Reporting a Lost Item with Useful Details | Learn Spanish in English

About This Lesson

Use Reporting a Lost Item with Useful Details to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Creo que dejé mis auriculares en la sala de espera.

KREH-oh keh deh-HEH mees ow-ree-koo-LAH-rehs en lah SAH-lah deh ehs-PEH-rah. I think I left my headphones in the waiting area.

¿Recuerdas dónde estabas sentado?

reh-KWEHR-dahs DOHN-deh ehs-TAH-bahs sen-TAH-doh? Do you remember where you were sitting?

Cerca de la ventana, junto a los puntos de carga.

SEHR-kah deh lah behn-TAH-nah, HOON-toh ah lohs POON-tohs deh KAH-rgah. Near the window, by the charging points.

Eso ayuda al personal a acotar la búsqueda.

EH-soh ah-YOO-dah ahl pehr-soh-NAHL ah ah-koh-TAHR lah boos-KEH-dah. That narrows it down for the staff.

Me preocupa más perder la configuración guardada que el costo.

meh preh-oh-KOO-pah mahs pehr-DEHR lah kohn-fee-goo-rah-SYOHN gahr-DAH-dah keh el KOH-stoh. I am more worried about losing the saved settings than the cost.

Entonces, vamos a reportarlo antes de que despejen la zona.

en-TOHN-sehs, BAH-mohs ah reh-por-TAHR-loh AHN-tehs deh keh dehs-PEH-hen lah SOH-nah. Then let us report it before the area gets cleared.

¿Qué debería incluir en el reporte de objeto perdido?

keh deh-beh-REE-ah een-kloo-EER en el reh-POR-teh deh ohb-HEH-toh pehr-DEE-doh? What should I include in the lost item report?

Describe el color, el tipo y cualquier detalle inusual de la funda.

dehs-KREE-beh el koh-LOR, el TEE-poh ee kwahl-KYEHR deh-TAH-yeh een-oo-SWAHL deh lah FOON-dah. Describe the color, the type, and anything unusual about the case.

Word by Word

Creo “Creo” means “I think” here and introduces the speaker’s belief about what happened. A reusable pattern is “Creo que...” followed by a clause.

que “que” introduces the clause containing what the speaker thinks in “Creo que dejé...”. In this dialogue it connects the opinion with the following statement, not the comparison meaning “than”.

dejé “dejé” means “I left” and describes the speaker’s completed action involving the headphones. It is used with the object “mis auriculares” and the location “en la sala de espera”.

mis “mis” means “my” and marks possession of more than one item in “mis auriculares”. It is placed before the possessed noun.

auriculares “auriculares” means “headphones” in this dialogue. The plural form fits the speaker’s item and appears after the possessive “mis”.

en “en” means “in” here and marks the location where the headphones were left. A reusable pattern is “en” plus a place, as in “en la sala de espera”.

la “la” means “the” and accompanies the feminine singular noun “sala”. Together they form the beginning of the location “la sala de espera”.

sala “sala” means “room” or “hall” here as part of “sala de espera”, meaning waiting area. The phrase identifies a specific place in the station.

de “de” links “sala” with “espera” in “sala de espera”. Here it expresses the type or purpose of the room: a room for waiting.

espera “espera” refers to waiting in the expression “sala de espera”. It helps name the location where people wait.

Recuerdas “Recuerdas” means “do you remember?” and asks the other person to recall information. A reusable pattern is “¿Recuerdas...?” followed by the thing or situation someone should recall.

dónde “dónde” means “where” and introduces the embedded question about the place of sitting. The accent marks its interrogative use in “dónde estabas sentado”.

estabas “estabas” means “you were” and places the other person in a past situation in “estabas sentado”. It presents the past state connected with the remembered location.

sentado “sentado” means “sitting” or “seated” and describes the person’s position in “estabas sentado”. It follows “estabas” to describe that past state.

Cerca “Cerca” means “near” and gives the approximate location of the seat. It is commonly used with “de”, as in “Cerca de la ventana”.

ventana “ventana” means “window” and identifies the landmark near the seat. In “Cerca de la ventana”, it follows “de” after the location word “Cerca”.

junto “junto” means “next to” in the location phrase “junto a los puntos de carga”. It is used with “a” to identify something immediately beside a place or object.

a “a” completes the location phrase “junto a” and helps express “next to”. Here it is followed by “los puntos de carga”.

los “los” means “the” and accompanies the plural noun “puntos”. It identifies the specific charging points mentioned in the station.

puntos “puntos” means “points” here as part of “puntos de carga”, referring to charging points. The plural form indicates more than one point.

carga “carga” refers to charging in “puntos de carga”. It specifies the purpose of the points mentioned as a location.

Eso “Eso” means “that” and refers to the location details just given. It functions as the subject of “Eso ayuda al personal...”.

ayuda “ayuda” means “helps” and says that the information makes the staff’s task easier. A reusable pattern is “ayuda a” plus a person or group, as in “ayuda al personal”.

al “al” means “to the” in “ayuda al personal”. It is the contracted form used before “personal” in this phrase.

personal “personal” means “staff” and refers to the station workers handling the search. It follows “al” as the group receiving the benefit of the useful details.

acotar “acotar” means “to narrow down” in “acotar la búsqueda”. It is an infinitive after “ayuda a” and describes reducing the possible search area.

búsqueda “búsqueda” means “search” in “acotar la búsqueda”. The phrase refers to the staff’s effort to find the lost headphones.

