Day 81 of 185

Day 81: An Advance on Payday in Mazatlán

At a hotel in Mazatlán, Ismael (B), a new receptionist, goes to see the manager, Liliana (A), about his pay, which comes every quincena, twice a month.

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

    ¿Me buscaba, Ismael? Pásele.

    Were you looking for me, Ismael? Come in.

  2. B

    Sí, con permiso. Me da pena, pero ¿me podría adelantar la mitad de la quincena?

    Yes, excuse me. I feel awkward asking, but could you give me half of this paycheck in advance?

  3. A

    Ojalá pudiera, pero el dueño tiene una regla: nada de adelantos los primeros tres meses.

    I wish I could, but the owner has a rule: no advances in the first three months.

  4. B

    ¿Ni en una emergencia? Es para el dentista de mi mamá.

    Not even in an emergency? It's for my mom's dentist.

  5. A

    Ni así. La última vez que hice una excepción, el dueño me pidió que no se repitiera.

    Not even then. The last time I made an exception, the owner asked me not to let it happen again.

  6. B

    Entiendo. ¿Y conoce a alguien que me preste sin cobrarme intereses?

    I understand. And do you know anyone who'd lend me money without charging me interest?

  7. A

    Vaya con Esther, la de la lavandería: lleva la caja de ahorro. Dígale que va de mi parte.

    Go see Esther in the laundry room: she runs the staff savings fund. Tell her I sent you.

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