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Lesson Introduction
In many places of the world, there are two flavors of tourist water: carbonated and non-carbonated. Depending on how picky you are about your refreshment, you'll want to know how to give your preference in Spanish. Additionally, you'll hear our waitress remain unflappable, despite the charming gentleman giving too much information.
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sooinsain says
Wow! This is tuff.February 10, 2008
shep1582 says
Interesting lession in many ways..... Instead of "¿Qué le doy?" could you say "¿Qué puedo darle?" Also could you say "Enseguida la doy para usted" instead of "Ensequida se la doy". Curious if they would sound right. Lilliana you need to more careful in the studio ;) JP you are a trooper to hang in there! Hasta pronto.February 10, 2008
mharbus says
Hola, En la parte de expansión hay esta frase...¿Los frijoles te dan gases? (Do beans give you gas?) Se puede decir también...¿Los frijoles te dan gas?February 11, 2008
oolung says
thumbs up for Liliana! A flawless ending of the lesson (poor, poor stressed-out JP) :) You people are great!February 11, 2008
weston says
Its very good but it just wont stick. I dont think I have any grey matter in between my earsFebruary 11, 2008
alexia040 says
Yeah that is very good sistem for learning a language in a relaxed way! Thanks!!!!February 11, 2008
lilianamata says
mharbus ¿Los frijoles te dan gas? this is correct. Gracias por sus comentarios, disfrutamos mucho este podcast. shep1532 ''Enseguida la doy para usted" , esta frase no es correcta, se dice "enseguida se la doy", "se" se usa para decir "a usted" y "la" se refiere al agua."February 11, 2008
hypersport says
Hola Liliana. En la lección, la camarera dijo "enseguida se la doy". Por favor, corrijeme si me equivoco, pero creo que aquí "se" se refiere al cliente (ud.) y "la" se refiere a la botella de agua. Entonces "la" se refiere a "it". Enseguida le doy una botella de agua. I'll get you a bottle of water right away. Ensiguida se la doy. I'll bring it to you right away. Gracias, Rand.February 11, 2008
lilianamata says
hypersport Tienes razón, me equivoque en mi respuesta. Gracias!February 11, 2008
shep1582 says
Thanks Liliana and Hypersport. Only experience will help me use pronouns correctly. Love the podcasts, keep up the great work. Gracias,February 12, 2008
npshirley says
Que disfrutas!! Me gusta mucha. Este está un metad muy facíl de aprendí español.February 12, 2008
npshirley says
Yo escuche estes lecciones en mi carro cuando manajo a mi trabajo. Estoy aprendiendo mucho. Not sure that is correct. But I listen to these lessons in my car when I drive to work. I am learning a lot. Especially the listening. My comprehension is better for reading than listening. thanksFebruary 12, 2008
catbrook says
yo tambien npshirley, entiendo mas cuando leo. The difficultly for me is separating speech into individual words.....I was wondering what 'medagas' meant until JP and Liliana went through it slowly: OOhhhh 'me da gas.' So easy once you know where the breaks are! Just gotta keep listening:) and of course Liliana and JP are always fun to listen to! Thanks guys!February 12, 2008
jpvillanueva says
Hi, folks, thanks as always for all your great comments. As far as Newbie lessons go, this is a longer one, maybe too long for the newbiest of Newbies. However, DON'T listen to this lesson with the goal of learning every word of every line and all the grammar that comes with it! Instead, I want you to come away from this lesson with the ability to order a bottle of water, carbonated or carbonated, according to your tastes. Yo, por ejemplo, prefiero el agua con gas, pero conozco a muchos que no lo soportan. I, for exmaple, prefer sparkling water, but I know plenty of folks who can't stand it!February 13, 2008
pituitaryadenoma says
I think this lesson is ok...not too long. I am wondering are there going to be 1 newbie per week in the future? Can we have more newbies? I wonder if Spod can do it like Cpod have more newbie in the beginning? Can we have newbie grammar lesson in the PDF?February 14, 2008
lilianamata says
pituitaryadenoma We have a newbie lesson every week, we are also working in a grammar guide that will soon be launched! In fact, we have more Newbie lessons, than the rest of the levels (27 lessons).February 14, 2008
pituitaryadenoma says
Thanks a lot Liliana, JP and you are awesome, I love to hear both of your audio. I am a newbie, no knowledge of Spanish, except those few common phases. I am just not sure if 27 newbie lessons is enough for me to bring me to elementary level, what do you all think? I am planning to study 1-2 lessons per day.February 14, 2008
jpvillanueva says
