Choosing an Activity Based on the Weather | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: During daily planning, two adults check the forecast and choose a morning walk with an indoor backup..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Choosing an Activity Based on the Weather to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?

ah-SEH-mohs AHL-goh BAH-hoh TEH-choh oh ahl AH-ee-reh LEE-breh mah-NYAH-nah Should we do something indoors or outdoors tomorrow?
B

Mira el pronóstico antes de decidir.

MEE-rah el proh-NOHS-tee-koh AHN-tes deh deh-see-DEER Check the forecast before we decide.
A

Dice que la mañana será soleada.

DEE-seh keh lah mah-NYAH-nah seh-RAH soh-leh-AH-dah It says the morning will be sunny.
B

Entonces podríamos dar un paseo antes del almuerzo.

ehn-TOHN-sehs poh-DREE-ah-mohs dahr oon pah-SEH-oh AHN-tes del ahl-MOOR-seh Then we could take a walk before lunch.
A

Si llueve más tarde, podemos ir a un café.

see YWEH-beh mahs TAR-deh, poh-DEH-mohs eer ah oon kah-FEH If it rains later, we can visit a cafe.
B

Así tenemos un plan flexible.

ah-SEE teh-NEH-mohs oon plahn flek-SEE-bleh That keeps the plan flexible.
A

Planeemos dar un paseo por la mañana.

plah-neh-EH-mohs dahr oon pah-SEH-oh por lah mah-NYAH-nah Let's plan on a morning walk.
B

Podemos pasar a un lugar cerrado si cambia el tiempo.

poh-DEH-mohs pah-SAHR ah oon loo-GAHR seh-RRAH-doh see KAHM-byah el TYEHM-poh We can move indoors if the weather changes.

Word by Word

Hacemos In '¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?', Hacemos proposes that the speakers do something together, so it means 'shall we do...?' here. It is useful for suggesting a shared activity, especially with an object such as algo.
algo Algo means something unspecified; here it is the activity the speakers might do. It appears after Hacemos in 'Hacemos algo...', a useful pattern when discussing an unspecified thing or activity. Use it when making a general plan before naming the exact activity.
bajo techo Bajo techo means indoors or under cover in the choice 'bajo techo o al aire libre'. Within the phrase, bajo contributes 'under' and techo contributes 'roof'; together they describe a place protected by a roof. Use it to describe an indoor option when choosing an activity.
o O connects the two alternatives in 'bajo techo o al aire libre', meaning 'or'. It joins options in a choice. Use it between alternatives when discussing what to do.
al aire libre Al aire libre means outdoors. In this expression, al introduces the phrase, aire means 'air', and libre means 'free'; the components work together to describe being in open air. It is useful when presenting an outdoor option, as in 'bajo techo o al aire libre'.
mañana In '¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?', mañana means tomorrow and identifies the planned day. The same spelling appears in 'la mañana', where it means the morning, so the surrounding words determine the meaning. Use mañana as a time reference when making plans.
Mira In 'Mira el pronóstico...', Mira asks one person to look at or check the forecast. It is a direct instruction used to start the information-gathering step of the plan. Use Mira before the thing you want someone to check.
el In 'el pronóstico', el introduces the specific noun phrase 'the forecast'. It comes directly before pronóstico. Use el before a particular item being referred to.
pronóstico Pronóstico means forecast in 'Mira el pronóstico'. Here it refers to the weather information used before deciding on an activity. Use it when checking expected weather conditions.
antes In 'antes de decidir', antes means before and places deciding after the forecast check. It helps order two actions in a plan. Use it to say that one action happens before another.
de In 'antes de decidir', de links antes to the action decidir, giving the meaning 'before deciding'. The reusable pattern is antes de plus an infinitive. Use it when one action must happen before another.
decidir Decidir is the infinitive meaning 'to decide' in 'antes de decidir'. It names the action the speakers postpone until after checking the forecast. Use it after antes de when referring to a decision as an action.
Dice In 'Dice que la mañana será soleada', Dice reports what the forecast says. The forecast is the implied source of the information. Use Dice que... when stating what a person or source says.
que In 'Dice que...', que links the reporting verb with the information being reported: the morning will be sunny. It introduces the clause that gives the content of what is said. Use it after Dice when reporting information.
la In 'la mañana', la introduces the specific noun phrase 'the morning'. It appears immediately before mañana. Use this article-plus-noun pattern when referring to a particular item or time period.
será In 'la mañana será soleada', será states that the morning will be sunny. It places the condition in the future and works with soleada to describe that future condition. Use será followed by a description when giving a future forecast.
soleada In 'será soleada', soleada describes la mañana as sunny. It follows será and completes the weather description. Use it in a forecast when describing a sunny period.
Entonces Entonces means then in 'Entonces podríamos...'. It connects the suggestion with the forecast information just mentioned. Use it at the start of a response when a new plan follows from what was said.
podríamos Podríamos presents a possible shared activity in 'podríamos dar un paseo', so it means 'could'. It is followed by the infinitive dar. Use it to make a tentative suggestion about an option.
dar In 'dar un paseo', dar is the verb used in the expression for taking a walk; here it does not carry the standalone meaning 'give'. The reusable pattern is dar un paseo. Use it when proposing or describing a walk.
un In 'un paseo', un introduces one unspecified walk or activity, corresponding to 'a'. It comes before paseo in the noun phrase. Use un before a non-specific item being mentioned.
paseo In 'dar un paseo', paseo names the walk the speakers might take. The phrase describes a walking activity. Use it with dar when planning that activity.
del In 'antes del almuerzo', del is the contracted form used before almuerzo and helps express 'before lunch' in the whole phrase. Use antes del plus a noun to place an activity before a specific event or time reference.
almuerzo In 'antes del almuerzo', almuerzo means lunch and names the meal used as a time reference. It follows del in this scheduling expression. Use it when organizing an activity around lunchtime.
Si Si at the start of 'Si llueve más tarde...' introduces a condition: if it rains later. The same word appears lowercase as si in 'si cambia el tiempo'; the capitalization changes because it begins a sentence. Use si followed by a clause when a plan depends on a condition.
llueve In 'Si llueve más tarde', llueve says that rain occurs later. It is the weather event that triggers the possible backup plan. Use it after si when making plans conditional on rain.
más In 'más tarde', más extends the time reference forward, so the phrase means later in time. It works together with tarde rather than expressing a quantity here. Use más tarde when placing an event later in the day or schedule.
tarde In 'más tarde', tarde refers to a later time. Together with más, it forms the time expression 'later'. Use the complete phrase when scheduling something for a later point.
podemos The form appears as 'podemos' in 'podemos ir a un café' and as 'Podemos' at the start of 'Podemos pasar a un lugar cerrado'. In both places it means 'we can' and is followed by an infinitive, presenting an available option. Use podemos followed by an infinitive when describing what the group can do.
ir In 'podemos ir a un café', ir means go and names the possible movement to a destination. It follows podemos and is followed by a in this phrase. Use ir a plus a place when saying where someone goes.
a In 'ir a un café', a introduces the destination, so the phrase means 'go to a cafe'. It follows ir before the destination. Use ir a plus a place when naming where someone goes.
café In 'un café', café names the cafe as the alternative indoor destination. It follows un and is the destination after ir a. Use 'ir a un café' when suggesting this kind of place.
Así In 'Así tenemos un plan flexible', Así means 'that way' or 'thus' and presents the flexible plan as the result of the backup option. Use it at the start of a conclusion that follows from a preceding plan or condition.
tenemos In 'Así tenemos un plan flexible', tenemos means 'we have' and describes the plan the speakers now have in place. It is followed by un plan. Use it when stating what the group has as part of its plan.
plan In 'un plan flexible', plan names the arrangement for the day's activity. It follows un and is described by flexible. Use plan with a description when talking about an arrangement that has been made.
flexible In 'un plan flexible', flexible describes a plan that can adapt if the weather changes. It follows plan in this phrase. Use it for arrangements that can change with conditions.
Planeemos In 'Planeemos dar un paseo...', Planeemos invites the speakers to plan together, so it means 'let's plan'. It is followed by the activity dar un paseo. Use it to propose organizing a shared activity.
por In 'por la mañana', por marks the time period in which the walk is planned, giving the meaning 'in' or 'during' the morning. It comes before la mañana. Use por plus a time period when scheduling an activity.
pasar In 'pasar a un lugar cerrado', pasar means move or switch to an indoor place. It follows podemos and takes the destination introduced by a. Use pasar a plus a place when changing to another location or option.
lugar In 'un lugar cerrado', lugar means place and names the indoor destination. It is followed by cerrado, which describes the place. Use lugar with a description when identifying a possible location.
cerrado In 'un lugar cerrado', cerrado describes the place as enclosed or indoors in this weather-planning context. It follows lugar and identifies the alternative to the outdoor plan. Use the phrase when switching to an indoor location.
cambia In 'si cambia el tiempo', cambia says that the weather changes. It supplies the condition that may cause the group to move indoors. Use it in a conditional plan when conditions may shift.
tiempo In 'cambia el tiempo', tiempo means weather because the surrounding dialogue discusses the forecast, sunshine, and rain. It refers to the conditions outside. Use the phrase when talking about changing weather in a plan.

