Inspired Beginners Podcast 08 Discutir

Contents

1. Key Vocabulary 2

2. The Transcript of the conversation 3

3. Translation of the conversation 5

4. Vocab Building (add to the list) 7

5. Cool Spanish! 8

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 1 www.notesinspanish.com

1. Key Vocabulary

En los restaurantes In restaurants

Dejar propina To leave a tip
Men del da (m.) Set menu
Comer To eat / To have lunch
Cenar To have dinner

Dos o tres por ciento (m.) Two or three percent

Discutiendo Arguing
Tienes razn You are right

No estoy de acuerdo contigo I dont agree with you

Por un lado por otro lado. On the one hand on the other hand
Por un lado las motos son ms rpidas On the one hand motorbikes are quicker
Por otro lado son muy peligrosas On the other hand motorbikes are dangerous

Necesito una moto ms grande I need a bigger motorbike

Qu dices! What are you talking about!
Me ests tomando el pelo! You are pulling my leg!

Every two or three months

Moto (f.) Motorbike
Es muy til It is very useful
Es muy cara It is very expensive
Es ms segura It is safer

Velocidad (f.) Speed

Una moto ms grande d

A bigger motorbike
Una moto nueva A new motorbike

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 2 www.notesinspanish.com

2. The Transcript of the conversation

PART 1

BenEn Espaa, en los bares y los restaurantes la gente, normalmente, no deja propina para los
camareros.
MarinaQu dices! Eso es mentira!
BenYo creo que es verdad. Por ejemplo, a medioda la gente come un men del da, y cuando
come una persona un men del da nunca deja propina.
MarinaBueno, tienes razn que con el men del da hay mucha gente que no deja propina, pero
si tu sales a comer a la carta o a cenar la gente suele dejar propina.
BenBueno, estoy de acuerdo que por la noche cuando la gente cena suele dejar propina, pero es
una propina muy muy pequea.
MarinaBueno, es que la propina que se deja en Inglaterra es muy grande.
BenBueno, pero no estamos hablando de Inglaterra, estamos hablando de Espaa.
MarinaEl problema es que t ests acostumbrado al porcentaje de propinas en Inglaterra y en
Espaa es mucho ms bajo.
BenVale, por un lado tienes razn, que yo estoy pensando en Inglaterra donde dejan una propina
del 10%, pero por otro lado me parece que la propina espaola del 2 o 3% es muy baja.
MarinaDe todas maneras depende del servicio. Tu ests acostumbrado a dejar propina, del 10%,
independientemente de la calidad del servicio y de la calidad de la comida.
BenQu me dices! No tienes ni idea! Si la comida est mala no dejo propina, si el camarero es
malo, y me trata mal, no dejo propina.
MarinaEntonces, es que te ests adaptando a las costumbres espaolas.
BenQu remedio!

~~

PART 2

MarinaBen tiene un scooter, una Vespa en concreto, y la utiliza para moverse por Madrid. Pero
ahora quiere cambiar su Vespa por una moto ms grande.
BenEs que necesito una moto ms grande.
MarinaQu dices! T no necesitas una moto ms grande.
BenNo

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 3 www.notesinspanish.com

MarinaLa Vespa es suficiente para moverse por Madrid.
BenNo estoy de acuerdo contigo, necesito una moto ms grande porque es ms segura.
MarinaPero las velocidades en la cuidad son muy bajas.
BenPero no entiendes.
MarinaEres t el que no entiendes, no es que necesites una moto ms grande es que quieres
una moto ms grande!
BenYo creo que tu no entiendes bien la situacin. Una moto ms grande es muy til. Puedo llevar
ms cosas en la moto cuando hago las compras.
MarinaPero si tu nunca vas de compras en moto!
BenVale, tienes razn. Por un lado ahora nunca voy de compras en moto, pero por otro lado es
posible que en el futuro haga ms compras con la moto.
MarinaQu dices! Me ests tomando el pelo!
BenNo te estoy tomando el pelo. Entonces supongo que ahora mismo no puedo comprar una
moto nueva.
MarinaNo, es muy cara.
BenPero el ao que viene si.

