A2 · Unit 10 · 40 words, 3 texts with translation
Talk about a new job and a move
Talk about changes in your life: moving to a new city, a new job, a job interview and plans for the future.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
Verbs of change with se: ponerse, quedarse, irse
You already know reflexive verbs for your daily routine: me levanto, me ducho (A1, unit 8). With some verbs, se changes the meaning: you get a verb about a change in your mood or in your life.
| Without se | With se |
|---|---|
| poner — to put | ponerse — to get (sad, nervous...); to put on (clothes) |
| quedar — to arrange to meet | quedarse — to stay |
| ir — to go somewhere | irse — to leave, to go away |
The forms are the same as without se, but with me, te, se, nos, os, se in front:
- ponerse: me pongo, te pones, se pone, nos ponemos, os ponéis, se ponen — to get, to put on
- quedarse: me quedo, te quedas, se queda, nos quedamos, os quedáis, se quedan — to stay
- irse: me voy, te vas, se va, nos vamos, os vais, se van — to leave
ponerse + adjective works like English "get" + adjective: "get nervous", "get sad".
- Me pongo nerviosa en las entrevistas. — I get nervous in job interviews (woman speaking).
- Hace frío, me pongo el abrigo. — It's cold, so I put on my coat.
- ¿Te quedas en Valencia o te vas? — Are you staying in Valencia or leaving?
- Me fui de Madrid en marzo y me quedé aquí. — I left Madrid in March and stayed here.
In the past the pronoun stays in the same place, and in the present perfect it goes before he: me he ido. With two verbs it attaches to the infinitive: quiero quedarme, voy a irme.
Common mistakes. Estoy nervioso — "I'm nervous": a state. Me pongo nervioso — "I get nervous": a change. A second pair: voy a casa — "I'm going home" (where you're going matters), me voy — "I'm leaving" (leaving this place matters). To say goodbye, people say Me voy, not ✗ Voy.
Acabar de, empezar a, volver a + infinitive
Three verb phrases you need to talk about changes: "have just done", "start doing" and "do again". They all work the same way: conjugate the first verb, add the preposition, and leave the second verb in the infinitive.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| acabar de + infinitive | have just done | Acabo de llegar. — I've just arrived. |
| empezar a + infinitive | start doing | Empiezo a trabajar el lunes. — I start working on Monday. |
| volver a + infinitive | do again | Vuelvo a llamar mañana. — I'll call again tomorrow. |
More examples:
- Acabo de hablar con mi jefe. — I've just talked to my boss.
- Hoy he empezado a buscar piso. — Today I started looking for an apartment.
- No te entiendo. ¿Puedes volver a explicarlo? — I don't understand you. Can you explain it again?
Things to watch:
- With acabar de, the verb acabar is in the present tense, but English uses "have just" + past participle:
acabo de comer— "I've just eaten". There's no separate word for "just" in the Spanish: the phrase itself means it. - Don't drop the preposition. English says "start working" with no extra word, so learners often forget the a: it's empiezo a trabajar, not ✗ empiezo trabajar.
volver a+ a place — still "to go back somewhere": vuelvo a casa (I'm going back home). But volver a + a verb means "again":vuelvo a intentarlo— "I'll try again".
Antes de and después de + infinitive: before and after doing something
You already know antes (before, earlier) and después (later, then) from A1, unit 8. Add de and an infinitive, and you get "before doing" and "after doing".
- Antes de salir, apago la luz. — Before going out, I turn off the light.
- Después de comer tomo un café. — After eating, I have a coffee.
- Llama antes de venir. — Call before you come.
- Después de trabajar voy al gimnasio. — After working, I go to the gym.
- Antes de firmar el contrato, lo leo dos veces. — Before signing the contract, I read it twice.
The main thing: after antes de and después de, the verb is always in the infinitive, no matter who does it or when. English often does something similar with -ing ("before leaving", "after eating"), but it can also say "after I ate" or "before you leave", with a person and a tense. Spanish keeps it simple: después de comer, antes de irte. A common mistake is a conjugated form: not ✗ después de como, but después de comer.
With reflexive verbs, the pronoun attaches to the infinitive and shows who it's about: antes de irme — "before I leave", antes de irte — "before you leave".
