Day 99 of 185

Day 99: As If Everyone Were Late

At an office in Mexico City, Efraín (A), a junior employee from Capulálpam, a village in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, knocks on the door of his manager, Jorge (B).

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

    ¿Tiene un minuto, licenciado? Llevo un año aquí y todavía no me hallo.

    Do you have a minute? I've been here a year, and I still don't feel at home.

  2. B

    Pásale, Efraín. ¿Qué te cuesta más: el tráfico, el Metro?

    Come in, Efraín. What do you find hardest: the traffic, the Metro?

  3. A

    La prisa. Todos caminan como si llegaran tarde, y comen como si les fueran a quitar el plato.

    The rush. Everyone walks as if they were late, and eats as if someone were about to take their plate away.

  4. B

    Así es aquí, ni modo. Pero algo me vas a pedir, ¿verdad?

    That's how it is here, I'm afraid. But you're about to ask me for something, aren't you?

  5. A

    Pues sí. Quiero pedirle que me deje trabajar desde Capulálpam dos semanas en diciembre.

    Well, yes. I'd like to ask you to let me work from Capulálpam for two weeks in December.

  6. B

    Sale, pero quiero que me prometas una conexión estable: nada de congelarte en las juntas.

    OK, but I want you to promise me a stable connection: no freezing in meetings.

  7. A

    Prometido. Y usted, en Navidad, coma como si nadie le fuera a quitar el plato.

    I promise. And at Christmas, you eat as if nobody were going to take your plate away.

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