Spanish story with translation · B2 · 18 lines
Yo buscaba un piso, no un trastero I was looking for an apartment, not a storage room
Comic · 12 panels
Antes de ir a la inmobiliaria, intenté buscar piso yo sola: puse un anuncio en internet.
Before going to the real estate agency, I tried to look for an apartment on my own: I put an ad online (woman speaking).
«Busco piso en Valencia. Soy una chica tranquila, tengo un buen trabajo y un gato muy educado».
"I'm looking for an apartment in Valencia. I'm a quiet girl, I have a good job and a very well-behaved cat."
«Quiero un piso sencillo que esté cerca del metro y que tenga, a ser posible, una terraza».
"I want a simple apartment that's close to the metro and that has, if possible, a terrace."
«La cocina no tiene que ser nueva: me vale cualquiera que tenga los electrodomésticos necesarios».
"The kitchen doesn't have to be new: any kitchen that has the necessary appliances works for me."
«Pago hasta 800 euros: no me interesa ningún piso que cueste más».
"I'll pay up to 800 euros: I'm not interested in any apartment that costs more."
«Puedo ir a verlo cualquier día, a la hora que usted quiera».
"I can come and see it any day, at whatever time you want." (formal)
La primera respuesta llegó a los diez minutos. Un particular me ofrecía, según la descripción, un ático precioso, con suelos de madera y aire acondicionado.
The first reply came ten minutes later. According to the description, a private owner was offering me a beautiful top-floor apartment with wooden floors and air conditioning.
«Todo a estrenar: cocina, secadora y hasta un telefonillo que estrenarás tú», decía. Y al final: 1400 euros al mes. Ese ático cuesta un ojo de la cara.
"Everything is brand-new: the kitchen, the dryer and even an intercom that you'll be the first to use," he said. And at the end: 1400 euros a month. That top-floor apartment costs an arm and a leg.
Muy atractivo, sí, pero no conozco a nadie que pueda pagar eso con un sueldo normal.
Very attractive, yes, but I don't know anyone who can pay that on a normal salary.
La segunda era de una estudiante: «Tengo una habitación que te va a encantar. En el piso somos seis».
The second one was from a student: "I have a room you're going to love. There are six of us in the apartment."
«El microondas es de todos y el telefonillo no funciona, pero puedes venir a verla cuando quieras. Eso sí, gatos no: tenemos un conejo».
"The microwave is shared and the intercom doesn't work, but you can come and see it whenever you want. Mind you, no cats: we have a rabbit."
La tercera parecía perfecta: «Tengo justo lo que usted busca: un sitio tranquilo, económico y sin vecinos que hagan ruido».
The third one seemed perfect: "I have just what you're looking for: a quiet, inexpensive place with no neighbors who make noise." (formal)
Abrí las fotos. Era un trastero de seis metros cuadrados en un sótano, sin una sola ventana, por 300 euros al mes.
I opened the photos. It was a six-square-meter storage room in a basement, without a single window, for 300 euros a month.
Le contesté que yo buscaba un piso, no un trastero, y que no me diera gato por liebre.
I replied that I was looking for an apartment, not a storage room, and that he shouldn't rip me off.
«Como usted quiera —escribió—, pero por 300 euros no va a encontrar nada que sea mejor».
"As you wish," he wrote, "but for 300 euros you won't find anything better." (formal)
Se lo conté a Lucía y se rio mucho: «Tú pide lo que quieras, que te ofrecerán lo que tengan».
I told Lucía, and she laughed a lot: "Go ahead and ask for whatever you want: they'll offer you whatever they have anyway."
Tenía razón: en internet no hay nadie que lea un anuncio hasta el final.
She was right: online, there's no one who reads an ad all the way to the end.
Así que quité el anuncio y llamé a una inmobiliaria. Allí, por lo menos, hay alguien que escucha.
So I took down the ad and called a real estate agency. There, at least, there's someone who listens.
Grammar for this text
In the ad — subjunctive: the apartment doesn't exist yet, there are only wishes. Un piso sencillo que esté cerca del metro, cualquiera que tenga los electrodomésticos necesarios, ningún piso que cueste más.
In the replies — the normal form: people write about what they really have. Tengo una habitación que te va a encantar, tengo justo lo que usted busca.
"There's no one like that" — subjunctive: no conozco a nadie que pueda pagar eso, no hay nadie que lea un anuncio, sin vecinos que hagan ruido (after sin too: there are no such neighbors). But in the last line, hay alguien que escucha — such a person exists, so the form is normal.
Lo que quieras. Tú pide lo que quieras, que te ofrecerán lo que tengan — ask for whatever you want, they'll offer you whatever they have anyway. Here que in the middle means "because, anyway". Cuando quieras — whenever you want; como usted quiera — as you wish (formal).
A los diez minutos — ten minutes later: a los + a period of time means "that long after" an event (here, after Ana posted her ad).
Costar un ojo de la cara — to cost an arm and a leg; dar gato por liebre — to pass off something bad as something good, to rip someone off (word for word "to give a cat instead of a hare"). Both are colloquial.
Words and grammar of the unit: Describe the apartment you're looking for.
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