pituitaryadenoma, We publish a new lesson every day of the work week, so rest assured that there are more lessons coming! I would recommend that you find an elementary lesson that you're interested in and see what you can handle! Take your time, of course, but the truth is that I designed the Elementary lessons to be the entry level lessons! Newbie lessons, on the other hand, are intended to teach the most urgent Spanish, i.e., if you had to leave for Argentina TODAY, what's the absolutely most essential thing you need to know. What I'm trying to say is that SpanishPod is not like a textbook where you start at page one and go through each chapter sequentially from cover to cover. Find an Elementary lesson that interests you, and take the plunge! Listen, re-listen, check out the PDF and other features, and most importantly ASK QUESTIONS. We're here for you. I think a very common way people use SpanishPod (and our sister site, ChinesePod) is by listening to everything you can understand. For example, listeners at the Intermediate level often listen not only to Intermediate lessons, but to Elementary and Newbie lessons as well!February 14, 2008
yardbird says
¡Qué lección precioso! You're both as delightful as ever, and thanks to JP for discussing how a consistently feminine noun like agua takes the masculine article el.Now, what if you're talking about "the waters," as in the old european phrase "to take the waters," meaning to visit a health spa with hot springs? Or even if the waitress might be talking about "the waters we have?" Maybe that doesn't sound familiar to the Spanish speaker's ear, but in the U.S., you'll hear such a locution. She might say "here are the waters we have: Poland Spring, Crystal Geyser, and plain tap water." My question is, would you then say "los aguas," as you say "el agua? Or would the phonetics make such consistency unnecessary, so that you could just say the normal-sounding "las aguas?" what about gender-violating nouns like "el poeta" and others like it.(Interesting, the implication of gender fluidity for that type of literary artist. But never mind the creative sociolinguistic hypothesis. Is a plump male poet un poeta gordo, for instance? Can we possibly get a lesson (elementary, I suppose) on this interesting feature of Spanish grammar? I'd love to learn a host of examples of nouns that behave this way and how to use them. By the way, the above conjecture wasn't offered in anything like a spirit of homophobia. No, no, no. But I'm sincerely curious to see if somewhere deep in the history of Spanish may be some cultural suggestions that some social or vocational archetypes are more understood than others to possess more of a blend of male and female sensibilities and soul than others. And are they always artists? Is it "el guitarrista," for example? I know that the really macho arts and skills seldom seem to be named gender-ambiguously. El congero. El matadór. yes, there's una poca de cgracia in both the congo master and the matador, but the first one probably has arms of iron and the second one, well, tight trousers and dainty steps notwithstanding, what he does, finally, is to kill. But enough. Thanks again for the nice lesson.February 14, 2008
pituitaryadenoma says
Dear JP, If Spod is not like a textbook where I can study progressively, then how am I going to know where to start from? I am anoobie...I know nothing much about Spanish, can you give me some advice on how to learn Spanish from Spod? If I just randomly pick a lesson that I liked, how I know that I progress? I wish to learn Spanish in a progressive manner, so I can reach intermediate level one day.February 15, 2008
cyberdiva says
As I understand it, there are a number of nouns that can be either masculine or feminine. "Poeta" is one such noun, and "dentista" is another. So if your dentist is a man, you'd say "el dentista," whereas if the dentist is a woman, you'd say "la dentista." (I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong.)February 15, 2008
jpvillanueva says
pituitaryadenoma, I know it may be hard to believe at first, but that's our method. Believe me, I've spent my career studying pedagogy and teaching out of textbooks; the progressive model is an illusion. Your own smarts, as well as your human instinct to learn language, are capable of learning faster than you might think. The problem many people have (including me sometimes) is that it's uncomfortable sometimes jumping head-first into something that's unfamiliar. However, do NOT confuse that discomfort with failure! Of course, the people who are able to work through that discomfort tend to be more successful; in the field of Second Language Acquisition we call that "tolerance of ambiguity," people that learn to 'roll with it' either out of necessity or out of lack of fear soon work through that discomfort and move on to the next thing! Honestly, what's the worst that can happen if you encounter an Elementary or Newbie lesson you don't understand? Ask