Beginner · Conversation

Beginners 27: Problem solving

Learn useful verbs and constructions to help solve problems:
  • Verbs including arreglar, solucionar, and more
  • Lo que se puede hacer para... type phrases
  • Use the subjunctive with necesitar que - "I need you to..."
RobInglésLisColombiana
15 min94 lines16 notesPreview
Episode 27
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Rob

Spanish Obsessed beginners, episode 27: problem solving.

Lis

Problemas

problems

Rob

Hola Lis,

Hi Lis, what's up?

Lis

Bien Robi, ¿y tú?

Good Rob, and you?

Rob

¡Bien! Bien, también. ¿Qué tal tu día hoy?

Good, good, as well. How's your day today?

Lis

¡Bien! Muy ocupado, muy soleado

Good! Very busy, very sunny

Rob

¿por qué?

Very busy. Why?

Lis

I have a lot of work

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Contents

Beginners 1: The weather

Welcome to our first episode, all about the weather! Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • Questions to ask people when you first meet them
  • How to ask about the weather
  • How to tell people that it’s hot, cold, raining, or sunny
View Lesson

Beginners 2: Resolutions

We’ve just reached another new year, and another opportunity to make and break new years resolutions! We run through the most popular resolutions, and tell you our own new years resolutions. Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • Do they have new years resolutions in Colombia?
  • The top 10 most popular resolutions, and how to say them in Spanish
  • How to say your own resolutions, in Spanish
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Beginners 3: Transport

Learn about different types of transport in Spanish, including a few methods which are unique to Colombia! You’ll learn:

  • Different methods of transport
  • The cardinal numbers (first, second, third, etc)
  • The “masculine problem” (you’ll see what we mean)
  • Problems of transport
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Beginners 4: Illnesses

Rob and Liz are enfermos (ill)! They talk (moan) about their illnesses, and what they’re going to do about it. In episode 4 you’ll learn:

  • Different ways of saying “I have a cold”
  • How to say you have a head ache, stomach ache, back ache, or anything-ache!
  • How to cure your cold with vitamins, hot drinks, and staying at home (no secret there…)
View Lesson

Beginners 5: Love phrases

Podcast número cinco (not four, as I say in the podcast…) is all about el día de San Valentin, where love is in the air and you learn all about Romantic Spanish. Learn phrases and terms for referring to your significant other, some love idioms, and more. You’ll also learn all about the South American tradition of El día de amor y amistad.

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Beginners 8: Sports

How to talk about sports in Spanish: Sports vocabulary, key phrases and conversation. Do you play any sports? What do you think the most popular sports in Colombia are?

View Lesson

Beginners 10: Feelings and emotions

Learn how to express your inner self, whether good or bad. We also introduce to the verb sentirse – to feel. This is a reflexive verb, so needs a little extra attention when we conjugate it. Also, learn about how using poner and dar can be used in a cool way to describe your emotions!

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Beginners 11: Money

Learn vocabulary related to money – how to ask about prices, how to actually say prices (numbers do come in handy!), as well as a few other money related phrases!

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Beginners 12: Arguments

Useful phrases for some of the most intense “conversations” you can have: arguments! Tempers may be running high, so it’s always good to have a stock of phrases that you can fall back in should you ever be unfortunate enough to have an argument with a Latino/a or Spaniard!

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Beginners 17: Social Networks

Learn the latest Spanish vocabulary around social networks, and communication in the digital age:

  • How social networks are changing Spanish (as well as English)
  • How to say “update”, “upload”, “download”, “tag”, and other important “digital verbs”
  • What is “a like” in Spanish?
View Lesson

Beginners 18: At the doctors

Learn the vocabulary and phrases you’ll need should you ever have to pay a visit to the doctor or pharmacy. You’ll learn how to:

  • Ask for a doctor’s appointment
  • Describe different types of pain, and how you feel
  • Understand common medical procedures
View Lesson

Beginners 19: How to complain

Learn the subtle art of complaining in Spanish:

  • Say when something doesn’t work, is broken, or doesn’t function properly
  • Use no creo que and hasta que to complain
  • Talk about how long you have been waiting
View Lesson

Beginners 20: Driving

Learn important vocabulary and phrases for when you are out and about on the roads in Spain and Latin America. Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn:

  • Some rules of the road in Spanish
  • Driving verbs, such as “back up”, “pull over”, and “give way”
  • All of the types of road and weird road signs you’ll see!
View Lesson

Beginners 23: Asking for favours

Learn different ways and structures that you can ask for favours in Spanish:

  • “Lending” vs “borrowing” in Spanish, and why Spanish speakers struggle to understand the difference
  • Different ways of asking for a lift, and asking to be dropped off
  • Using esperar que and the subjunctive
View Lesson

Beginners 24: Making excuses

Specific language you can use for when you need to make an excuse in Spanish:

  • Es que, resulta que, and other ways of “introducing” your excuse
  • Phrases using excusas
  • Using the past conditional: habría terminado, pero…
View Lesson

Beginners 25: How to pay a compliment

We cover some useful and authentic ways of paying someone a compliment in Spanish

  • Using ser and estar when describing someone
  • The verbs quedar and verse, meaning “to look”
  • ¡Qué bonita estás! structured phrases
View Lesson

Beginners 27: Problem solving

Learn useful verbs and constructions to help solve problems:

  • Verbs including arreglar, solucionar, and more
  • Lo que se puede hacer para… type phrases
  • Use the subjunctive with necesitar que – “I need you to…”
View Lesson

Beginners 29: How to tell a story

All about those little things people say to bring a story to life and help it flow:

  • How to start a story
  • Sequencing and linking words and phrases
  • Introduce new elements to a story
  • How to finish a story
View Lesson

Beginners 44: Exclamations

Learn three key Spanish exclamation patterns using “qué” to express surprise and emotions naturally. Master simple to complex structures through real examples and add authentic flair to your Spanish conversations.

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