Day 7: Tree Roots Under the Shared Wall
In a gated community (a coto) in Zapopan, Araceli (A), whose fig tree grows by the back wall, argues with her next-door neighbor Edith Robles (B) about a crack in the wall between their yards.
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
Señora Robles, ya vi la grieta, pero no me consta que sea culpa de mi higuera.
Mrs. Robles, I've seen the crack, but I have no proof it's my fig tree's fault.
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B
Mire, las raíces ya habrán llegado a los cimientos. Aquí está el presupuesto: 18,000 pesos.
Look, the roots will have reached the foundations by now. Here's the quote: 18,000 pesos.
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A
Esa barda fue levantada por la constructora y es área común: la reparación le toca al coto.
That wall was built by the developer and it's a common area: the repair is the community's responsibility.
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B
El reglamento fue aprobado en 2019 y dice clarito que cada condómino responde por sus árboles.
The regulations were approved in 2019, and they say quite clearly that each owner is responsible for their own trees.
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A
¿Y quién dice que fueron las raíces y no las lluvias?
And who says it was the roots and not the rain?
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B
Mire, que lo decida la administración con el reglamento en la mano.
Look, let the management decide, with the regulations in hand.
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A
De acuerdo, pero mientras tanto nadie toca mi higuera: estaba aquí antes que usted.
Fine, but in the meantime nobody touches my fig tree: it was here before you were.
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