questions, study/repeat the lesson... even if you still come away uncomfortable with the material, it will not have been a waste of time, you still will have gained something! And seriously, the SpanishPod team and the whole SpanishPod community are here to support you with questions and moral support! And as for my assertion that a 'progressive method' is an illusion, I want you to realize that there are millions of people studying a second language with a so-called progressive textbook in classrooms all over the world... A huge number of people FAIL to learn language! Believe me, I taught Spanish from a textbook for over a decade, the vast majority of my former students don't remember a lick of what I taught them. It's not that they're stupid, and it's not that I was a bad teacher; but the lessons either weren't relevant enough to the students to sink in, or the students themselves did not build on the knowledge I provided them. Now, if you the student are the one picking the lessons that are relevant to you, you have a much greater chance of both letting the knowledge sink in, and once the knowledge has sunk in, you have a greater chance of building on that knowledge. So SpanishPod does not offer a rigid sequence of lessons; instead we offer a buffet. Please find something you like and get started! We're here to take your questions and suggestions; if you don't see what you want, just tell us, and we'll write you a lesson!February 15, 2008
jpvillanueva says
yardbird and cyberdiva, The thing about those nouns and adjectives that end in -a for both genders is that most of them came from the Greek language, where they are masculine. There's not much more to it than that. So "el programa, el poeta, el sistema, el planeta, etc." So it's just a matter of remembering your Greek! The one feminine noun that ends in -o is "la mano" and that's because of Latin. So besides that one Latin word, and all the Greek loan words, the Spanish language has a very strong tendency to end masculines in -o and feminines in -a. And you know what, if you get it wrong, no one will bat an eye. Spanish-speakers are very forgiving. Finally: "las aguas." The "el" of "el agua" is purely a phonetic band-aid; the gender of "agua" never actually changes from feminine.February 15, 2008
pituitaryadenoma says
Thanks JP. Your idea seems interesting. I will try out your method and see how it goes. By the way, I still wish to learn how to introduce myself in Spanish, is there a lesson for this topic so far? If there isn't would you mind to write one?February 15, 2008
shep1582 says
JP, you are so right. I studied much spanish with a little success, but your approach makes it fun again. I wish when I first started I listened more than reading a book. Books are good, however to understand you must listen to native speakers and care about what you're learning. I still make many, many mistakes, but I try. Thanks to Spanishpod, I highly recommend you to all my friends. JP, tienes razón mucho. Habiá estudiado espanol mucho con un poco éxito, pero su método lo hace divertido otra vez. Al principio, deseo cuando empecé que escuché más que leer un libro. Libros son buenos, sin embargo, para comprender se tiene que escuchar hispanohablantes y cuida por comó se aprende. Todavía, hago mucho, mucho errores, pero yo intento. Gracias a Spanishpod. Les recomiendo mucho a todos mis amigos.February 15, 2008
yardbird says
JP, thanks. I'm a little confused by your reference to Greek, as most of those words first remind me of their Latin derivation and I've never given any thought to whether poeta was Greek before Latin acquired it. If these words sounded more like the many scientific and medical terms that are clearly of Greek origin, I'd sort of get it gbetter. Well, I guess it just isn't enough to read my Catullus while listening to the Verdi Requiem. Dies irae, gaudeamus igitur, and all that. I've just mentioned Verdi, but for some reason it's the Berlioz that's playing in my mental jukebox. Go figure. I guess I have to get down with reading Homer in the Greek. Books, books, there is no end to books. With a tip of the hat to Ecclesiastes. :-)February 15, 2008
bhopsa says
hi i am new ot it really like it keep it up ..graciousFebruary 17, 2008
lilianamata says
bhopsa Thanks for your comment and welcome!February 17, 2008
anayelena says
Dos preguntas. 1) Se dice "El agua fria"? más que "El aqua frio". 2) Tambien, si se utiliza el imperativo para Ud. (line 2, se dice "Dé me una botella de agua, por favor." Es más maleducado / graseo dice una que otra? Gracias. AYFebruary 18, 2008
lilianamata says
Anayelena 1) Se dice "el agua fría". 2) No es mal educado decir "Deme una botella de agua", pero te aconsejo decir al final por favor.February 18, 2008
jpvillanueva says
pituitaryadenoma, we just happen to have a "hi my name is...." lesson in the works! Look for it in the next few weeks! : )February 19, 2008
