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Illustration for “A morning of errands”

Spanish story with translation · A2 · 16 lines

Una mañana de recados A morning of errands

Comic · 10 panels

Panel 1 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: Yesterday I had a morning of errands: the bank, the post office and a copy of the key. First I went to my bank's branch. I wanted to deposit my savings for the month: two…

  1. Ayer tuve una mañana de recados: el banco, Correos y una copia de la llave.

    Yesterday I had a morning of errands: the bank, the post office and a copy of the key.

  2. Primero fui a la sucursal de mi banco. Quería ingresar mis ahorros del mes: doscientos euros.

    First I went to my bank's branch. I wanted to deposit my savings for the month: two hundred euros.

Panel 2 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: There's an ATM at the entrance, but yesterday the ATM was broken.

  1. En la puerta hay un cajero, pero ayer el cajero estaba roto.

    There's an ATM at the entrance, but yesterday the ATM was broken.

Panel 3 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: I went in and talked to a clerk. "Do you have any kind of document?" he asked me. (formal) I gave him my passport. The clerk took care of the paperwork quickly.

  1. Entré y hablé con un empleado. «¿Tiene usted algún documento?», me preguntó.

    I went in and talked to a clerk. "Do you have any kind of document?" he asked me. (formal)

  2. Le di mi pasaporte. El empleado hizo el trámite rápidamente.

    I gave him my passport. The clerk took care of the paperwork quickly.

Panel 4 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: Then I went to the post office and bought a postcard for my grandmother and a stamp.

  1. Luego fui a Correos y compré una postal para mi abuela y un sello.

    Then I went to the post office and bought a postcard for my grandmother and a stamp.

Panel 5 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: I calmly wrote the postcard in a bar, with a coffee.

  1. Escribí la postal tranquilamente en un bar, con un café.

    I calmly wrote the postcard in a bar, with a coffee.

Panel 6 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: After that I went into a small store, and a man made me a copy of the key in five minutes.

  1. Después entré en una tienda pequeña y un señor me hizo una copia de la llave en cinco minutos.

    After that I went into a small store, and a man made me a copy of the key in five minutes.

Panel 7 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: I put the copy in my bag. I walked out with the postcard in one hand and the keys in the other. On the street I saw a yellow mailbox. I went up to it and dropped the keys…

  1. Dejé la copia en el bolso. Salí con la postal en una mano y las llaves en la otra.

    I put the copy in my bag. I walked out with the postcard in one hand and the keys in the other.

  2. En la calle vi un buzón amarillo. Me acerqué y eché dentro las llaves. ¡Las llaves, no la postal!

    On the street I saw a yellow mailbox. I went up to it and dropped the keys inside. The keys, not the postcard!

Panel 8 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: I stood there in front of the mailbox with the postcard in my hand. How embarrassing! On the mailbox I saw the schedule: the mail carrier comes by at five.

  1. Me quedé delante del buzón con la postal en la mano. ¡Qué vergüenza!

    I stood there in front of the mailbox with the postcard in my hand. How embarrassing!

  2. En el buzón vi el horario: el cartero pasa a las cinco.

    On the mailbox I saw the schedule: the mail carrier comes by at five.

Panel 9 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: I came back at five. The mail carrier arrived and opened the mailbox. "Are these keys yours?" he asked me. "You're probably not the first one." (to a woman, formal)

  1. Volví a las cinco. Llegó el cartero y abrió el buzón.

    I came back at five. The mail carrier arrived and opened the mailbox.

  2. «¿Estas llaves son suyas?», me preguntó. «Probablemente no es usted la primera».

    "Are these keys yours?" he asked me. "You're probably not the first one." (to a woman, formal)

Panel 10 of 10 for “A morning of errands”: The mail carrier gave me the keys and I thanked him. Now I have the keys and the copy. And the postcard? It's still in my bag.

  1. El cartero me dio las llaves y yo le di las gracias.

    The mail carrier gave me the keys and I thanked him.

  2. Ahora tengo las llaves y la copia. ¿Y la postal? Todavía está en el bolso.

    Now I have the keys and the copy. And the postcard? It's still in my bag.

Grammar for this text

Articles in a story. Everything new comes in with un: un cajero, un empleado, una postal, un señor, un buzón. The second time, it's el: hay un cajero, pero ayer el cajero estaba roto; hablé con un empleado… el empleado hizo el trámite; vi un buzón… delante del buzón.

Some things get el right away because it's clear which one: el banco (my bank), la llave (the key to my apartment), el cartero (the mail carrier who empties this mailbox). For your own things and body parts, Spanish uses el / la where English says "my": en el bolso — in my bag, en la mano — in my hand.

The past. What happened (preterite): tuve, fui, hizo, vi, di, dio (irregular forms from unit 9) and entré, compré, volví, abrió. What things were like at that moment (imperfect): quería, estaba.

-mente adverbs: rápidamente, tranquilamente, probablemente.

Correos mailboxes in Spain are yellow.

Words and grammar of the unit: Run errands at the post office and the bank.

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