Choosing a Quieter Room for Studying | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At home, two adults compare the kitchen and bedroom and choose the quieter room for studying..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Choosing a Quieter Room for Studying to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Qué habitación debo usar para estudiar?

keh ah-bee-tah-SYOHN DEH-boh oo-SAR PAH-rah es-too-dee-AR? Which room should I use for studying?
B

¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina?

keh TAL el dor-mee-TOH-ryoh oh lah koh-SEE-nah? What about the bedroom or the kitchen?
A

La cocina es más luminosa, pero se pone ruidosa.

lah koh-SEE-nah es mahs loo-mee-NOH-sah PEH-roh seh POH-neh roo-ee-DOH-sah. The kitchen is brighter, but it gets noisy.
B

El dormitorio es más tranquilo y cómodo.

el dor-mee-TOH-ryoh es mahs trahn-KEE-loh ee KOH-moh-doh. The bedroom is quieter and more comfortable.
A

Necesito concentrarme sin interrupciones.

neh-seh-SEE-toh kohn-sehn-TRAHR-meh seen een-teh-roop-SYOH-nes. I need to focus without interruptions.
B

Entonces, tiene más sentido usar la habitación más tranquila.

en-TOHN-ses TYEH-neh mahs sen-TEE-doh oo-SAR lah ah-bee-tah-SYOHN mahs trahn-KEE-lah. Then the quieter room makes more sense.
A

Hoy voy a estudiar en el dormitorio.

oy boy ah es-too-dee-AR en el dor-mee-TOH-ryoh. I'll study in the bedroom today.
B

Cierra la puerta si el pasillo se pone ruidoso.

SYEH-rrah lah PWEHR-tah see el pah-SEE-yoh seh POH-neh roo-ee-DOH-soh. Close the door if the hallway gets noisy.

