About This Lesson
Use Politely handling a misdelivered package to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Dejaron fuera de tu puerta un paquete para mi apartamento.
deh-HAH-rohn FWEH-rah deh too PWEHR-tah oom pah-KEH-teh pah-rah mee ah-pahr-tah-MEHN-toh. A package for my apartment was left outside your door.
B
Lo vi y lo dejé junto a la puerta para ti.
loh VEE ee loh deh-HEH HOON-toh ah lah PWEHR-tah pah-rah tee. I noticed it and kept it by the door for you.
A
Esperaba que no se hubiera perdido.
eh-speh-RAH-bah keh noh seh oo-BYEH-rah pehr-DEE-doh. I was hoping it had not gone missing.
B
Probablemente solo fue una confusión con la etiqueta.
proh-bah-bleh-MEHN-teh SOH-loh fweh OO-nah kohn-foo-SYOHN kohn lah eh-tee-KEH-tah. It was probably just a label mix-up.
A
Puedo pasar en unos minutos para recogerlo.
PWEH-doh pah-SAR ehn OO-nohs mee-NOO-tohs pah-rah reh-koh-HEHR-loh. I can come by in a few minutes to pick it up.
B
Puedo llevártelo si te resulta más fácil.
PWEH-doh yeh-BAHR-teh-loh see teh reh-SOOL-tah mahs FAH-seel. I can bring it over if that is easier for you.
A
Te lo agradezco, pero ya estoy cerca.
teh loh ah-grah-DEHS-koh, PEH-roh yah ehs-TOY SEHR-kah. I appreciate that, but I am nearby already.
B
Lo dejaré junto a mi puerta hasta que llegues.
loh deh-hah-REH HOON-toh ah mee PWEHR-tah AHS-tah keh YEH-gehss. I'll leave it by my door until you get here.Word by Word
Dejaron
In 'Dejaron fuera de tu puerta', this says that someone left the package outside the door. The form comes from dejar and is used here for an action involving an unspecified person or people. A reusable pattern is dejar + object + place, useful when explaining where something was left.
fuera
In 'fuera de tu puerta', fuera means outside, referring to the area beyond the door. It combines with de to identify the place outside something. Use it when describing an item's location in relation to a building, room, or other boundary.
de
Here de connects fuera with the reference point in 'fuera de tu puerta', meaning outside your door. It introduces the place or thing that defines the location. A reusable pattern is fuera de + place or object when describing something as outside it.
tu
In 'tu puerta', tu means your and identifies the door as belonging to the person being addressed. It appears directly before the singular noun puerta. Use tu before a singular noun when referring to something belonging to the person you address.
puerta
In 'tu puerta', puerta means door and identifies the location where the package was left. It is the noun after the possessive tu. This word is useful when giving or checking a delivery location in a home or building.
un
In 'un paquete', un introduces one non-specific package. It appears before the singular noun paquete. Use un before a singular masculine noun when mentioning an item that has not been specified more closely.
paquete
In 'un paquete para mi apartamento', paquete means package, the item that was delivered to the wrong door. It is further identified by the phrase para mi apartamento. Use this word when discussing a parcel or delivery.
para
In 'para mi apartamento', para identifies the intended destination or recipient of the package. It is followed here by the place connected with the delivery. Use para before a destination, purpose, or intended recipient.
mi
In 'mi apartamento', mi means my and identifies the apartment as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before the singular noun apartamento. Use mi before a singular noun when referring to something belonging to yourself.
apartamento
In 'mi apartamento', apartamento means apartment and specifies the intended home for the package. It follows the possessive mi. This word is useful when identifying a residence or delivery destination.
Lo
At the beginning of 'Lo vi', Lo means it and refers to the package. The same object pronoun appears in lowercase in 'lo dejé' because it is not sentence-initial. Use this pronoun to refer back to a known masculine singular object such as the package.
vi
In 'Lo vi', vi means I saw it or noticed it, referring to the package. It is the past form of ver used for the speaker's observation. Use it after an object pronoun when reporting that you saw or noticed something.
y
Here y means and and joins the two actions in 'Lo vi y lo dejé'. It connects the speaker's observation with the following action. Use y to link two related actions, descriptions, or clauses.
dejé
In 'lo dejé junto a la puerta', dejé means I left or placed it. The form comes from dejar and describes what the speaker did with the package after noticing it. Use it with an object and a place when explaining where you left something.
junto
In 'junto a la puerta', junto means next to or by and describes the package's position. Its location meaning is completed by a and the following place. A reusable pattern is junto a + place when saying that something is beside a particular location.
la
In 'la puerta', la means the and marks puerta as a specific noun. It comes directly before the noun describing the package's location. Use la before a specific singular feminine noun.
ti
In 'para ti', ti means you as the person for whom the package was kept. It appears after the preposition para. Use para + person when expressing that something is intended for someone.
