5.1 BASIC SENTENCES. Ms. Smith's first day at work.

In their office, Juanita Smith and Jos

Molina begin to get better acquainted.

Molina:

Juanita, this is going to be your desk. Juanita, ste va a ser su escritorio. Whatever [thing] you need, let me know. Cualquier cosa que necesite, avseme.

Ms. Smith:

to be ser your (yours) su (suyo) the desk el escritorio whatever cualquier (cualquiera) that (you) may need (to need) que necesite (necesitar) (1) notify (to notify) avise (avisar) notify me avseme very much (much) muchsimo (mucho)

O.K. [Very well.] Thanks a lot. [Many, many thanks.] Muy bien. Muchsimas gracias.
Molina:

the part la parte

What part of the States are you from? De qu parte de los Estados Unidos es usted?
Ms. Smith:

(I) am (to be) soy (ser)

I'm from Pueblo, Colorado. Soy de Pueblo, Colorado. And you, where are you from? Y usted, de dnde es?
Molina:

I'm from here. Soy de aqu. Did you come with your family? Vino usted con su familia?
Ms. Smith:

(you) came (to come) vino (venir) the family la familia

No, I'm single. No, soy soltera. And you....are you married? Y usted, es casado? (2)
Molina:

single soltero married (to marry) casado (casar)

also, too tambin the hour la hora

No, I'm single too. No, soy soltero, tambin.

Ms. Smith:

What time is it? [What hour is it?] Qu hora es?

Molina:

It's a quarter to twelve. Son cuarto para las doce. (3) Are you hungry already? [Is it that you already have hunger?] Es que ya tiene hambre?

the quarter el cuarto it is that es que already ya the hunger el hambre (feminine)(4) to be hungry tener hambre

Ms. Smith:

Yes, quite hungry. [Yes, quite a bit.] S, bastante. Is there a good restaurant near here? Hay un buen restorn cerca de aqu?
Molina:

enough, quite (a bit) bastante good buen (bueno) the restaurant el restorn the turn la vuelta around the corner a la vuelta cheap, inexpensive barato (we) can (to be able) podemos (poder) to lunch almorzar together juntos (it) seems (to seem) parece (parecer) to you (it) seems le parece let's go, we go (to go) vamos (ir)

Yes, there's one around [at] the corner that's good and inexpensive [cheap]. S, hay uno a la vuelta que es bueno y barato. We can have lunch together. Podemos almorzar juntos. O.K. with you? [Does it seem good to you?] Le parece bien?
Ms. Smith:

Sure [how not]. Let's go. Cmo no. Vamos. 5.10 Notes on the basic sentences
Necesite is an example of a verb form which has no exact equivalent in English. Forms of this type are called "subjunctive". The particular use of a subjunctive construction illustrated in the present sentence will be drilled in Unit 40. Subjunctive forms will be designated in English by the translation device "that (you) may". (2) Here, ser is used with casado: ser casado = to be married. The use of ser is not universal but in some places estar is used. This has nothing to do with beliefs about the permanence of marriage; it is just custom. Take your pick. (3) Other acceptable ways of expressing this would be Son quince para las doce; Faltan quince para las doce; Falta un cuarto para las doce. (4) There are several feminine nouns in Spanish which take the el pronoun, such as el agua and el hambre. They all begin with a vowel sound--most with a stressed a sound (Agua, HAmbre), and take the el solely for pronunciation reasons--it would be awkward to say la agua. Otherwise, they behave as normal feminine nouns.
(1)