Day 44: A Sixteen-Year-Old's First Tanda
In Pachuca, Jazmín (A), who is sixteen, asks her mother Lorena (B) to let her join a tanda, a savings circle in which every member pays in every two weeks and takes the whole pot in turn.
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
Ma, quiero entrar a una tanda con mis compañeras: setecientos por quincena, y cuando me toque, me compro la computadora.
Mom, I want to join a tanda with my classmates: seven hundred every two weeks, and when my turn comes, I'll buy the computer.
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B
¿Una tanda? Ay, mija, yo perdí cinco mil pesos con mi comadre Hortensia, que cobró el primer número y desapareció.
A tanda? Oh, honey, I lost five thousand pesos with my friend Hortensia, who took the first payout and vanished.
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A
Esto es distinto, ma: nos conocemos desde la secundaria y llevamos todo en una hoja de cálculo.
This is different, Mom: we've known each other since middle school and we keep track of everything on a spreadsheet.
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B
Una hoja de cálculo no le cobra a nadie. Te dejo entrar, siempre y cuando no te quedes con el último número.
A spreadsheet doesn't chase anyone for money. I'll let you join, provided you don't end up with the last number.
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A
Tranquila, ya tengo el primero: levanté la mano antes que nadie, y camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente.
Relax, I've already got the first one: I raised my hand before anyone else, and you snooze, you lose.
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B
¿El primero? Ah, caray. Entonces las que corren riesgo son tus compañeras: ese fue el número de mi comadre.
The first one? Well, well. Then it's your classmates who are taking the risk: that was my friend's number.
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A
¡Ma! ¿Me estás comparando con esa señora? Yo pago hasta la última cuota, aunque ya tenga la computadora.
Mom! Are you comparing me to that woman? I'll pay every last installment, even once I've got the computer.
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B
Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho. A la tercera quincena vas a querer unos tenis, y el que mucho abarca poco aprieta.
Easier said than done. By the third payday you'll want some sneakers, and if you grab at everything, you'll hold on to nothing.
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A
Mira quién habla: vi el grupo de tu oficina, y tú tienes el número doce, el último.
Look who's talking: I saw your office group chat, and you've got number twelve, the last one.
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B
Lo mío es distinto. Puedes entrar, con tal de que la computadora se quede en prenda hasta tu última cuota.
Mine's different. You can join, as long as the computer stays with me as security until your last installment.
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A
¿En prenda? Ay, ma, con tantas condiciones esto ya no es tanda, es el Monte de Piedad.
As security? Oh, Mom, with all these conditions this isn't a tanda anymore, it's a pawnshop.
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