harrypotter4eva says
mucho gusto he he i was only joking i talk English though thanks 2 u i can talk more than my mum.my dad is Spanish he knows everything!i love this its sooo good harrypotter4evaFebruary 19, 2008
lisamax says
Hi guys! I have a question -- and it's a real newbie one. With the double l's (ll), I've heard you guys pronounce them two ways: as in botella (like a y) and llena (like a j). Does it depend on whether it's in the middle or in the beginning of a word? I don't want to get into a bad habit of pronouncing things incorrectly right in the beginning. So is there a rule to follow? Thanks for all your great work. I've been trying to learn spanish forever and I have a shelf of books to prove it. This is the most fun yet...and this time it's actually sticking...so muchas gracias!!February 21, 2008
pussycat says
Hello everyone, Like lisamax I have been trying to learn Spanish for quite a while. I really enjoy these lessons because I can repeat them as many times as I like. I have difficulty in speaking Spanish and its great to be able to speak it over and over with the presenters!!February 21, 2008
jpvillanueva says
pussycat, I'm glad you like our site! Let us know if you have any lesson suggestions!February 21, 2008
carlitos says
¡Ayudame! Por favor. . To "enseguida" or not to "en seguida" A little tid bit of info first . My mother tounge is english and english only. ( I should know the english language very well but ?????????) Now my problem is Enseguida seems to be an adverb I think not sure . . . . but never the less I am not sure how, what and when to use this in English advers that is :-( Now to add more confusion to my already scrabled mind there is "En seguida" I think the Dictionary refers to this as an adjective .. .. seguido , a that is ... Adjective. . . . As you may notice My english grammar is not great . . .. . Is it "Enseguida" or "Enseguido" or is it two words ,. , , , , Thanks in advance. Carlitos P.S. Your article re: pituitaryadenoma, How right you are I have tried so so hard to learn on my own to learn from books . . . and nothing. . . nothing but fear to speak , , But now in such a short time you and the Spanishpod team has started to losen my tounge.. and all this in less than three weeks I am impressed. . ThanksFebruary 24, 2008
cyberdiva says
Hola Carlitos. "Enseguida" is an adverb meaning "right away" or "at once." It can also be written as two words: en seguida. There's also an adjective "seguido, -a" but I don't think that's really relevant here. Just remember that "enseguida" or "en seguida" means "right away," and use it the same way you'd use "right away" in English (e.g., I'll bring it right away/at once/immediately).February 24, 2008
jpvillanueva says
cyberdiva, I couldn't have said it better myself! :)March 5, 2008
hutton says
Entre en este grupo de estudio y me gustó mucho quiero participar. Soy profesora de Español en Brasil y tengo una página que divulgo arte,cultura, costmbres de los países hispanoamericanos. http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/cuaderno/ AtentamenteApril 24, 2008
khin says
hola,spanishpod mucha gracia por me dan mucho oportunida para aprender spanish en la internet. estoy comprendendo cada dia y lo desfruto mucho.April 29, 2008
michaelaprende says
May 11, 2008
En esta leccio'n nos dan la palabra "[la] consumicion." En Puerto Rico dicen "[la] cuenta." Son esas palabras mismas?
estibalitz says
michaelaprende, "No te puedes ir sin pagar la consumición", "la consumición" means "drink", "la cuenta" means "bill".May 11, 2008
Literally means "You can not leave without paying for what you've consume." (consumir=to consume)
jodibean says
May 25, 2008
JP
Wow, Greek and Latin. Sounds like Medical Terminology, which is also just like another language! I'm glad I stumbled upon this lesson. JP it was helpful to read your comment to pituitaryadenoma (hey, there's that medical terminology kicking in again!), regarding the progressive model being an illusion (and I was actually very happy to read that!). I had one year of high school Spanish years ago, but this year I decided that I really wanted to build on that. I was lucky enough to get a Spanish penpal and also to be able to chat with my daughter's Spanish teacher (both of them are from Spain), and now the varitable plethera of information that I am getting here. That post was exactly what I needed to read. For the past few months I have been trying to decide whether or not to take classes online or to keep up with you all. My biggest hump is grammar. I hope that will come in time if I keep on reading and posting here. In the past few months I think I have come a long way in a short time, so I definitely have a positive outlook that someday I will be able to hold a conversation in Spanish :)
jpvillanueva says
June 15, 2009
corrections to PDF