~~

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 4 www.notesinspanish.com

3. Translation of the conversation

PART 1

BenIn Spain, in bars and restaurants, people dont normally leave a tip for the waiters.
MarinaWhat are you talking about! Thats not true!
BenI think its true. For example, at lunchtime people have a set menu, and when a person eats a
set menu, they never leave a tip.
MarinaOK, you are right about the set menu and the fact that lots of people dont leave a tip, but if
you go out and eat a la carte or for supper, then people tend to leave a tip.
BenOK, I agree that at night time when people go out for dinner they tend to leave a tip, but its a
very very small tip.
MarinaWell, the thing is that the tip which people leave in England is very big.
BenRight, but we arent talking about England, we are talking about Spain.
MarinaThe problem is that you are used to the percentage for tips in England, and in Spain it is
much lower.
BenOK, on the one hand you are right, that I am thinking about England where they leave 10%
tips, but on the other hand I think that the 2 to 3 % Spanish tip is very low.
MarinaIn any case it depends on the service. You are used to leaving a 10% tip, regardless of the
quality of the service and the quality of the food.
BenWhat are you talking about! You have no idea! If the food is bad I dont leave a tip, if the waiter
is bad, and he treats me badly, I dont leave a tip.
MarinaSo, youre getting used to the Spanish ways.
BenWhat choice have I got!

~~

PART 2

MarinaBen has a scooter, a Vespa to be precise, which he uses to get around Madrid. But now he
wants to change his Vespa for a bigger motorbike.
BenThe thing is that I need a bigger motorbike.
MarinaWhat are you talking about! You dont need a bigger motorbike.
BenNo

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 5 www.notesinspanish.com

MarinaThe Vespa is fine for getting around Madrid.
BenI dont agree with you, I need a bigger motorbike because it is safer.
MarinaBut the speeds in the city are very low.
BenBut you dont understand.
MarinaYou are the one that doesnt understand, the fact isnt that you need a bigger motorbike,
its that you want a bigger motorbike!
BenI dont think you understand the situation very well. A bigger motorbike is very useful. I can
carry more things on the bike when I go shopping.
MarinaBut you never go shopping on the bike!
BenOK, youre right. On the one hand I never go shopping on the motorbike at the moment, but
on the other hand it is possible that I will do more shopping with the motorbike in the future.
MarinaWhat are you talking about! You are pulling my leg!
BenIm not pulling your leg. Well, I suppose that right now Im not going to buy a new bike.
MarinaNo, its very expensive.
BenBut I will next year.

~~

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 6 www.notesinspanish.com

4. Vocab Building (add to the list)

Can you add to these lists?

Transporte Transport
Moto (f.) Motorbike

Camin (m.) Lorry

Tren (m.) Train

Autobs (m.) Bus

Autopista (f.) Highway / Motorway

Autopista de peaje (f.) Toll highway

Bicicleta (f.) Bicycle

En el restaurante In the restaurant

Servilleta (f.) Napkin
Carta (f.) Menu

Cubiertos (m.) Cutlery

Jarra de agua (f.) Jug of water

Copa (f.) Wine glass

Vaso (m.) Glass

Cuchillo (m.) Knife

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 7 www.notesinspanish.com

5. Cool Spanish!

Treading on eggs!

Want a great way to say something is going very slowly? The car in front looks like they are in no
hurry to get anywhere ever?! Then just say that its treading on eggs (pisando huevos)!

El coche de delante va pisando huevos The car in front is going really slowly!

Or maybe you just want your friend / husband / mother to drive a bit faster:

Acelera un poco, qu vas pisando huevos! Speed up a bit, youre going really slowly!

And what about saying a person needs to get a move on? What do you say when your child or
friend are really dragging their feet behind you?

Eres mas lento que un rebao de ovejas

Literal translation: You are slower than a flock of sheep.

Real meaning: Youre going really slowly!

Marina Diez and Ben Curtis 2007 8 www.notesinspanish.com