Grammar Points

antes de + infinitivo

Antes de decidir, mira el pronóstico.

AHN-tes deh deh-see-DEER, MEE-rah el proh-NOHS-tee-koh

Before deciding, look at the forecast.

After antes de, use the infinitive when the subject stays the same or is understood.

llover → llueve

Llueve más tarde.

YWEH-beh mahs TAR-deh

It rains later.

Spanish weather verbs commonly use the third-person singular form without a separate subject.

Spanish Vocabulary

al aire libre phrase
ahl AH-ee-reh LEE-breh outdoors

¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?

almuerzo noun
ahl-MOOR-seh lunch

Entonces podríamos dar un paseo antes del almuerzo.

antes de prep
AHN-tes deh before

Mira el pronóstico antes de decidir.

bajo techo phrase
BAH-hoh TEH-choh indoors

¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?

dar un paseo phrase
dahr oon pah-SEH-oh to take a walk

Entonces podríamos dar un paseo antes del almuerzo.

decidir verb
deh-see-DEER to decide

Mira el pronóstico antes de decidir.

entonces adv
ehn-TOHN-sehs then

Entonces podríamos dar un paseo antes del almuerzo.

hacer verb
ah-SEHR to do hacemos

¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?

mañana adv
mah-NYAH-nah tomorrow

¿Hacemos algo bajo techo o al aire libre mañana?

mirar verb
mee-RAHR to check; to look at mira

Mira el pronóstico antes de decidir.

pronóstico noun
proh-NOHS-tee-koh forecast

Mira el pronóstico antes de decidir.

soleado adj
soh-leh-AH-doh sunny soleada

Dice que la mañana será soleada.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Check the forecast before we decide.

Show AnswerMira el pronóstico antes de decidir.

It says the morning will be sunny.

Show AnswerDice que la mañana será soleada.

That keeps the plan flexible.

Show AnswerAsí tenemos un plan flexible.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to decide

Show Answerdecidir

sunny

Show Answersoleada

tomorrow

Show Answermañana

to do

Show Answerhacemos