Esperaba
In 'Esperaba que no se hubiera perdido', Esperaba means I was hoping or I expected. It introduces the speaker's concern about what may have happened to the package and comes from esperar. A reusable pattern is esperar que + clause when expressing a hope or expectation.
que
In 'Esperaba que no se hubiera perdido', que introduces the content of the hope: that the package had not gone missing. It links Esperaba to the following clause. Use que after verbs such as esperar when introducing what someone hopes or expects.
no
Here no negates 'se hubiera perdido', so the speaker hopes that the package had not gone missing. It appears immediately before the rest of the verb expression. Use no before a verb or verb expression to state that an action or situation did not occur.
se
In 'se hubiera perdido', se is part of the expression for the package becoming lost or going missing. It presents the package as the item affected by the loss without naming a separate person who lost it. Use the corresponding pronominal loss expression when an item is described as going missing.
hubiera
In 'se hubiera perdido', hubiera is the auxiliary form of haber that places the possible loss before the speaker's hope. Together with perdido, it describes an earlier situation that the speaker hoped had not happened. This form can be reused in a subordinate clause after an expression of hope or uncertainty about an earlier event.
perdido
In 'se hubiera perdido', perdido means lost or gone missing and completes the expression describing the package's condition. It is used with hubiera rather than standing alone in this sentence. Use the expression for an item going missing when its disappearance is the relevant situation.
Probablemente
At the beginning of 'Probablemente solo fue una confusión', Probablemente means probably and signals that the explanation is not stated as certain. It modifies the whole statement that follows. Use it before a statement when offering a likely explanation or conclusion.
solo
In 'solo fue una confusión', solo means just or only and narrows the explanation to a simple mix-up. It helps make the problem sound limited rather than serious. Use solo when restricting a situation to one explanation, amount, or scope.
fue
In 'fue una confusión', fue says that the issue was a confusion or mix-up. Here it links the past incident with its identification as una confusión. A reusable pattern is a past form of ser followed by a noun when identifying what an earlier event was.
una
In 'una confusión', una introduces one non-specific confusion or mix-up. It appears before the feminine singular noun confusión. Use una before a singular feminine noun when mentioning one non-specific thing.
confusión
In 'una confusión con la etiqueta', confusión means a mix-up or confusion involving the label. The phrase con la etiqueta identifies what was involved in the problem. Use this word when explaining that information or items became mixed up.
con
In 'con la etiqueta', con means with and identifies the label associated with the mix-up. It links the confusion to the thing involved. Use con + noun when naming something connected with a problem, action, or situation.
etiqueta
In 'la etiqueta', etiqueta means label, the information attached to the package that may have caused the delivery error. It is specified by the article la. This word is useful when discussing labels attached to packages or other items.
Puedo
In 'Puedo pasar', Puedo means I can and presents the speaker's ability or willingness to come by. It comes from poder and is followed by the infinitive pasar. A reusable pattern is puedo + infinitive when offering or stating what you can do.
pasar
In 'Puedo pasar en unos minutos', pasar means come by or stop by. It is the action the speaker offers to carry out and follows Puedo. Use this infinitive when arranging a brief visit or stop at a place.
en
In 'en unos minutos', en introduces the time period after which the speaker can come by. Here it means in, as in within a few minutes. Use en before a period of time when saying when an action will happen.
unos
In 'unos minutos', unos means a few or some and gives an approximate number of minutes. It comes before the plural noun minutos. Use unos before a plural count noun when referring to a small, non-exact quantity.
minutos
In 'unos minutos', minutos means minutes and measures the short delay before the speaker comes by. It follows the approximate quantity unos. Use this word in time expressions when scheduling or estimating a short period.
recogerlo
In 'para recogerlo', recogerlo means to pick it up, with lo referring to the package. The object pronoun is attached to the infinitive recoger. Use an infinitive with an attached object pronoun when describing the purpose of collecting a known item.
llevártelo
In 'Puedo llevártelo', llevártelo means to bring or take it to you: te identifies the recipient and lo refers to the package. The pronouns are attached to the infinitive llevar. Use this kind of form when offering to deliver a known object to another person.
si
In 'si te resulta más fácil', si means if and introduces the condition under which bringing the package would be preferable. It connects the offer with the other person's convenience. Use si before a clause when making an offer or statement dependent on a condition.
