Labeling and storing food in a shared fridge | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shared kitchen, two adults discuss labeling food, choosing the right fridge shelf, and taking items home soon..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Labeling and storing food in a shared fridge to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

¿Puedo poner esta sopa en el frigorífico compartido?

PWEH-doh poh-NEHR EH-stah SOH-pah en el free-goh-REE-fee-koh kohm-par-TEE-doh Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?
B

Pon una etiqueta en el recipiente antes de dejarlo allí.

pohn OO-nah eh-tee-KEH-tah en el reh-see-pee-EN-teh AHN-tes deh-HAHR-loh ah-YEE Label the container before you leave it there.
A

¿También debo escribir la fecha?

tahm-BYEN DEH-boh es-kree-BEER lah FEH-chah Should I write the date on it too?
B

Así la gente sabe cuánto tiempo lleva dentro.

ah-SEE lah HEN-teh SAH-beh KWAHN-toh TYEM-poh YEH-bah DEN-troh That helps people know how long it has been inside.
A

¿Qué estante es para la comida personal?

keh es-TAHN-teh es PAH-rah lah koh-MEE-dah pehr-soh-NAHL Which shelf is for personal food?
B

Usa el estante de arriba, lejos de la comida compartida.

OO-sah el es-TAHN-teh deh ah-RREE-bah LEH-hohs deh lah koh-MEE-dah kohm-par-TEE-dah Use the top shelf, away from the shared items.
A

La dejaré allí y la llevaré a casa pronto.

lah deh-hah-REH ah-YEE ee lah yeh-bah-REH ah KAH-sah PROHN-toh I'll keep it there and take it home soon.
B

Así el frigorífico no se llena de comida vieja.

ah-SEE el free-goh-REE-fee-koh noh seh YEH-nah deh koh-MEE-dah BYEH-hah That way the fridge does not fill up with old food.

