line is for.

el “el” is the definite article before the masculine noun “mostrador”, meaning “the”. In “el mostrador de información”, it refers to a specific service desk.

mostrador “mostrador” means a service desk or counter where people receive assistance. The reusable pattern “el mostrador de ...” identifies a desk for a particular service.

de “de” links “mostrador” with “información”, giving the meaning “information desk”. It commonly connects a place or object with the service or thing associated with it.

información “información” means information here and identifies the service provided at the desk. Use it after “de” in expressions such as “mostrador de información”.

Necesito “Necesito” tells the listener that the speaker needs something or needs to do something. Here it introduces “renovar mi tarjeta de membresía”; a useful pattern is “Necesito” followed by an infinitive or an object.

renovar “renovar” means to renew, here referring to making the membership card valid again. It follows “Necesito” to name the action the speaker needs to take.

mi “mi” means “my” and shows that the card belongs to or is used by the speaker. It comes directly before the noun “tarjeta” in “mi tarjeta de membresía”.

tarjeta “tarjeta” means card, here a membership card. Use it with a noun or phrase that identifies the card’s purpose, such as “tarjeta de membresía”.

membresía “membresía” identifies the type of “tarjeta”: it is connected with membership. The pattern “tarjeta de membresía” means “membership card”.

Entonces “Entonces” means “then” and introduces the advice that follows from the speaker’s need. Use it to connect a situation with a resulting suggestion or action.

debe “debe” gives advice to the person being addressed: here, “you should” join the indicated line. It is followed by the action phrase “hacer fila”.

hacer In “hacer fila”, “hacer” is part of the expression meaning to join or stand in a line, not simply “do” or “make”. Use the complete pattern “hacer fila” when talking about waiting in a queue.

junto “junto” means “next to” in “junto al cartel azul”. It indicates that the line is located beside a nearby sign or other reference point.

al “al” combines “a” and “el” and means “to the” or “by the” in “junto al cartel”. It is used before a masculine singular noun introduced by “a”.

cartel “cartel” means sign or notice, here the blue sign used to identify the correct line. Use it after a color or other description when pointing out a sign.

azul “azul” means blue and describes “cartel”. In “el cartel azul”, the color helps the listener locate the correct sign.

Casi “Casi” means “almost” and shows that the action nearly happened but did not. Here it introduces the near mistake “esperé en el lugar equivocado”.

esperé “esperé” says that the speaker waited in the place mentioned. With “casi”, the complete phrase means the speaker almost waited there; a common pattern is “esperar en” followed by a place.

en “en” marks the location where the waiting would happen: “en el lugar equivocado”. Use it before a place when saying where someone waits or is located.

lugar “lugar” means place, here the place where the speaker almost waited. The pattern “en el lugar ...” identifies a location and can be followed by a description.

equivocado “equivocado” describes the place as the wrong or mistaken one. In “el lugar equivocado”, it identifies that the location was not the correct place for the speaker’s purpose.

confuso “confuso” describes the situation as confusing because the two lines are close together. Use it after “es” to describe a situation that is difficult to understand.

porque “porque” introduces the reason for something. Here it connects the confusing situation with the explanation that both lines are close.

las “las” is the definite article before the plural feminine noun “filas”, meaning “the”. In “las dos filas”, it refers to the two specific queues.

filas “filas” means lines or queues, referring to the two queues in the service area. The number “dos” makes clear that two lines are being compared.

están “están” says where the two lines are located: here they are “cerca”, or close. Use it with a place or location expression when describing where something is.

cerca “cerca” means close or nearby in “están cerca”. It is useful for saying that two people, places, or objects are not far apart.

Voy “Voy” begins the expression “Voy a cambiarme de fila”, which states the speaker’s planned action. The pattern “Voy a” followed by an infinitive is useful for announcing what you are going to do.

a “a” is part of the pattern “Voy a cambiarme” and connects “Voy” with the planned action. In this pattern, it is followed by an infinitive.

cambiarme “cambiarme de fila” means to move from the current line to another line. Use the complete pattern “cambiarme de fila” when saying that the speaker will change queues.

antes “antes” means “before” and introduces the time limit in “antes de que llegue más gente”. Use it to say that one action happens earlier than another.

que “que” connects “antes” with the clause “llegue más gente”, forming the expression “antes de que”. Use the complete pattern to say that something happens before another event.

llegue “llegue” means “arrives” in the clause about more people coming. Here it follows “antes de que” and has “más gente” as the arriving subject.

más “más” means “more” and indicates an increase in the number of people. In “más gente”, it refers to additional people arriving.

gente “gente” means people as a group. In “llegue más gente”, it refers to additional people who may arrive at the service area.

Esa “Esa” points to a specific feminine line already identified in the conversation and means “that”. It refers back to “fila”, as in “Esa fila”.

corta “corta” describes the line’s length, and “más corta” means shorter. Use it with “más” when comparing the length of one line with another.

ahora “ahora” means “now” and places the statement in the present situation. Here it emphasizes that the line is shorter at this moment.

Grammar Points

fila correcta

La fila correcta

lah FEE-lah koh-REK-tah

The correct line

Adjectives agree with nouns in gender: fila is feminine, so correcto becomes correcta.

deber + infinitivo

Debe hacer fila.

DEH-beh ah-SER FEE-lah

You must join the line.

Debe expresses obligation and is followed by an infinitive: debe + hacer.

Spanish Vocabulary

correcto adj

koh-REK-toh correct; right correcta

la fila correcta

deber verb

deh-BER should; must debe

debe hacer fila

disculpar verb

dees-kool-PAR to excuse Disculpe

Disculpe, ¿esta es la fila correcta?

entonces adv

en-TOHN-sehs then

Entonces, debe hacer fila junto al cartel azul.

esta pron

EH-stah this

¿esta es la fila correcta?

fila noun

FEE-lah line; queue

la fila correcta

información noun

een-for-mah-SYOHN information

el mostrador de información

membresía noun

mem-breh-SEE-ah membership

tarjeta de membresía

mostrador noun

moh-strah-DOR counter; desk

el mostrador de información

necesitar verb

neh-seh-see-TAR to need Necesito

Necesito renovar mi tarjeta de membresía.

renovar verb

reh-noh-BAR to renew

Necesito renovar mi tarjeta de membresía.

tarjeta noun

tar-HEH-tah card

mi tarjeta de membresía

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Excuse me, is this the right line?

Show Answer

Disculpe, ¿esta es la fila correcta?

I need to renew my membership card.

Show Answer

Necesito renovar mi tarjeta de membresía.

I almost waited in the wrong place.

Show Answer

Casi esperé en el lugar equivocado.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

correct; right

Show Answer

correcta

to need

Show Answer

Necesito

card

Show Answer

tarjeta

information

Show Answer

información