🔴 Advanced

Advanced phrase cards for English speakers learning Spanish through "The Gift of the Magi." These cards focus on flexible, reusable Spanish phrases and sentence patterns from the story. Use them to practice adapting phrases to new situation, not just memorizing one translation.

Story phrase: Echa un vistazo al hogar / Take a look around the home

Using the pattern from this story phrase, how would you say the following? Choose 1 or 2.

Prompt: Take a look around the room / website / neighborhood

Echa un vistazo al cuarto / Take a look around the room

Echa un vistazo al sitio web / Take a look around the website

Echa un vistazo al vecindario / Take a look around the neighborhood

Story Phrase: Tenía que hacerlo / I had to do it

This phrase gives you a useful pattern. Try adapting it to these new situations. Choose 1 or 2.

Prompt: I had to tell the truth / find a way / keep going

Tenía que decir la verdad / I had to tell the truth

Tenía que encontrar la manera / I had to find a way

Tenía que seguir adelante / I had to keep going

Story phrase: No me mires así / Don’t look at me that way

Now use the same structure in a new context. How would you say the following? Choose 1 or 2.

Prompt: Don't yell at me like that / leave me like that / treat me like that

No me grites así / Don’t yell at me like that

No me dejes así / Don’t leave me like that

No me trates así / Don’t treat me like that

Story phrase: No te equivoques con respecto a mí / Don’t make any mistake about me (or in other words, don’t get the wrong idea about me)

Practice making this phrase your own. How would you use the same Spanish pattern to express the following? Choose 1 or 2.

Don’t get the wrong idea about what I sad / about what I want / about my intentions

No te equivoques con respecto a lo que dije / Don’t get the wrong idea about what I said

No te equivoques con respecto a lo que quiero / Don’t get the wrong idea about what I want

No te equivoques con respecto a mis intenciones / Don’t get the wrong idea about my intentions

Story phrase: Seamos felices / Let's be happy

You saw this phrase in the story. Can you use the same pattern to say something similar? Choose 1 or 2.

Let’s be realistic / clear / fair

Seamos realistas / Let’s be realistic

Seamos claros / Let’s be clear

Seamos justos / Let’s be fair

Note: For a group of girls/women, use claras and justas. Realistas is the correct masculine and feminine form.

Phrase: Se paró junto a la ventana / She/he stood by the window

Using the pattern from this story phrase, how would you say the following? Choose 1 or 2.

She/he stood by me / by the fire to warm him or herself / by the the counter

Se paró junto a mí / She/he stood by me

Se paró junto al fuego para calentarse / She/he stood by the fire to warm herself or himself

Se paró junto al mostrador / She/he stood by the counter

Story phrase: Veinte dólares a la semana no rinden mucho / Twenty dollars a week doesn’t go very far

This phrase gives you a useful pattern. Choose 1 or 2 and try adapting it to these new situations:

Prompt: My paycheck doesn’t go very far after paying rent / The food doesn’t go very far with so many guests / The meeting wasn’t very productive

Mi sueldo no rinde mucho después de pagar la renta / My paycheck doesn’t go very far after paying rent

La comida no rinde mucho con tantos invitados / The food doesn’t go very far with so many guests

La reunión no rindió mucho / The meeting wasn’t very productive

Phrase: No te molestará, ¿verdad? / You won’t mind, will you?

Now use the same structure in a new context. Choose 1 or 2. How would you say the following?

You won’t mind if I sit here, right? / You won’t mind if I leave it here, right? / You won’t mind if I ask you a question, right?

No te molestará que me siente aquí, ¿verdad? / You won’t mind if I sit here, right?

No te molestará que lo deje aquí, ¿verdad? / You won’t mind if I leave it here, right?

No te molestará que te haga una pregunta, ¿verdad? / You won’t mind if I ask you a question, right?