Choosing a Movie Together | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: Before choosing a movie, two friends compare moods and pick a lighter mystery comedy with subtitles..

EN → ES / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Choosing a Movie Together to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Tú quieres una película de suspense, pero yo esperaba algo más ligero.

too KYEH-rehs OO-nah peh-LEE-koo-lah deh soos-PEN-seh, PEH-roh yoh ehs-peh-RAH-bah AHL-goh mahs lee-EH-roh. You want a thriller, but I was hoping for something lighter.
B

Quizá podamos encontrar una película que los dos tengamos ganas de ver.

kee-SAH poh-DAH-mohs ehn-kohn-TRAR OO-nah peh-LEE-koo-lah keh lohs dohs tehn-GAH-mohs GAH-nahs deh beh(r). Maybe we can find a film we both feel like watching.
A

¿Qué tal esta comedia de misterio? Las reseñas dicen que no es demasiado intensa.

keh TAHL EHS-tah koh-MEH-dyah deh mees-TEH-ryoh? lahs reh-SEH-nyahs DEE-sehn keh noh ehs deh-mah-SYAH-doh een-TEHN-sah. What about this mystery comedy? The reviews say it isn't too intense.
B

Podría funcionar. ¿Tiene subtítulos?

poh-DREE-ah foon-syoh-NAR. TYEH-neh soop-TEE-too-lohs? That could work. Does it have subtitles?
A

Sí, los tiene y no es demasiado larga.

see, lohs TYEH-neh ee noh ehs deh-mah-SYAH-doh LAR-gah. It does, and it isn't too long.
B

Las películas más cortas son mejores cuando empezamos tarde.

lahs peh-LEE-koo-lahs mahs KOR-tahs sohn meh-HOH-rehs KWAHN-doh ehs-peh-SAH-mohs TAR-deh. Shorter movies are better when we start late.
A

El tráiler tiene algo de suspense, pero sigue pareciendo divertido.

ehl TRAI-lehr TYEH-neh AHL-goh deh soos-PEN-seh, PEH-roh SEE-geh pah-reh-SYEN-doh dee-behr-TEE-doh. The trailer has some suspense, but it still looks funny.
B

Entonces nos va mejor que un thriller sin comedia.

ehn-TOHN-sehs nohs bah meh-HOR keh oon TREE-lehr seen koh-MEH-dyah. Then it fits us better than a straight thriller.
A

Reservaré asientos en la fila del medio.

reh-sehr-bah-REH ah-SYEN-tohs ehn lah FEE-lah dehl MEH-dyoh. I'll book seats in the middle row.
B

Creo que a los dos nos gustará esa película.

KREH-oh keh ah lohs dohs nohs goos-tah-RAH EH-sah peh-LEE-koo-lah. I think we'll both enjoy that one.