Word by Word

Qué Qué asks which room in ¿Qué habitación debo usar...? and forms the suggestion What about...? in ¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina? Reuse ¿Qué...? to ask for a choice or specific information.
habitación habitación means room in ¿Qué habitación debo usar para estudiar? Here it is the place being chosen for studying. Reuse habitación with a description or location, such as la habitación más tranquila.
debo debo expresses should or must in the question ¿Qué habitación debo usar para estudiar? It shows that the speaker is asking which option is appropriate. Reuse debo + infinitive when asking or stating what needs to be done.
usar usar means use in debo usar, referring to using a room for studying. It appears after debo and before the purpose phrase para estudiar. Reuse usar + an object, such as usar la habitación.
para para introduces the purpose in para estudiar, meaning in order to study. It connects the use of the room with the activity the speaker wants to do. Reuse para + an infinitive to state a purpose.
estudiar estudiar means to study in para estudiar and voy a estudiar. In para estudiar it states the purpose, while in voy a estudiar it names the planned activity. Reuse estudiar after para or after voy a.
tal tal is part of the suggestion ¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina?, meaning What about the bedroom or the kitchen? The expression ¿Qué tal...? is used to propose or ask about an option. Reuse ¿Qué tal + a noun? when suggesting a possibility.
el el means the before dormitorio in el dormitorio and El dormitorio. The capitalized form El appears at the beginning of the sentence, while el appears after Qué tal and en. Reuse el before a masculine singular noun such as el dormitorio.
dormitorio dormitorio means bedroom in el dormitorio. It is one of the two rooms being compared for studying. Reuse dormitorio with a location or description, such as en el dormitorio or el dormitorio más tranquilo.
o o means or and connects the two choices in ¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina? It presents alternatives without choosing one yet. Reuse o between two options, people, or actions.
la la means the before cocina in la cocina and La cocina. The capitalized form La begins the sentence, while la follows el dormitorio o. Reuse la before a feminine singular noun such as la cocina.
cocina cocina means kitchen in la cocina. In the dialogue, it is compared with the bedroom as a possible study room. Reuse cocina with a location or description, such as en la cocina.
es es links la cocina with its description in La cocina es más luminosa. It states what the kitchen is like in this comparison. Reuse es + a description when describing a place or object.
más más adds the meaning more in más luminosa and marks a comparison with another room. Here it helps say that the kitchen is brighter and that the bedroom is quieter in más tranquilo. Reuse más + an adjective when comparing qualities.
luminosa luminosa describes the kitchen as bright in La cocina es más luminosa. Together with más, the phrase means that the kitchen is brighter than the other option. Reuse luminosa to describe a room or another place with good light.
pero pero means but and contrasts the kitchen being brighter with its becoming noisy in La cocina es más luminosa, pero se pone ruidosa. It introduces information that changes the evaluation of the first point. Reuse pero to connect two contrasting descriptions or ideas.
se se works with pone in se pone ruidosa to express that the kitchen becomes noisy. Its meaning here comes from the whole expression, not from se alone. Reuse se pone + an adjective to describe a change into a state.
pone pone works with se in se pone ruidosa, meaning gets or becomes noisy in this dialogue. The whole expression describes a change in the kitchen's condition. Reuse se pone + an adjective for something that becomes a certain way.
ruidosa ruidosa describes the kitchen as noisy in se pone ruidosa. With se pone, it says that the kitchen gets noisy rather than simply being described as noisy. Reuse se pone ruidosa when talking about a place that becomes noisy.
tranquilo tranquilo describes the bedroom as quiet in El dormitorio es más tranquilo y cómodo. With más, más tranquilo means quieter in comparison with the kitchen. Reuse tranquilo to describe a room or place where there is little noise.
y y means and and joins the descriptions más tranquilo and cómodo in El dormitorio es más tranquilo y cómodo. It adds one description to another. Reuse y to connect related words, phrases, or statements.
cómodo cómodo describes the bedroom as comfortable in El dormitorio es más tranquilo y cómodo. It gives another reason why the bedroom is a good place to study. Reuse cómodo to describe a place, seat, or situation that feels comfortable.
Necesito Necesito means I need in Necesito concentrarme sin interrupciones. It introduces something the speaker considers necessary. Reuse necesito + an infinitive to state an action you need to do.
concentrarme concentrarme means to focus in Necesito concentrarme sin interrupciones. It names the action that the speaker needs to do while studying, with me included in the exact form. Reuse necesito concentrarme + a condition or activity when explaining what you need in order to focus.
sin sin means without in sin interrupciones. It states the condition required for the speaker to focus. Reuse sin + a noun to describe something that is absent or excluded.
interrupciones interrupciones means interruptions in sin interrupciones. It names the things the speaker wants to avoid while focusing. Reuse sin interrupciones when describing uninterrupted study, work, or conversation.
Entonces Entonces means then and introduces the conclusion in Entonces, tiene más sentido usar la habitación más tranquila. It connects the earlier reasons with the decision that follows. Reuse Entonces at the start of a sentence when drawing a conclusion or deciding what to do.
tiene tiene contributes to the expression tiene más sentido, which says that using the quieter room is more reasonable. The meaning of makes more sense comes from the full expression, not from tiene alone. Reuse tiene sentido when saying that an idea or choice is reasonable.
sentido sentido means sense in tiene más sentido usar la habitación más tranquila. Together, tiene más sentido says that this choice is more reasonable than the alternative. Reuse sentido in the pattern tener sentido when evaluating an idea or decision.
tranquila tranquila describes the selected room as quiet in la habitación más tranquila. With más, más tranquila means the quieter one among the options. Reuse la habitación más tranquila when identifying a room by its quieter quality.
Hoy Hoy means today in Hoy voy a estudiar en el dormitorio. It places the planned study activity on the current day. Reuse Hoy at the beginning or end of a sentence to specify when something happens.
voy voy appears in voy a estudiar and helps express the speaker's plan to study. The whole pattern voy a + an infinitive refers to a planned or expected action. Reuse voy a + an infinitive when stating what you plan to do.
a a links voy with estudiar in voy a estudiar, forming the pattern used for the speaker's plan. It does not express the full future meaning by itself. Reuse ir a + an infinitive for a planned action.
en en means in and gives the location in en el dormitorio. It tells where the speaker will study. Reuse en + a place when stating where an action happens.
Cierra Cierra tells the listener to close something in Cierra la puerta. Here it is used to give the practical instruction to close the door. Reuse Cierra + an object when telling someone to close a specific thing.
puerta puerta means door in Cierra la puerta. It is the object of the instruction and should be closed if the hallway becomes noisy. Reuse la puerta when referring to a specific door in a room or building.
si si means if in si el pasillo se pone ruidoso. It introduces the condition under which the listener should close the door. Reuse si + a situation to state when an action should happen.
pasillo pasillo means hallway in el pasillo. It identifies the area whose noise may affect the bedroom. Reuse pasillo with a location or description, such as el pasillo se pone ruidoso.
ruidoso ruidoso describes the hallway as noisy in se pone ruidoso. With se pone, the phrase says that the hallway gets noisy. Reuse se pone ruidoso when a place becomes noisy.

Grammar Points

deber + infinitivo

Debo estudiar.

DEH-boh es-too-dee-AR.

I should study.

Debo is the yo form of deber; it is followed by an infinitive to express obligation or advice.

ir a + infinitivo

Voy a cerrar la puerta.

boy ah seh-RRAR lah PWEHR-tah.

I am going to close the door.

Voy a is followed by an infinitive to express an action that is going to happen.

Spanish Vocabulary

cocina noun
koh-SEE-nah kitchen

¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina?

deber verb
deh-BEHR should; must debo

¿Qué habitación debo usar?

dormitorio noun
dor-mee-TOH-ryoh bedroom

¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina?

estudiar verb
es-too-dee-AR to study

¿Qué habitación debo usar para estudiar?

habitación noun
ah-bee-tah-SYOHN room

¿Qué habitación debo usar?

luminoso adj
loo-mee-NOH-soh bright luminosa

La cocina es más luminosa

ponerse verb
poh-NEHR-seh to become; to get se pone

La cocina se pone ruidosa.

qué det
keh which; what

¿Qué habitación debo usar?

qué tal phrase
keh TAL what about; how about

¿Qué tal el dormitorio o la cocina?

ruidoso adj
roo-ee-DOH-soh noisy ruidosa

se pone ruidosa

tranquilo adj
trahn-KEE-loh quiet; calm

El dormitorio es más tranquilo

usar verb
oo-SAR to use

¿Qué habitación debo usar?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Which room should I use for studying?

Show Answer¿Qué habitación debo usar para estudiar?

I need to focus without interruptions.

Show AnswerNecesito concentrarme sin interrupciones.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

bedroom

Show Answerdormitorio

to study

Show Answerestudiar

bright

Show Answerluminosa

should; must

Show Answerdebo