B1 · Unit 27 · 28 words, 3 texts with translation
Go on a date and make up after a fight
Go on a first date, settle an argument and tell a breakup story: flirt, ask for changes gently and come to an agreement.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
Quiero que, me molesta que: telling someone close what needs to change
You already know that the subjunctive follows quiero que (unit 18) and me molesta que — it bothers me that (unit 24). In an argument between partners, two new things come in: talking to someone as tú and a soft way to start.
1. The tú form after que. When you talk to someone as tú, the verb after que goes in the tú form: dejar → dejes, mirar → mires, saber → sepas (irregular: the stem is sep-).
- Quiero que dejes ya ese móvil. — I want you to put that phone down now.
- Me molesta que mires el móvil a todas horas. — It bothers me that you look at your phone all the time.
- Quiero que sepas que me lo estoy pasando muy bien. — I want you to know that I'm having a really good time.
2. Quiero que sepas que… — a soft start. People use it to begin something important and warm. After the second que the verb is in the normal form (me lo estoy pasando): what you're telling the other person is a fact.
3. A negative that softens a complaint. No quiero que te lo tomes a mal — I don't want you to take it the wrong way. After no quiero que the subjunctive follows too.
Common mistake: ✗ quiero que dejas, ✗ me molesta que miras. After que you need the subjunctive form: dejes, mires. If only one person is involved (you yourself), there's no que: me molesta esperar — it bothers me to wait (unit 24).
Saying hard things gently: deberías, ¿podrías…?, yo preferiría
You already know ¿podrías…? — a polite request in the conditional (unit 4), and deberías — advice (unit 5). In a difficult conversation the same forms soften harsh words, and yo preferiría joins them.
| Blunt | Softer | What the softer one means |
|---|---|---|
Deja el móvil. | ¿Podrías dejar el móvil? | "Could you put the phone down?" |
Tienes que hablar conmigo. | Deberías hablar conmigo. | "You should talk to me." |
No quiero discutir. | Yo preferiría no discutir. | "I'd rather not argue." |
Yo preferiría + infinitive — "I'd rather". This is the conditional of preferir. When one person prefers something and the action is their own, a plain infinitive follows, with no que.
- Yo preferiría cenar contigo, no discutir con una aspiradora. — I'd rather have dinner with you, not argue with a vacuum cleaner.
- Preferiría no hablar de eso ahora. — I'd rather not talk about that right now.
To say what someone else would prefer (preferiría que vinieras), you need the imperfect subjunctive — that's level B2. For now, get by with ¿podrías…? and deberías.
Common mistake: ✗ yo preferiría que cenar contigo. After preferiría the infinitive comes right away; que doesn't belong here.
Words in this unit
sonreír — to smile
Sonríe, que es gratis. — Smile, it's free.
regalar — to give (as a gift)
Siempre le regalo flores a mi madre. — I always give my mother flowers.
precioso — beautiful, lovely
Tiene un piso precioso en el centro. — She has a beautiful apartment downtown.
curioso — curious, strange, interesting
Es curioso: nadie conoce a ese vecino. — It's strange: nobody knows that neighbor.
tener una cita — to have a date, to have an appointment
Esta noche tengo una cita. — I have a date tonight.
romper con — to break up with
Rompió con su novio el año pasado. — She broke up with her boyfriend last year.
cortar con — to break up with (casual), to split up
Cortamos hace un año y ahora somos amigos. — We broke up a year ago, and now we're friends.
llevarse mal — to not get along, to be on bad terms
Mi hermano y yo nos llevamos mal. — My brother and I don't get along.
perder los nervios — to lose your temper, to lose your cool
Perdí los nervios y empecé a gritar. — I lost my temper and started yelling.
ponerse de acuerdo — to agree, to reach an agreement
Nunca nos ponemos de acuerdo en el color. — We never agree on the color.
volverse loco — to go crazy
Con este calor me vuelvo loca. — In this heat I go crazy (woman speaking).
tomárselo a mal — to take it the wrong way, to be offended
No te lo tomes a mal, pero llegas tarde. — Don't take it the wrong way, but you're late.
sentar bien — to suit, to be good for, to agree with
Ese color te sienta muy bien. — That color really suits you.
de maravilla — wonderfully, great
Aquí se come de maravilla. — The food here is wonderful.
trato hecho — deal, it's a deal
¿Mitad y mitad? Trato hecho. — Half and half? Deal.
a todas horas — all the time, at all hours
Mi vecino pone música a todas horas. — My neighbor plays music at all hours.
coquetear — to flirt
¿Estás coqueteando conmigo? — Are you flirting with me?
divorciarse — to get divorced
Mis tíos se divorciaron hace diez años. — My aunt and uncle got divorced ten years ago.
la corbata — tie
Mi padre lleva corbata todos los días. — My father wears a tie every day.
la aspiradora — vacuum cleaner, vacuum
Paso la aspiradora los sábados. — I vacuum on Saturdays.
colorado — red, red in the face
Se puso colorada al verlo. — She turned red when she saw him.
el muñeco — doll, figure
El niño no suelta su muñeco. — The little boy won't let go of his toy figure.
gigante — giant, huge
Vi un muñeco gigante en la plaza. — I saw a giant figure in the square.
la peluquería — hair salon
Voy a la peluquería los viernes. — I go to the hair salon on Fridays.
la cerámica — pottery, ceramics
Hago cerámica los martes. — I do pottery on Tuesdays.
el barro — clay, mud
Tengo las manos llenas de barro. — My hands are covered in clay.
la jarra — pitcher, jug
Pon una jarra de agua en la mesa. — Put a pitcher of water on the table.
el senderismo — hiking
Los domingos hacemos senderismo. — We go hiking on Sundays.
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