te
In 'te resulta más fácil', te refers to the person for whom the option may be easier. It functions as the person affected by the evaluation expressed by resulta. Use a pronoun in this position when saying that something is easy, difficult, useful, or convenient for someone.
resulta
In 'te resulta más fácil', resulta means is or turns out to be for you and links the proposed arrangement with the assessment más fácil. It comes from resultar and agrees with the singular situation being evaluated. Use resultar with a person and an adjective when describing how an option feels or works for that person.
más
In 'más fácil', más means more and forms the comparison that one option is easier than another. It comes directly before the adjective fácil. Use más before an adjective when comparing the degree of a quality.
fácil
In 'te resulta más fácil', fácil means easy and describes the convenience of the proposed arrangement for the other person. The comparison más makes it mean easier in this context. Use it with an option, action, or arrangement when evaluating how much effort it requires.
agradezco
In 'Te lo agradezco', agradezco expresses I appreciate it or I am grateful for that, referring to the offer just made. The surrounding pronouns identify the person and the thing being appreciated, so the whole expression functions as a polite acknowledgment. Use this form when thanking someone directly for a specific offer or action.
pero
In 'pero ya estoy cerca', pero means but and contrasts appreciation with the speaker's reason for declining the offer. It joins the thanks to the explanation that the speaker is already nearby. Use pero to introduce a contrasting fact, response, or reason.
ya
In 'ya estoy cerca', ya means already and shows that the speaker is nearby at this point. It emphasizes that this state is true before the other person needs to bring the package. Use ya before or with a statement when indicating that something has happened or is true by now.
estoy
In 'estoy cerca', estoy means I am and describes the speaker's current location. It comes from estar and is followed here by cerca. Use this form with a location or state when describing where you are or how you are at the moment.
cerca
In 'estoy cerca', cerca means nearby or close and gives the speaker's location relative to the building. It completes the location statement after estoy. Use it with estar to say that someone or something is nearby, or with de when naming what it is near.
dejaré
In 'Lo dejaré junto a mi puerta', dejaré means I will leave it. It comes from dejar and presents a future arrangement or commitment concerning the package. Use this future form with an object and a place when promising where something will remain.
hasta
In 'hasta que llegues', hasta means until and sets the endpoint of the time during which the package will remain by the door. It introduces the clause describing the other person's arrival. Use hasta que + clause when saying that an action continues up to a future event.
llegues
In 'hasta que llegues', llegues means you arrive or get here and names the awaited event that ends the arrangement. It comes from llegar and is used in the clause introduced by hasta que. Use this form after hasta que when referring to a future arrival or other event that has not happened yet.
Grammar Points
hasta que + subjuntivo
Hasta que llegues, dejaré el paquete fuera de la puerta.
AHS-tah keh YEH-gehss, deh-hah-REH ehl pah-KEH-teh FWEH-rah deh lah PWEHR-tah.Until you arrive, I will leave the package outside the door.
For a future event after hasta que, Spanish uses the subjunctive: llegues.
infinitivo + pronombres átonos
Es fácil recogerlo y llevártelo.
ehss FAH-seel reh-koh-HEHR-loh ee yeh-BAHR-teh-loh.It is easy to pick it up and bring it to you.
Object pronouns attach to an infinitive: recoger + lo; llevar + te + lo.
Spanish Vocabulary
apartamento
noun
ah-pahr-tah-MEHN-toh
apartment
mi apartamento
confusión
noun
kohn-foo-SYOHN
mix-up; confusion
una confusión con la etiqueta
dejaré
verb
deh-hah-REH
I will leave
Lo dejaré junto a mi puerta
dejaron
verb
deh-HAH-rohn
they left
Dejaron fuera de tu puerta...
esperaba
verb
eh-speh-RAH-bah
I was hoping
Esperaba que no se hubiera perdido
fuera de
prep
FWEH-rah deh
outside
fuera de tu puerta
junto a
prep
HOON-toh ah
next to; by
junto a la puerta
paquete
noun
pah-KEH-teh
package
un paquete
perdido
verb
pehr-DEE-doh
lost
se hubiera perdido
probablemente
adv
proh-bah-bleh-MEHN-teh
probably
Probablemente solo fue...
puerta
noun
PWEHR-tah
door
tu puerta
vi
verb
VEE
I saw; I noticed
Lo vi
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I was hoping it had not gone missing.
Show Answer
Esperaba que no se hubiera perdido.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
I will leave
Show Answer
dejaréthey left
Show Answer
dejaronpackage
Show Answer
paqueteI was hoping