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Illustration for “And what would you do?”

Spanish dialogue with translation · B1 · 14 lines

¿Y tú qué harías? And what would you do?

Comic · 14 panels

Panel 1 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Dude, I'm sick of my upstairs neighbors. They play the TV at full volume until two (man speaking, to a woman).”
  1. Pablo

    Tía, estoy harto de mis vecinos de arriba. Ponen la tele a todo volumen hasta las dos.

    Dude, I'm sick of my upstairs neighbors. They play the TV at full volume until two (man speaking, to a woman).

Panel 2 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “What a pain! And have you talked to them?”
  1. Ana

    ¡Qué rollo! ¿Y has hablado con ellos?

    What a pain! And have you talked to them?

Panel 3 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Not yet. I've been sleeping with earplugs for a month. But one day I'm going up there and telling them off.”
  1. Pablo

    Todavía no. Llevo un mes durmiendo con tapones. Pero un día subo y les llamo la atención.

    Not yet. I've been sleeping with earplugs for a month. But one day I'm going up there and telling them off.

Panel 4 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “And what would you say to them?”
  1. Ana

    ¿Y qué les dirías?

    And what would you say to them?

Panel 5 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Well, the truth: "Turn the TV down, you rude people! Have some respect!" (to several people)”
  1. Pablo

    Pues la verdad: «¡Bajad la tele, maleducados! ¡Un poco de respeto!».

    Well, the truth: "Turn the TV down, you rude people! Have some respect!" (to several people)

Panel 6 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Well… I'd avoid the word "rude." That way you'll only start a fight.”
  1. Ana

    Bueno… Yo evitaría la palabra «maleducados». Así solo conseguirás una pelea.

    Well… I'd avoid the word "rude." That way you'll only start a fight.

Panel 7 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “And what would you do?”
  1. Pablo

    ¿Y tú qué harías?

    And what would you do?

Panel 8 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “They're older, right? Then I'd talk to them formally: "Sorry to bother you, would you mind turning the TV down a little?" (to several people, formal)”
  1. Ana

    Son mayores, ¿no? Pues yo les hablaría de usted: «Perdonen la molestia, ¿les importaría bajar un poco la tele?».

    They're older, right? Then I'd talk to them formally: "Sorry to bother you, would you mind turning the TV down a little?" (to several people, formal)

Panel 9 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Wow! A foreign woman is teaching me how to be polite in Spanish (man speaking).”
  1. Pablo

    ¡Qué fuerte! Una extranjera me enseña a ser educado en español.

    Wow! A foreign woman is teaching me how to be polite in Spanish (man speaking).

Panel 10 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “The thing is, it worked with my neighbor. I asked him a favor, he apologized, and now we get along well.”
  1. Ana

    Es que con mi vecino funcionó. Le pedí un favor, él se disculpó y ahora nos llevamos bien.

    The thing is, it worked with my neighbor. I asked him a favor, he apologized, and now we get along well.

Panel 11 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Right, but your neighbor is nice. Mine are driving me crazy: they've been like this for years (man speaking).”
  1. Pablo

    Ya, pero tu vecino es majo. Los míos me tienen harto: llevan años así.

    Right, but your neighbor is nice. Mine are driving me crazy: they've been like this for years (man speaking).

Panel 12 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Maybe they don't hear well and they're not doing it on purpose. Have you thought about that?”
  1. Ana

    A lo mejor no oyen bien y no lo hacen a propósito. ¿Has pensado en eso?

    Maybe they don't hear well and they're not doing it on purpose. Have you thought about that?

Panel 13 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “Maybe… OK, I'll try. Hey, would you do me a favor? Would you come up with me?”
  1. Pablo

    Puede ser… Vale, lo intento. Oye, ¿me harías un favor? ¿Subirías conmigo?

    Maybe… OK, I'll try. Hey, would you do me a favor? Would you come up with me?

Panel 14 of 14 for “And what would you do?”: “No way! But I'll write the sentence for you on the phone. And take a cake: with cake, everything's easier.”
  1. Ana

    ¡De eso nada! Pero te escribo la frase en el móvil. Y lleva una tarta: con tarta todo es más fácil.

    No way! But I'll write the sentence for you on the phone. And take a cake: with cake, everything's easier.

Grammar for this text

"What would you…?" The friends imagine themselves in the situation: ¿Qué les dirías? — "what would you say to them?", ¿Y tú qué harías? — "and what would you do?", yo evitaría — "I'd avoid", yo les hablaría de usted — "I'd talk to them formally, with usted", ¿subirías conmigo? — "would you come up with me?". Dirías and harías are irregular: the stem is the same as in the future (diré, haré).

Vosotros and ustedes. Pablo wants to shout ¡Bajad la tele! — a command for vosotros, several people you call tú. Ana picks ustedes because the neighbors are older: perdonen — "excuse me", ¿les importaría…? — "would you mind…?".

Everyday speech. Me tienen harto — "they're driving me crazy". A todo volumen — "at full volume". ¡De eso nada! — "no way!". Un día subo y les llamo la atención — "one day I'm going up there and telling them off": Spanish often uses the present for a firm plan. Puede ser — "maybe". Así solo conseguirás una pelea — future tense: "that way you'll only start a fight". Tía, qué rollo, qué fuerte — only with friends.

Words and grammar of the unit: Ask your neighbors to keep it down.

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