HOST: Hi friends. How are you? How are you today? JAVIER: Good. HOST: Two for lunch? JAVIER: Yes. HOST: Okay. Excuse me. Follow me this way. ELENA: What a cute restaurant! HOST: Oh. Do you speak Spanish? JAVIER: Yes. HOST: Yeah? Wow. ELENA: Where are you from? HOST: I’m Mexican. And you? ELENA: I’m from Argentina and Javier is Spanish. HOST: Nice to meet you. ELENA: My pleasure. HOST: Your waiter is coming in a moment. Enjoy your meal. ELENA: Thanks.
WAITER: Hello friends. How are you today? JAVIER: Hello. ELENA: Well. WAITER: Oh, you speak Spanish. Where are you from? JAVIER: Well, I am Spanish, and Elena is from Argentina. WAITER: Great. Nice to meet you. JAVIER: And you? WAITER: I’m from Mexico. JAVIER: Are you Margarito? WAITER: Yes, that’s me. How do you know my name? JAVIER: Because Professor Flores recommended the restaurant, and asked me to say hi to you. WAITER: How nice. Give him greetings from me. Are you here at the university in Middletown? JAVIER: That’s right. WAITER: Nice. A pleasure. Can I offer you something to drink? ELENA: I’d like water, please. WAITER: Water. And for you, sir? JAVIER: I want Coca Cola. WAITER: Great. Could I bring you some guacamole? JAVIER/ELENA: Yes. WAITER: Excuse me. JAVIER/ELENA: Thanks.
Comprensión de la escena |
Temas de estudio |
Notas culturales |
Comprensión de la escena
|
Temas de estudio
Notas culturales
¿Ahora o ahorita? Ahora means now, or a minute ago. To convey the sense of right now, to make an action very immediate, the expression ahora mismo is used. Salgo ahora. Salgo ahora mismo. Acabo de ver a tu hijo ahora. In many countries, the word ahorita is also used. However, ahorita may mean contradictory things, depending on the country and context. One meaning could be ahora mismo, right now, while the other could mean más tarde, in a while. Quiero que laves los platos ahorita. Voy a lavar los platos ahorita. In this scene, the restaurant receptionist tells Elena and Javier “Ahorita viene su mesero.” What would you think he means by ahorita—very soon or in a while? |
Caballero Caballero is a formal way to address a man, like gentleman in English. The female equivalent is dama. Damas y caballeros = Ladies and gentlemen |
Giving regards Sometimes we send greetings to people who are not present in a conversation, or relay greetings from someone else to our interlocutor. In Spanish the verb saludar and the noun saludos are typically used for this purpose. In the scene we hear two examples. JAVIER: El profesor Flores… me dio saludos para usted. WAITER: Salúdemelo de mi parte. |