Word by Word

Tú Tú means “you” as the person who wants a thriller. It is stated explicitly to contrast with yo in this exchange. A reusable pattern is Tú followed by a verb when you want to make the subject clear.
quieres Quieres means “want” here and describes what Tú prefers to watch. It is the form used for the person being addressed. A common reuse pattern is this verb followed by a thing or activity that someone wants.
una Una means “a” or “one” before película. It introduces one unspecified movie. A reusable pattern is una before a singular feminine noun.
película Película means “movie” in this conversation. It is the thing being chosen and described by its genre. A common reuse pattern is this noun followed by information about the movie’s type or length.
de In película de suspense, de links película with the type of film that it is. Here it introduces the genre description rather than meaning a physical location. A reusable pattern is a noun followed by de and another noun to identify a type or category.
suspense Suspense identifies the film genre wanted in película de suspense. It refers to a movie designed to create tension or anticipation. It can be used after a genre-linking expression to describe a type of film.
pero Pero means “but” and introduces a contrast between wanting a thriller and hoping for something lighter. It connects two opposing preferences. A reusable pattern is pero followed by the contrasting idea.
yo Yo means “I” and identifies the speaker whose preference differs from Tú’s. It is made explicit for contrast in this dialogue. A reusable pattern is yo followed by a verb when the speaker wants to emphasize who is acting or feeling something.
esperaba Esperaba means “was hoping for” here, referring to the speaker’s preference for something lighter. It presents that hope as an ongoing or background expectation at the time of the conversation. A common reuse is this verb followed by the thing someone hoped for.
algo Algo means “something” in algo más ligero, referring to an unspecified movie or option. The following description gives more information about that unspecified thing. A reusable pattern is algo followed by a description.
más Más means “more” and helps form the comparison in algo más ligero, meaning something lighter. It increases the degree expressed by the following description. A common reuse pattern is más followed by an adjective or adverb.
ligero Ligero means “light” here, describing the desired tone of the movie rather than its physical weight. Más makes it comparative, so the speaker wants something lighter than a thriller. A reusable pattern is this adjective after más when comparing qualities.
Quizá Quizá means “maybe” and presents finding a suitable film as a possibility rather than a certainty. Here it introduces the suggestion that follows. A common reuse pattern is Quizá followed by a clause about a possible action or outcome.
podamos Podamos means “we may be able to” in Quizá podamos encontrar. It presents a possible shared action for the two speakers. A reusable pattern is this form followed by an action that the speakers might be able to carry out.
encontrar Encontrar means “find” and names the action that the two speakers may be able to do. It follows podamos as the action being proposed. A common reuse pattern is the ability-or-possibility expression followed by this infinitive and the thing sought.
que In una película que los dos tengamos ganas de ver, que introduces the clause describing the movie they are looking for. It links película with information about both speakers’ desire to watch it. A reusable pattern is a noun followed by que and a clause that describes it.
los In los dos, los helps form the expression referring to both people together. It belongs to the phrase los dos rather than identifying the movie. A reusable pattern is los dos followed by a verb when referring to two people acting or feeling together.
dos Dos means “two,” and in los dos it refers to both speakers. It specifies that the desire to watch the movie is shared by the pair. A reusable pattern is this number with a plural noun or with los to refer to two people or things.
tengamos Tengamos means “have” in los dos tengamos ganas de ver, expressing that both people have the desire to watch the movie. The form appears inside the clause describing the movie they seek. A common reuse pattern is the expression for having a desire followed by an infinitive.
ganas Ganas contributes the idea of desire or inclination in tengamos ganas de ver. The complete expression means that the two people feel like watching the movie. A reusable pattern is this noun in the expression for having the desire to do something.
ver Ver means “watch” or “see” and names the activity the two speakers feel like doing. It follows ganas de as the desired activity. A common reuse is this infinitive for watching a movie or seeing something.
Qué tal Qué tal is a fixed conversational phrase meaning “What about” or “How about” when suggesting esta comedia de misterio. Qué contributes the question element, while tal completes the phrase and makes it a suggestion about the option being considered. A common use is Qué tal followed by a proposed object or activity.
esta Esta means “this” before comedia and points to a specific movie option being considered. It identifies the nearby or currently discussed choice. A reusable pattern is esta before a singular feminine noun.
comedia Comedia means “comedy” and identifies the film’s comedic genre in comedia de misterio. It helps describe what kind of movie the speakers are considering. A common reuse is this noun in a phrase that combines it with another genre or type.
misterio Misterio means “mystery” in comedia de misterio, describing the other genre element of the movie. It identifies the movie as involving mystery as well as comedy. A reusable pattern is a genre noun used after de to specify the type of story or film.
Las Las means “the” before reseñas and introduces the specific reviews being discussed. It agrees with the plural noun that follows. A reusable pattern is Las before a plural feminine noun.
reseñas Reseñas means “reviews” and is the source of the opinion about the movie’s intensity. Here the reviews are presented as saying something about the film. A common reuse is this plural noun when referring to written or online evaluations of a movie.
dicen Dicen means “say” in Las reseñas dicen que, reporting what the reviews communicate. The reviews are the subject of this verb. A reusable pattern is this verb followed by que and the information being reported.
no No negates es demasiado intensa, so the reviews say that the movie is not too intense. It is placed before the verb or verbal idea being negated. A common reuse pattern is no followed by a verb.
es Es means “is” and identifies the movie’s level of intensity in no es demasiado intensa. It links the movie with the description that follows. A common reuse pattern is this form followed by an adjective describing a singular subject.
demasiado Demasiado means “too” or “overly” before intensa. It marks a degree that would be more than desired, and no demasiado means “not too.” A reusable pattern is demasiado followed by an adjective when judging whether something exceeds a suitable level.
intensa Intensa means “intense” and describes the movie as not excessively tense or demanding in no es demasiado intensa. Its form matches the feminine noun película understood in the sentence. A common reuse pattern is this adjective after a form of ser when describing an experience or film.
Podría Podría means “could” and presents the movie choice as a possible solution in Podría funcionar. It expresses a tentative positive assessment rather than certainty. A reusable pattern is Podría followed by an action to evaluate a possible plan.
funcionar Funcionar means “work” in Podría funcionar, meaning that the proposed movie could be a suitable choice. It evaluates whether an idea or arrangement is effective. A common reuse pattern is this infinitive after a word expressing possibility.