Me “Me” means “me” and identifies the person who feels concern in “Me preocupa...”. It appears before the verb when the speaker says something worries them.

preocupa “preocupa” means “worries” or “concerns” in “Me preocupa más...”. The thing causing concern follows the verb, while “Me” identifies the affected person.

más “más” means “more” and makes the comparison between concern about the saved settings and concern about the cost. The pattern here is “Me preocupa más X que Y”.

perder “perder” means “to lose” or “losing” and names the possible loss that worries the speaker. It is an infinitive after “Me preocupa más” and takes “la configuración guardada” as its object.

configuración “configuración” means “settings” or “configuration” here. It is the information the speaker is especially worried about losing.

guardada “guardada” means “saved” and describes the settings in “la configuración guardada”. It agrees with the feminine singular noun “configuración”.

el “el” means “the” and accompanies the masculine singular noun “costo”. It introduces the cost used as the second part of the comparison.

costo “costo” means “cost” and represents the financial concern that the speaker considers less important. It appears after “que” in the comparison “más... que el costo”.

Entonces “Entonces” means “then” or “so” and introduces the action that follows from the previous concern. It is useful for connecting a conclusion with a next step.

vamos “vamos” means “let us” in “vamos a reportarlo”, suggesting a joint action. The reusable pattern “vamos a” plus an infinitive proposes doing something together.

reportarlo “reportarlo” means “to report it”; “lo” refers to the lost item in this context and is attached to the infinitive “reportar”. The phrase “vamos a reportarlo” proposes reporting the item.

antes “antes” means “before” and sets a time limit for reporting the item. In this dialogue it appears in the pattern “antes de que” followed by an action.

despejen “despejen” means “clear” in “despejen la zona”, referring to clearing the area. After “antes de que”, it presents an action that has not yet happened.

zona “zona” means “area” and refers to the station waiting area in “despejen la zona”. It is the direct object of the action of clearing.

Qué “Qué” means “what” and asks which information the speaker should provide. The accent marks its interrogative use at the start of “¿Qué debería incluir...?”.

debería “debería” means “should” or “ought to” and asks for advice about what the speaker needs to put in the report. It is used with the infinitive “incluir”.

incluir “incluir” means “to include” and refers to adding information to the report. A reusable pattern is “debería incluir” followed by the information or items to provide.

reporte “reporte” means “report” and refers to the document or record about the lost item. In “reporte de objeto perdido”, the following phrase specifies its purpose.

objeto “objeto” means “item” or “object” in “objeto perdido”. It names the thing being reported as missing.

perdido “perdido” means “lost” and describes the item in “objeto perdido”. It agrees with the masculine singular noun “objeto”.

Describe “Describe” means “describe” and gives the listener a direct instruction. It is followed by the details the lost-item report should contain.

color “color” means “color” and identifies one characteristic to provide when describing the item. It appears in the list “el color, el tipo y cualquier detalle inusual”.

tipo “tipo” means “type” and asks for the kind or category of the item. It is another detail listed after “el color”.

y “y” means “and” and joins the listed details in the instruction. Here it connects “el tipo” with “cualquier detalle inusual”.

cualquier “cualquier” means “any” and allows the speaker to mention any unusual detail that could identify the case. It appears before the singular noun “detalle”.

detalle “detalle” means “detail” and refers to an identifying piece of information about the case. In “cualquier detalle inusual”, it is modified by “inusual”.

inusual “inusual” means “unusual” and describes a detail that is distinctive or not ordinary. It follows “detalle” in “cualquier detalle inusual”.

funda “funda” means “case” or “cover” and identifies the outer case of the headphones. It appears after “de” in “la funda”, the object whose unusual details should be described.

Grammar Points

Infinitivo + pronombre: reportar + lo

reportarlo

reh-por-TAHR-loh

to report it

El pronombre «lo» se une al infinitivo «reportar» y significa «it».

Spanish Vocabulary

acotar verb

ah-koh-TAHR to narrow down

a acotar la búsqueda

auricular noun

ow-ree-koo-LAHR earphone; headphone auriculares

mis auriculares

cerca adv

SEHR-kah near; close

Cerca de la ventana

creer verb

kreh-EHR to think; to believe Creo

Creo que dejé mis auriculares en la sala de espera.

dejar verb

deh-HAHR to leave dejé

Creo que dejé mis auriculares en la sala de espera.

junto a prep

HOON-toh ah next to; beside

junto a los puntos de carga

personal noun

pehr-soh-NAHL staff

para el personal

puntos de carga phrase

POON-tohs deh KAH-rgah charging points

los puntos de carga

recordar verb

reh-kor-DAHR to remember Recuerdas

¿Recuerdas dónde estabas sentado?

sala de espera phrase

SAH-lah deh ehs-PEH-rah waiting area; waiting room

en la sala de espera

sentado adj

sen-TAH-doh seated; sitting

estabas sentado

ventana noun

behn-TAH-nah window

la ventana

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you remember where you were sitting?

Show Answer

¿Recuerdas dónde estabas sentado?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to leave

Show Answer

dejé

to think; to believe

Show Answer

Creo

to remember

Show Answer

Recuerdas

seated; sitting

Show Answer

sentado