Day 90 of 135

Day 90: Infonavit Credit or Bank Loan?

At the kitchen table in Hermosillo, Sonora, Rosana (A) and her husband Joaquín (B) compare a loan from Infonavit, the workers' housing fund, with a bank mortgage for their first house, while their eight-year-old daughter Catalina (C) listens in.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. A

    Ya hice cuentas: la mensualidad del Infonavit es la mitad de la del banco, y me la descuentan directo de la nómina.

    I've done the math: the Infonavit monthly payment is half the bank's, and they take it right out of my paycheck.

  2. B

    Sí, pero con ese crédito nomás alcanza para una casita con patio de dos metros. El hecho de que salga barato no significa que convenga.

    Yes, but that loan only stretches to a little house with a two-meter yard. The fact that it's cheap doesn't mean it's a good idea.

  3. C

    ¿Dos metros? Ahí no cabe ni el perro que me prometieron. Yo me cambio siempre y cuando haya un árbol con columpio.

    Two meters? Not even the dog you promised me would fit there. I'll move as long as there's a tree with a swing.

  4. A

    La casa del mezquite tiene sombra y hasta columpio, pero para esa solo nos alcanza con el banco, dando veinte por ciento de enganche.

    The house with the mesquite tree has shade and even a swing, but we can only afford that one with the bank, putting down a twenty percent down payment.

  5. B

    El enganche lo juntamos, a condición de que nos olvidemos de San Carlos tres veranos. Lo que no me cuadra es la mensualidad.

    We can scrape the down payment together, on condition that we forget about San Carlos for three summers. What doesn't add up for me is the monthly payment.

  6. C

    ¡Yo pongo mis ahorros! Tengo novecientos pesos en el cochinito, con tal de que el columpio sea solo mío.

    I'll put in my savings! I've got nine hundred pesos in my piggy bank, provided the swing is all mine.

  7. A

    Gracias, mi amor, pero el que la mensualidad se lleve la mitad de lo que ganamos me quita el sueño.

    Thank you, sweetheart, but the idea of the monthly payment taking half of what we earn keeps me awake at night.

  8. B

    Tienes razón, el banco no perdona un solo atraso. Nos vamos con el Infonavit y plantamos nuestro propio mezquite.

    You're right, the bank won't forgive a single late payment. We'll go with Infonavit and plant our own mesquite tree.

  9. C

    ¿En un patio de dos metros? ¿Y cuánto tarda un mezquite en dar sombra?

    In a two-meter yard? And how long does a mesquite tree take to give shade?

  10. B

    Unos diez años, siempre y cuando lo cuides. Los mezquites son lentos pero tercos, como tu mamá.

    About ten years, as long as you look after it. Mesquite trees are slow but stubborn, like your mom.

  11. C

    ¿Diez años? Para entonces voy a estar en la universidad. Mejor denme el perro, pero ahorita.

    Ten years? By then I'll be in college. Give me the dog instead, and right now.

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