Day 146 of 160

Day 146: Bagging Groceries for Tips at Fifteen

At home in Orizaba, Veracruz, Tere (A), who worked for years at a textile factory in nearby RĂ­o Blanco, talks to her daughter Sonia (B) and her grandson MartĂ­n (C), 15, about his new weekend job; a cerillo is what Mexicans call the teenagers who bag groceries at supermarket checkouts for tips.

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

    Martín, ¿y ese uniforme? Tu mamá me contó que ya cumpliste una semana de cerillo en el súper.

    MartĂ­n, what's with the uniform? Your mom told me you've already done a week as a cerillo at the supermarket.

  2. B

    Y viera qué contento anda, mamá: dice que su gerente es el mejor jefe del mundo.

    And you should see how happy he is, Mom: he says his manager is the best boss in the world.

  3. C

    Es que sí, abuela: nos deja escoger turno, nos invita refrescos y nunca nos grita. Y el sábado saqué $240 de propinas.

    Because he is, Grandma: he lets us choose our shifts, buys us sodas and never shouts at us. And on Saturday I made 240 pesos in tips.

  4. A

    ÂżPuras propinas? Si ese gerente fuese tan bueno, le exigirĂ­a a la empresa que les diese un sueldo.

    Nothing but tips? If that manager were really so good, he'd demand that the company pay you all a wage.

  5. C

    Ay, no es un trabajo formal. ¿A poco su jefe de la fábrica era un pan de Dios?

    Oh, come on, it's not a real job. Are you telling me your boss at the factory was a saint?

  6. A

    Era un tirano: por un minuto de retraso te descontaba el dĂ­a, pero pagaba completo y con prestaciones. Eso es ser buen jefe, aunque nunca invitase refrescos.

    He was a tyrant: he docked you a day's pay for being a minute late, but he paid in full and with all the benefits. That's what a good boss is, even if he never bought anyone a soda.

  7. B

    Los dos tienen algo de razĂłn: con ese sueldo tu abuela me sacĂł adelante, aunque a veces llegaba llorando de coraje.

    You've both got a point: with that wage your grandma raised me, though sometimes she came home crying with rage.

  8. C

    Pues si a mĂ­ me trataran como la trataban a usted, renunciarĂ­a al dĂ­a siguiente.

    Well, if they treated me the way they treated you, I'd quit the next day.

  9. A

    Ay, mijo, en mis tiempos el que renunciaba no comía. El sábado me formo en tu caja, a ver qué tan santo es ese gerente.

    Oh, honey, in my day whoever quit didn't eat. On Saturday I'll get in line at your register, to see just how saintly this manager of yours is.

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