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Illustration for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”

Spanish story with translation · A2 · 16 lines

Niebla, un charco y una sorpresa Fog, a puddle and a surprise

Comic · 8 panels

Panel 1 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: Yesterday afternoon I was walking home. It was raining and there was fog. I wasn't carrying an umbrella and I was soaked (woman speaking).

  1. Ayer por la tarde volvía a casa a pie. Llovía y había niebla.

    Yesterday afternoon I was walking home. It was raining and there was fog.

  2. No llevaba paraguas y estaba empapada.

    I wasn't carrying an umbrella and I was soaked (woman speaking).

Panel 2 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: While I was crossing the square, I was looking at my phone. Suddenly I slipped in a puddle and bumped into a stranger.

  1. Mientras cruzaba la plaza, miraba el móvil.

    While I was crossing the square, I was looking at my phone.

  2. De pronto resbalé en un charco y tropecé con un desconocido.

    Suddenly I slipped in a puddle and bumped into a stranger.

Panel 3 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" I shouted. I was very embarrassed (woman speaking). The man was tall, he had a beard and he was wearing a wet coat.

  1. «¡Perdón! ¡Lo siento mucho!», grité. Estaba muy avergonzada.

    "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" I shouted. I was very embarrassed (woman speaking).

  2. El hombre era alto, tenía barba y llevaba un abrigo mojado.

    The man was tall, he had a beard and he was wearing a wet coat.

Panel 4 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: Because of the fog, I couldn't see his face well. He looked at me, came a little closer and said hello: "Ana? Is that you, Ana?"

  1. Con la niebla no veía bien su cara.

    Because of the fog, I couldn't see his face well.

  2. Él me miró, se acercó un poco y me saludó: «¿Ana? ¿Eres tú, Ana?».

    He looked at me, came a little closer and said hello: "Ana? Is that you, Ana?"

Panel 5 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: That really surprised me. A stranger knew my name? Then I recognized him: it was Javier, my former Spanish teacher!

  1. Me sorprendió mucho. ¿Un desconocido sabía mi nombre?

    That really surprised me. A stranger knew my name?

  2. Entonces lo reconocí: ¡era Javier, mi antiguo profesor de español!

    Then I recognized him: it was Javier, my former Spanish teacher!

Panel 6 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: "What a coincidence! What are you doing here?" I asked. "I'm from Valencia. I came back a month ago," he explained, and he hugged me.

  1. «¡Qué casualidad! ¿Qué haces aquí?», pregunté.

    "What a coincidence! What are you doing here?" I asked.

  2. «Soy de Valencia. Volví hace un mes», explicó, y me abrazó.

    "I'm from Valencia. I came back a month ago," he explained, and he hugged me.

Panel 7 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: At that moment it stopped raining and the sun appeared. We went to a bar, had a hot chocolate and chatted for two hours.

  1. En ese momento paró de llover y apareció el sol.

    At that moment it stopped raining and the sun appeared.

  2. Fuimos a un bar, tomamos un chocolate caliente y charlamos dos horas.

    We went to a bar, had a hot chocolate and chatted for two hours.

Panel 8 of 8 for “Fog, a puddle and a surprise”: And another coincidence: it turns out Javier lives in my neighborhood! I got home cold, but very happy (woman speaking).

  1. Y otra casualidad: ¡resulta que Javier vive en mi barrio!

    And another coincidence: it turns out Javier lives in my neighborhood!

  2. Llegué a casa con frío, pero muy contenta.

    I got home cold, but very happy (woman speaking).

Grammar for this text

Background first, then events. The first three lines are the picture, all in the imperfect: volvía, llovía, había niebla, no llevaba paraguas, estaba empapada, miraba el móvil. After de pronto the events start, and the tense changes to the preterite: resbalé, tropecé, grité, me saludó, lo reconocí.

Describing a person is background too: era alto, tenía barba, llevaba un abrigo mojado.

A named length of time takes the preterite. Charlamos dos horas means "we chatted for two hours". The chat lasted a while, but the time is named and it's over, so Spanish uses the preterite.

Small things. Lo reconocí — I recognized him (lo means "him", unit 5). Volví hace un mes — I came back a month ago. Fuimos here comes from ir: we went. In tropecé (from tropezar) only the spelling changes: z becomes c before e, and the sound stays the same. Paró de llover — it stopped raining: parar de + infinitive means to stop doing something. Con la niebla — because of the fog, literally "with the fog".

Words and grammar of the unit: Tell a story about something that happened.

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