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Illustration for “The new guy”

Spanish dialogue with translation · B1 · 18 lines

El nuevo The new guy

Comic · 18 panels

Panel 1 of 18 for “The new guy”: “So, Ana, what do you think of Óscar, the new guy? He's been with us for two weeks now.”
  1. Sonia

    Bueno, Ana, ¿qué te parece Óscar, el nuevo? Ya lleva dos semanas con nosotros.

    So, Ana, what do you think of Óscar, the new guy? He's been with us for two weeks now.

Panel 2 of 18 for “The new guy”: “On the first day he seemed very pleasant to me: considerate, polite… But he's not very sociable, and now I think he's a bit boring.”
  1. Ana

    El primer día me pareció muy agradable: atento, educado… Pero es poco sociable, y ahora creo que es un poco aburrido.

    On the first day he seemed very pleasant to me: considerate, polite… But he's not very sociable, and now I think he's a bit boring.

Panel 3 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Oh, no. He's not boring: he's bored. Nuria still hasn't given him a single project, and he's been reading reports for two weeks.”
  1. Sonia

    No, mujer. No es aburrido: está aburrido. Nuria todavía no le ha dado ningún proyecto y lleva dos semanas leyendo informes.

    Oh, no. He's not boring: he's bored. Nuria still hasn't given him a single project, and he's been reading reports for two weeks.

Panel 4 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Oh, poor guy. I thought it was his personality.”
  1. Ana

    Ay, pobre. Yo pensaba que era su personalidad.

    Oh, poor guy. I thought it was his personality.

Panel 5 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Exactly. Plus, he's very smart: yesterday he fixed my computer in five minutes.”
  1. Sonia

    Exacto. Además, es muy listo: ayer me arregló el ordenador en cinco minutos.

    Exactly. Plus, he's very smart: yesterday he fixed my computer in five minutes.

Panel 6 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Smart? That really quiet guy?”
  1. Ana

    ¿Listo? ¿Ese chico tan callado?

    Smart? That really quiet guy?

Panel 7 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Yes, really: quiet, but very smart.”
  1. Sonia

    Sí, mujer: callado, pero muy listo.

    Yes, really: quiet, but very smart.

Panel 8 of 18 for “The new guy”: “I see. Well, today Mr. Smart is in a bad mood: I said "good morning" to him, and he didn't even answer me.”
  1. Ana

    Ya. Pues hoy el listo está de mal humor: le he dicho «buenos días» y ni siquiera me ha contestado.

    I see. Well, today Mr. Smart is in a bad mood: I said "good morning" to him, and he didn't even answer me.

Panel 9 of 18 for “The new guy”: “The thing is, he's sick. He's had a fever since yesterday, but he's so stubborn that he doesn't want to go home.”
  1. Sonia

    Es que está malo. Tiene fiebre desde ayer, pero es tan cabezota que no quiere irse a casa.

    The thing is, he's sick. He's had a fever since yesterday, but he's so stubborn that he doesn't want to go home.

Panel 10 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Poor guy! And I thought he was a bit two-faced: really friendly on the first day and rude today.”
  1. Ana

    ¡Pobre! Y yo pensaba que era un poco falso: muy simpático el primer día y maleducado hoy.

    Poor guy! And I thought he was a bit two-faced: really friendly on the first day and rude today.

Panel 11 of 18 for “The new guy”: “No way! He's not bad or two-faced: he's introverted. With so many new people around, he gets overwhelmed.”
  1. Sonia

    ¡Qué va! No es malo ni falso: es introvertido. Con tanta gente nueva se agobia.

    No way! He's not bad or two-faced: he's introverted. With so many new people around, he gets overwhelmed.

Panel 12 of 18 for “The new guy”: “I get it. I was overwhelmed too in my first month at the office (woman speaking).”
  1. Ana

    Lo entiendo. Yo también estaba agobiada mi primer mes en la oficina.

    I get it. I was overwhelmed too in my first month at the office (woman speaking).

Panel 13 of 18 for “The new guy”: “And he's generous: on Tuesday he brought a cake for everyone. It was delicious.”
  1. Sonia

    Y es generoso: el martes trajo una tarta para todos. Estaba muy rica.

    And he's generous: on Tuesday he brought a cake for everyone. It was delicious.

Panel 14 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Generous and smart. And is he rich too?”
  1. Ana

    Generoso y listo. ¿Y también es rico?

    Generous and smart. And is he rich too?

Panel 15 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Rich, he's not: he earns less than we do. But he's not stingy either (women speaking).”
  1. Sonia

    Rico no es: cobra menos que nosotras. Pero tacaño tampoco.

    Rich, he's not: he earns less than we do. But he's not stingy either (women speaking).

Panel 16 of 18 for “The new guy”: “So, are you sure he doesn't have any quirks? (to a woman)”
  1. Ana

    Entonces, ¿estás segura de que no tiene ninguna manía?

    So, are you sure he doesn't have any quirks? (to a woman)

Panel 17 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Well, he has one: his desk. Everything is neat and put away. If you move one of his pens, he notices.”
  1. Sonia

    Bueno, una sí: su mesa. Todo está ordenado y guardado. Si le mueves un bolígrafo, lo nota.

    Well, he has one: his desk. Everything is neat and put away. If you move one of his pens, he notices.

Panel 18 of 18 for “The new guy”: “Well, he's not going to like my desk: I'm pretty messy. Should we take him a hot tea? (woman speaking)”
  1. Ana

    Pues mi mesa no le va a gustar: yo soy bastante desordenada. ¿Le llevamos un té caliente?

    Well, he's not going to like my desk: I'm pretty messy. Should we take him a hot tea? (woman speaking)

Grammar for this text

The whole conversation is built on pairs: ser — what he's like in general, estar — how he is right now.

  • es aburrido — he's boring; está aburrido — he's bored;
  • es muy listo — he's very smart; estar listo — to be ready. El listo with the article is "Mr. Smart";
  • es malo — he's bad; está malo — he's sick;
  • es rico — he's rich; trajo una tarta… Estaba muy rica — the cake was delicious;
  • ¿estás segura? — are you sure?

Todo está ordenado y guardado — estar + past participle: a result. Everything has already been tidied up and put away.

Lleva dos semanas leyendo — "he's been reading for two weeks" (llevar + time, unit 1).

Colloquial bits: ¡Qué va! — "no way!", "not at all"; Es que… — "the thing is…", a way to start an explanation; No, mujer — a friendly "oh, no" (to a man: no, hombre). It doesn't mean "woman" here.

Words and grammar of the unit: Describe personality and mood.

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