With a noun it works the same way: antes de la entrevista — "before the interview", después del trabajo — "after work". Without de, antes and después stand on their own: Primero como y después trabajo (first I eat, and then I work).
Words in this unit
el cambio — change
Quiero un cambio en mi vida. — I want a change in my life.
ponerse — to get, to become, to put on
Me pongo nervioso en las entrevistas. — I get nervous in interviews (man speaking).
quedarse — to stay
Hoy me quedo en casa. — I'm staying home today.
irse — to leave, to go away
Me voy a casa, estoy cansado. — I'm heading home, I'm tired (man speaking).
conseguir — to get, to manage, to achieve
Quiero conseguir un trabajo nuevo. — I want to get a new job.
intentar — to try
Intento hablar español todos los días. — I try to speak Spanish every day.
mejorar — to improve, to get better
Quiero mejorar mi español. — I want to improve my Spanish.
la decisión — decision
Es una decisión difícil. — It's a difficult decision.
la oportunidad — opportunity, chance
Es una gran oportunidad para mí. — It's a great opportunity for me.
el futuro — future
Pienso mucho en mi futuro. — I think about my future a lot.
posible — possible
Es posible, pero es difícil. — It's possible, but it's difficult.
además — besides, also, in addition
El trabajo es interesante y, además, está cerca de casa. — The job is interesting, and besides, it's close to home.
ya no — not anymore, no longer
Ya no vivo en Valencia. — I don't live in Valencia anymore.
incluso — even
Trabajo los sábados e incluso los domingos. — I work on Saturdays and even on Sundays.
la forma — way, form
Es una forma fácil de aprender. — It's an easy way to learn.
la manera — way, manner
Cada persona trabaja a su manera. — Everyone works in their own way.
el proyecto — project, plan
Tengo un proyecto nuevo en el trabajo. — I have a new project at work.
la entrevista — interview, job interview
Mañana tengo una entrevista de trabajo. — I have a job interview tomorrow.
el sueldo — salary, pay
El sueldo es bueno. — The pay is good.
el horario — schedule, hours
Mi horario es de nueve a cinco. — My schedule is from nine to five.
la mudanza — move (to a new home)
Este sábado hacemos la mudanza. — We're moving this Saturday.
crecer — to grow, to grow up
Mis hijos crecen muy rápido. — My kids are growing up very fast.
lograr — to manage, to achieve
Por fin logro hablar con mi jefe. — I finally manage to talk to my boss.
orgulloso — proud
Estoy orgulloso de mi hija. — I'm proud of my daughter (man speaking).
contratar — to hire
La empresa contrata a tres personas. — The company is hiring three people.
despedir — to fire, to lay off
La empresa despide a veinte personas. — The company is firing twenty people.
la responsabilidad — responsibility, duty
En mi nuevo trabajo tengo más responsabilidad. — At my new job I have more responsibility.
la carrera — university degree, career
Mi hermana estudia la carrera de Medicina. — My sister is studying for a degree in medicine.
la jornada — workday
Mi jornada empieza a las ocho. — My workday starts at eight.
media jornada — part-time
Trabajo media jornada en una tienda. — I work part-time at a store.
el ascenso — promotion
Mi amiga ha conseguido un ascenso. — My friend (female) has gotten a promotion.
el currículum — résumé, CV
Envío mi currículum a tres empresas. — I'm sending my résumé to three companies.
las prácticas — internship
Hago prácticas en un banco. — I'm doing an internship at a bank.
puntual — punctual, on time
Soy muy puntual. — I'm very punctual.
exigente — demanding
Mi jefe es muy exigente. — My boss is very demanding.
autónomo — self-employed, freelancer
Mi hermano es autónomo. — My brother is self-employed.
la ambición — ambition
Mi hermana tiene mucha ambición. — My sister has a lot of ambition.
acabo de llegar — I've just arrived
Acabo de llegar. — I've just arrived.
empiezo a trabajar — I start working
Empiezo a trabajar el lunes. — I start working on Monday.
vuelvo a llamar — I'll call again
Vuelvo a llamar mañana. — I'll call again tomorrow.
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