Tiene Tiene means “has” in the question asking whether the movie has subtitles. The same form appears in the reply Sí, los tiene, where the subtitles are understood from the question. A common reuse is this verb followed by the feature or item that something possesses.
subtítulos Subtítulos means “subtitles,” the feature the speaker asks about. It refers to written text accompanying the spoken dialogue. A common reuse is this plural noun after a verb meaning that a film or video has something.
Sí Sí means “yes” and confirms that the movie has subtitles. It functions as a direct affirmative reply before the additional information in the sentence. A common reuse is Sí at the beginning of an answer that confirms a question.
y Y means “and” and connects the confirmation about subtitles with the additional fact that the movie is not too long. It joins two related pieces of information. A reusable pattern is y between two clauses or descriptions.
larga Larga means “long” in no es demasiado larga, describing the movie’s duration. The form matches the feminine noun película understood in the sentence. A common reuse pattern is this adjective after a form of ser when describing the length of a film or activity.
películas Películas means “movies” and refers to movies in general when comparing their length. It is the plural form of película used as the subject of the comparison. A common reuse is this plural noun followed by an adjective describing movies.
cortas Cortas means “short” and describes movies with a shorter duration. Más makes the comparison in películas más cortas, referring to movies that are shorter than others. A common reuse pattern is más followed by this adjective when comparing duration.
son Son means “are” and links películas más cortas with the evaluation mejores. It presents the plural group of movies as having that quality. A common reuse pattern is a plural noun followed by son and an adjective or evaluation.
mejores Mejores means “better” and evaluates shorter movies as preferable for this situation. The plural form matches películas. A common reuse pattern is this plural evaluation after son when comparing several things.
cuando Cuando means “when” and introduces the time condition cuando empezamos tarde. It explains the circumstance in which shorter movies are preferable. A common reuse pattern is cuando followed by a clause describing a time or situation.
empezamos Empezamos means “we start” in cuando empezamos tarde. It identifies the two speakers as beginning the movie late. A common reuse is this form when describing a shared start time or activity.
tarde Tarde means “late” and describes when the two speakers start. It modifies the action of starting rather than naming the movie. A common reuse pattern is this word after a verb describing the beginning of an activity.
El El means “the” before tráiler and introduces the specific trailer being discussed. It agrees with the masculine singular noun that follows. A reusable pattern is El before a singular masculine noun.
tráiler Tráiler means “trailer,” the short preview used to judge the movie’s tone. In this dialogue, it is the subject of the descriptions about suspense and humor. A common reuse is this noun when discussing what a film preview shows or suggests.
sigue Sigue means “continues to” or “still” in sigue pareciendo divertido. It shows that the trailer continues to give the same funny impression despite containing suspense. A reusable pattern is this form followed by an ongoing action or impression.
pareciendo Pareciendo means “seeming” or “looking” in sigue pareciendo divertido. Together with sigue, it says that the trailer still appears funny. A common reuse pattern is an expression of continuation followed by this ongoing form and a description.
divertido Divertido means “funny” or “entertaining” as the impression given by the trailer. It describes how the trailer appears in sigue pareciendo divertido. A common reuse pattern is this adjective after an expression meaning that something seems or looks a certain way.
Entonces Entonces means “then” or “so” and draws a conclusion from the movie’s lighter, funny qualities. It introduces the judgment that this option suits them better. A reusable pattern is Entonces at the start of a conclusion or next decision.
nos In nos va mejor, nos means “to us” and identifies the two speakers as the people the movie suits. The complete expression says that the option fits them better. A common reuse is this pronoun with an expression evaluating how an option suits someone.
va Va means “goes” literally, but in nos va mejor it contributes to the expression meaning that the movie suits them better. It describes how the option works for the speakers. A reusable pattern is this form with a person represented by a pronoun and an evaluation of suitability.
mejor Mejor means “better” in nos va mejor, comparing how well this movie suits the speakers with the alternative. It completes the evaluation of the option. A common reuse is this comparative after an expression describing how something suits someone.
un Un means “a” or “one” before thriller and introduces one possible film type for comparison. It refers to a non-specific thriller without comedy. A reusable pattern is un before a singular masculine noun.
thriller Thriller identifies the alternative film genre being compared with the lighter mystery comedy. Here it is modified by sin comedia to mean a thriller without comedy. A common reuse is this genre noun when discussing film choices.
sin Sin means “without” and introduces the feature absent from the alternative in thriller sin comedia. It shows that the comparison is with a thriller that has no comedy. A reusable pattern is sin followed by the person, thing, or feature that is absent.
Reservaré Reservaré means “I will book” or “I will reserve,” announcing the speaker’s future action of arranging seats. It presents the booking as the next decision after choosing the movie. A common reuse is this form followed by the item or service being reserved.
asientos Asientos means “seats,” the objects that will be booked. In this dialogue, the seats are further located in the middle row. A common reuse is this plural noun after a verb meaning book or reserve.
en En means “in” and introduces the location of the seats in en la fila del medio. It connects asientos with the row where they will be located. A common reuse pattern is en followed by a place or location.
la La means “the” before fila and introduces the specific row being selected. It agrees with the feminine singular noun that follows. A reusable pattern is la before a singular feminine noun.
fila Fila means “row,” referring here to a row of cinema seats. It is specified further by del medio. A common reuse is this noun with a phrase identifying which row.
del Del means “of the” in fila del medio. It is the contraction of de and el and connects fila with medio to identify the middle row. A reusable pattern is this form when expressing a relationship involving a masculine singular noun introduced by el.
medio Medio means “middle” in fila del medio and identifies which row the speaker will reserve. It locates the seats between the other rows. A common reuse is this word in a phrase specifying a central position.
Creo Creo means “I think” and introduces the speaker’s prediction about the other person’s reaction. It expresses an opinion rather than certainty. A common reuse pattern is Creo que followed by the idea or prediction the speaker believes.
a In a los dos, a marks the people who will enjoy the movie in the construction with gustará. The complete phrase identifies both speakers as the people affected by that enjoyment. A common reuse is a followed by a person or group with this type of preference expression.
gustará Gustará means “will be enjoyable to” or “will please” in Creo que a los dos nos gustará esa película. The movie is the thing expected to produce enjoyment, while a los dos identifies the two people who will enjoy it. A common reuse pattern is this verb with a thing being enjoyed and a person introduced by a.
esa Esa means “that” before película and points to the movie they have just chosen. It refers back to a specific option rather than introducing a new one. A reusable pattern is esa before a singular feminine noun.

