Day 24: A Consul's Advice on the In-Laws
In Chicago, Ana Sofía (B), who is engaged to Benjamín, asks her mother Beatriz (A), a career diplomat and consul at the Mexican consulate, how to handle her future in-laws, who expect a church wedding she does not want.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a Spanish word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Spanish, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
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A
Hija, tratemos esto como una negociación: ¿cuál es tu línea roja y en qué puedes ceder?
Sweetheart, let's treat this as a negotiation: what's your red line, and where can you give ground?
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B
Línea roja: no me caso por la Iglesia, y ahí no claudico. Del mariachi a la tornaboda, todo se negocia.
Red line: I'm not getting married in church, and I won't give in on that. From the mariachi to the after-party, everything is up for negotiation.
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A
Primera regla: nunca abras con tu línea roja. Llegado el momento, la pones sobre la mesa, no antes.
First rule: never open with your red line. When the time comes, you put it on the table, not before.
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B
¿Y si mi suegra me pregunta en plena comida a qué hora es la misa?
And what if my future mother-in-law asks me in the middle of lunch what time the Mass is?
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A
Separa posición de interés: pide misa, pero a lo mejor quiere quedar bien con sus comadres.
Separate position from interest: she's asking for a Mass, but maybe she wants to look good in front of her friends.
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B
¿Y si quiere salvar mi alma? Ya apartó la parroquia y reza el rosario por mi conversión.
And what if she wants to save my soul? She's already booked the parish church and prays the rosary for my conversion.
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A
Hazle una concesión que a ella le importe mucho y a ti te cueste poco: que los bendiga en la fiesta.
Make her a concession that matters a lot to her and costs you little: let her bless the two of you at the party.
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B
¿Y si se ofende igual? Mi suegro ya amenazó con no ir, y Benjamín sufre nomás de oírlo.
And what if she takes offense anyway? My future father-in-law has already threatened not to come, and Benjamín suffers just hearing it.
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A
Sea cual fuere su reacción, no contestas en caliente. Hechas las paces, comunicado conjunto; antes, ni un mensaje al chat familiar.
Whatever their reaction may be, you don't reply in the heat of the moment. Once peace is made, a joint statement; until then, not one message in the family chat.
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B
Sí, señora cónsul. Nomás explícame por qué mi suegra dice que ayer platicó una hora con su consuegra.
Yes, Madam Consul. Just explain to me why my future mother-in-law says she talked for an hour yesterday with her son's future mother-in-law.
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