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Illustration for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”

Spanish story with translation · B1 · 18 lines

Éramos siete y solo teníamos tres platos There were seven of us and we only had three plates

Comic · 18 panels

Panel 1 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: I'm Lucía. Yesterday I made the first dinner for my friends in the new kitchen.

  1. Soy Lucía. Ayer hice la primera cena para mis amigos en la cocina nueva.

    I'm Lucía. Yesterday I made the first dinner for my friends in the new kitchen.

Panel 2 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: The apartment was still almost empty: a lamp, a bookcase with no books, and a picture leaning against the wall.

  1. El piso seguía casi vacío: una lámpara, una estantería sin libros y un cuadro apoyado en la pared.

    The apartment was still almost empty: a lamp, a bookcase with no books, and a picture leaning against the wall.

Panel 3 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: But the kitchen worked perfectly: the oven, the fridge and even the dishwasher.

  1. Pero la cocina funcionaba perfectamente: el horno, la nevera y hasta el lavavajillas.

    But the kitchen worked perfectly: the oven, the fridge and even the dishwasher.

Panel 4 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: I prepared chicken soup and pork with sauce. The beers were in the bathtub, which I had filled with ice.

  1. Preparé sopa de gallina y cerdo con salsa. Las cervezas estaban en la bañera, que yo había llenado de hielo.

    I prepared chicken soup and pork with sauce. The beers were in the bathtub, which I had filled with ice.

Panel 5 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: At six I opened the kitchen cabinet: plates, glasses and napkins were missing.

  1. A las seis abrí el armario de la cocina: faltaban platos, vasos y servilletas.

    At six I opened the kitchen cabinet: plates, glasses and napkins were missing.

Panel 6 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: There were seven of us and we only had three plates.

  1. Éramos siete y solo teníamos tres platos.

    There were seven of us and we only had three plates.

Panel 7 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: I went down to the basement to look for glasses, but I only found an old dryer.

  1. Bajé al sótano a buscar vasos, pero solo encontré una secadora vieja.

    I went down to the basement to look for glasses, but I only found an old dryer.

Panel 8 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: In the boxes there were boots, gloves, a hat and a pair of pajamas, but not a single plate.

  1. En las cajas había botas, guantes, un sombrero y un pijama, pero ningún plato.

    In the boxes there were boots, gloves, a hat and a pair of pajamas, but not a single plate.

Panel 9 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: A white curtain served as a tablecloth, and paper towels served as napkins.

  1. Una cortina blanca hizo de mantel y el papel de cocina hizo de servilletas.

    A white curtain served as a tablecloth, and paper towels served as napkins.

Panel 10 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: We served the soup in cups, and everyone picked their own.

  1. La sopa la servimos en tazas, y cada uno escogió la suya.

    We served the soup in cups, and everyone picked their own.

Panel 11 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Meanwhile, the pork burned and the sauce came out very salty.

  1. Mientras tanto, el cerdo se quemó y la salsa salió muy salada.

    Meanwhile, the pork burned and the sauce came out very salty.

Panel 12 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Sergio went to get a pizza to go. He came back with it cold, and I heated it up in the microwave.

  1. Sergio fue a por una pizza para llevar. Volvió con ella fría y la calenté en el microondas.

    Sergio went to get a pizza to go. He came back with it cold, and I heated it up in the microwave.

Panel 13 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Ana went to the bathroom and came back: "There's no soap at the sink."

  1. Ana fue al baño y volvió: «No hay jabón en el lavabo».

    Ana went to the bathroom and came back: "There's no soap at the sink."

Panel 14 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Dani couldn't find his comb, and he fixed his hair with a fork in front of the secondhand mirror.

  1. Dani no encontraba su peine y se arregló el pelo con un tenedor delante del espejo de segunda mano.

    Dani couldn't find his comb, and he fixed his hair with a fork in front of the secondhand mirror.

Panel 15 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Pablo was going to bring a cake, but he left it on the metro.

  1. Pablo iba a traer un pastel, pero lo dejó en el metro.

    Pablo was going to bring a cake, but he left it on the metro.

Panel 16 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Luckily, Ana brought honey from Teruel, and Dani took a pack of cookies out of his pocket.

  1. Por suerte, Ana trajo miel de Teruel y Dani sacó del bolsillo un paquete de galletas.

    Luckily, Ana brought honey from Teruel, and Dani took a pack of cookies out of his pocket.

Panel 17 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: We ate the whole pack with honey, on the rug, among the boxes.

  1. Nos comimos el paquete entero con miel, en la alfombra, entre las cajas.

    We ate the whole pack with honey, on the rug, among the boxes.

Panel 18 of 18 for “There were seven of us and we only had three plates”: Then we washed three plates and seven cups in the sink. A lot of things were missing, but nobody was missing.

  1. Luego lavamos tres platos y siete tazas en el fregadero. Faltaban muchas cosas, pero no faltó nadie.

    Then we washed three plates and seven cups in the sink. A lot of things were missing, but nobody was missing.

Grammar for this text

Lucía tells the story. The first line names her: Soy Lucía. She calls the other friends by name.

What happened earlier. Las cervezas estaban en la bañera, que yo había llenado de hielo — The beers were in the bathtub, which I had filled with ice. Había llenado is the past perfect (unit 9): first she filled the tub, then the beer got cold in it.

To be missing. Faltaban platos, vasos y servilletas — there weren't enough plates, glasses and napkins. Faltar means "to be missing, to be short"; the verb is plural because several things are missing. In the last line, no faltó nadie — nobody was missing (everyone came): the same verb, a different meaning.

Picked, and served as. Cada uno escogió la suya — Everyone picked their own (la suya — their own cup). Una cortina blanca hizo de mantel — hacer de means "to serve as": the curtain took the place of a tablecloth. La sopa la servimos en tazas — la sopa comes first, and la repeats it to stress what we're talking about; English simply says "we served the soup in cups". Pablo iba a traer un pastel — Pablo was going to bring a cake.

Words and grammar of the unit: Buy and sell secondhand things.

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