Word by Word

Puedo “Puedo” means “can I” in the question “¿Puedo poner esta sopa en el frigorífico compartido?”. It expresses whether the speaker is allowed or able to do something. A common pattern is “¿Puedo” followed by an infinitive when asking permission.
poner “Poner” means “to put” in “¿Puedo poner esta sopa en el frigorífico compartido?”. It stays in this form after “Puedo”. A common pattern is “poner” an object “en” a place.
esta “Esta” points to the specific soup being discussed in “esta sopa”. It appears before the noun it identifies and matches that noun. Use “esta” before a nearby or currently relevant feminine noun.
sopa “Sopa” means “soup” in “esta sopa”. Here it is the food that the speaker wants to put in the fridge. It can be used after a determiner such as “esta” or “la” when referring to soup.
en “En” means “in” in “en el frigorífico compartido”. It introduces the place where the soup will be put. A common pattern is “poner” something “en” a location.
el “El” means “the” before “frigorífico compartido”. It introduces a specific masculine noun. Use it before a particular masculine noun when referring to something known in the situation.
frigorífico “Frigorífico” means “fridge” in “el frigorífico compartido”. It names the shared appliance where the soup is stored. It can be used with a location phrase such as “en el frigorífico”.
compartido “Compartido” means “shared” in “el frigorífico compartido”. It describes the fridge as being used by more than one person. This form follows the masculine noun “frigorífico” and agrees with it.
Pon “Pon” tells one person to put or place something in “Pon una etiqueta en el recipiente”. It is a direct instruction using the form related to “poner”. A common pattern is “Pon” followed by an object and a place.
una “Una” means “a” in “una etiqueta”. It introduces one non-specific feminine noun. Use it before a feminine noun when introducing an item for the first time.
etiqueta “Etiqueta” means “label” in “Pon una etiqueta en el recipiente”. It is the item that should be placed on the container. The pattern “poner una etiqueta en” identifies what receives the label.
recipiente “Recipiente” means “container” in “en el recipiente”. It is the container holding the soup. It can be used after “en” to identify where something is or is placed.
antes “Antes” means “before” in “antes de dejarlo allí”. It places one action earlier than another. The common pattern “antes de” is followed here by an infinitive.
de “De” forms the expression “antes de dejarlo allí”, meaning “before leaving it there”. In this use, “de” comes before the infinitive “dejarlo”. A common pattern is “antes de” followed by an action.
dejarlo “Dejarlo” means “to leave it” in “antes de dejarlo allí”. The form combines the action of leaving with “lo”, which refers to the item being left. A common pattern is “dejarlo” followed by a place such as “allí”.
allí “Allí” means “there” in “dejarlo allí”. It points to the place where the container should remain. It can be placed after an action to specify its location.
También “También” means “also” or “too” in “¿También debo escribir la fecha?”. It adds writing the date to the action already being discussed. It commonly appears near the action or information being added.
debo “Debo” means “should I” in “¿También debo escribir la fecha?”. It asks whether the speaker is expected to write the date. It is the form of “deber” used with “escribir” here, and “debo” can be followed by an infinitive.
escribir “Escribir” means “to write” in “debo escribir la fecha”. It names the action the speaker is considering. After “debo”, it remains in the infinitive form.
la “La” means “the” in “la fecha”, where it introduces the specific date. In “La dejaré allí”, the same form means “it” and refers to the soup. Its meaning here depends on whether it appears before the noun “fecha” or before the verb “dejaré”.
fecha “Fecha” means “date” in “escribir la fecha”. It is the information that should be written on the container. A common pattern is “escribir la fecha” when recording a date.
Así “Así” means “that way” in “Así la gente sabe cuánto tiempo lleva dentro”. It introduces the result or purpose of labeling the food. It can also connect an action with the useful result it produces.
gente “Gente” means “people” in “la gente sabe cuánto tiempo lleva dentro”. It refers generally to the people using the shared fridge. It commonly appears with “la” when referring to people as a group.
sabe “Sabe” means “knows” in “la gente sabe cuánto tiempo lleva dentro”. It describes the information people have because the food is labeled. A common pattern is “saber” followed by information or a question such as “cuánto tiempo”.
cuánto “Cuánto” asks about the amount in “cuánto tiempo”. Together with “tiempo”, it asks how long the food has been inside. It commonly appears before a noun when asking about its amount.
tiempo “Tiempo” means “time” in “cuánto tiempo lleva dentro”. Together with “cuánto”, it measures the length of time the food has remained inside. The pattern “cuánto tiempo” is used to ask how long something has lasted.
lleva “Lleva” means “has been” or “has lasted” in “cuánto tiempo lleva dentro”. With a duration and a place or state, it describes how long something has remained there. A reusable pattern is “lleva” followed by a duration and a location or state.
dentro “Dentro” means “inside” in “lleva dentro”. It identifies the inside of the fridge as the place where the food has remained. It can follow a verb of staying or duration to specify an interior location.
Qué “Qué” means “which” in “¿Qué estante es para la comida personal?”. It asks the listener to identify one shelf from the available shelves. It appears before the noun being selected.
estante “Estante” means “shelf” in “¿Qué estante es para la comida personal?”. It names the part of the fridge being chosen for personal food. It can be used after “qué” to ask which shelf.
es “Es” means “is” in “¿Qué estante es para la comida personal?”. It links the shelf with its intended use. It is commonly used to identify or describe what something is for.
para “Para” means “for” in “para la comida personal”. It introduces the intended use of the shelf. A common pattern is “ser para” followed by a person, purpose, or type of item.
comida “Comida” means “food” in “la comida personal”. It refers to food belonging to an individual rather than to the shared group. It can be described by an adjective such as “personal” or “compartida”.
personal “Personal” means “personal” in “la comida personal”. It identifies food that belongs to one person. It follows the noun here and describes whose food it is.
Usa “Usa” tells one person to use something in “Usa el estante de arriba”. It gives the instruction to choose the top shelf. A common pattern is “Usa” followed by the item or place to use.
arriba “Arriba” contributes the meaning “top” in “el estante de arriba”. Together, “de arriba” identifies the shelf located at the top. It can be used after a noun with “de” to specify an upper position.
lejos “Lejos” means “away” in “lejos de la comida compartida”. The expression places the personal food at a distance from the shared food. The common pattern “lejos de” is followed by the thing or place kept at a distance.
compartida “Compartida” means “shared” in “la comida compartida”. It describes the food as belonging to or being available to several people. This form follows the feminine noun “comida” and agrees with it.
dejaré “Dejaré” means “I will leave” in “La dejaré allí”. It describes the speaker’s planned action of leaving the soup there. It can be followed by an object and a place, as in “dejaré” the item “allí”.
y “Y” means “and” in “La dejaré allí y la llevaré a casa pronto”. It joins two actions planned by the speaker. It commonly connects two verbs or two related actions.
llevaré “Llevaré” means “I will take” in “la llevaré a casa”. It describes the speaker’s planned action of taking the soup home. A common pattern is “llevaré” followed by an object and “a” plus a destination.
a “A” means “to” in “a casa”. It introduces the destination of the action. It commonly appears before a place after a verb of movement or taking something somewhere.
casa “Casa” means “home” in “llevaré a casa”. Together with “a”, it identifies the destination where the soup will be taken. The expression “a casa” is used for going or taking something home.
pronto “Pronto” means “soon” in “la llevaré a casa pronto”. It indicates that the speaker plans to take the soup home in the near future. It can be placed after the action it describes.
no “No” means “not” in “no se llena de comida vieja”. It makes the statement negative and says that the fridge does not fill up. It normally appears before the verb or verb expression being negated.
se In “se llena”, “se” is part of the expression meaning that the fridge fills up or becomes full. It presents the fridge as undergoing that change rather than as filling something else. A common pattern is “se llena de” followed by what fills the space.
llena “Llena” means “fills up” in “el frigorífico no se llena de comida vieja”. Together with “se”, it describes the fridge becoming full. The pattern “se llena de” identifies what causes the space to become full.
vieja “Vieja” means “old” in “comida vieja”. It describes food that has been kept for a long time and is no longer fresh in the context. This form follows the feminine noun “comida” and agrees with it.

Grammar Points

deber + infinitivo

Debo escribir la fecha.

DEH-boh es-kree-BEER lah FEH-chah

I must write the date.

Deber + infinitive expresses obligation or necessity, similar to “must” or “should” in English.

¿Cuánto tiempo lleva + lugar?

¿Cuánto tiempo lleva dentro?

KWAHN-toh TYEM-poh YEH-bah DEN-troh

How long has it been inside?

Llevar with cuánto tiempo asks how long something has remained in a place or situation.

Spanish Vocabulary

allí adv
ah-YEE there
antes adv
AHN-tes before
compartido adj
kohm-par-TEE-doh shared
deber verb
deh-BEHR should; must debo
dejar verb
deh-HAHR to leave dejarlo

Leave it there.

etiqueta noun
eh-tee-KEH-tah label
frigorífico noun
free-goh-REE-fee-koh fridge
poder verb
poh-DEHR can; to be able to Puedo

Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?

poner verb
poh-NEHR to put

Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?

recipiente noun
reh-see-pee-EN-teh container
sopa noun
SOH-pah soup
también adv
tahm-BYEN also; too

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Should I write the date on it too?

Show Answer¿También debo escribir la fecha?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

before

Show Answerantes

shared

Show Answercompartido

soup

Show Answersopa

container

Show Answerrecipiente