Grammar Points

Quizá + subjuntivo: quizá podamos + infinitivo

Quizá podamos encontrar una comedia.

kee-SAH poh-DAH-mohs ehn-kohn-TRAR OO-nah koh-MEH-dyah.

Maybe we can find a comedy.

Después de «quizá», el subjuntivo expresa posibilidad o incertidumbre. «Podamos» es la forma de nosotros.

Futuro simple: infinitivo + -é

Reservaré mejores asientos.

reh-sehr-bah-REH meh-HOH-rehs ah-SYEN-tohs.

I’ll reserve better seats.

La terminación «-é» indica una acción futura realizada por «yo»: reservaré.

Spanish Vocabulary

comedia noun
koh-MEH-dyah comedy

esta comedia de misterio

encontrar verb
ehn-kohn-TRAR to find

podamos encontrar una película

esperar verb
ehs-peh-RAR to hope; to expect esperaba

yo esperaba algo más ligero

ligero adj
lee-EH-roh light

algo más ligero

misterio noun
mees-TEH-ryoh mystery

comedia de misterio

película noun
peh-LEE-koo-lah movie; film

una película de suspense

poder verb
poh-DEHR can; to be able to podamos

Quizá podamos encontrar una película

querer verb
keh-REHR to want quieres

Tú quieres una película

quizá adv
kee-SAH maybe; perhaps Quizá

Quizá podamos encontrar una película

suspense noun
soos-PEN-seh suspense; thriller

una película de suspense

tener ganas de phrase
teh-NEHR GAH-nahs deh to feel like; to want to tengamos ganas de

los dos tengamos ganas de ver

ver verb
behr to see; to watch

ganas de ver

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That could work. Does it have subtitles?

Show AnswerPodría funcionar. ¿Tiene subtítulos?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

maybe; perhaps

Show AnswerQuizá

to want

Show Answerquieres

movie; film

Show Answerpelícula

light

Show Answerligero