Spanish story with translation · B1 · 17 lines
Con cumplir la mitad ya estaré contenta If I keep just half, I'll be happy
Comic · 11 panels
Hoy he comprado un calendario enorme y lo he colgado en la pared de mi habitación.
Today I bought a huge calendar and hung it on my bedroom wall.
Empieza mi segundo año en Valencia y tengo la intención de cambiar algunas cosas.
My second year in Valencia is starting, and I intend to change a few things.
El año pasado escribí una lista con tres propósitos y no cumplí ninguno. ¡Qué fracaso!
Last year I wrote a list with three resolutions and didn't keep any of them. What a failure!
Ahora sé por qué: eran imposibles. «No llorar» no es un propósito, es una locura.
Now I know why: they were impossible. "Not crying" isn't a resolution; it's madness.
Este año haré una lista diferente: pocas promesas, pero con plazo.
This year I'll make a different list: few promises, but with a deadline.
Primera: aprobaré el DELE de nivel B2. Plazo: antes del verano.
First: I'll pass the B2 level DELE. Deadline: before the summer.
Todavía no estoy preparada. Para alcanzar ese nivel será necesario estudiar una hora al día, y me esforzaré.
I'm not ready yet. To reach that level, it will be necessary to study an hour a day, and I'll try hard. (woman speaking)
Segunda: ponerme en forma. No me apuntaré a un gimnasio caro: saldré a correr con Pablo y su club.
Second: get in shape. I won't join an expensive gym: I'll go running with Pablo and his club.
Tercera: llamaré a mamá todos los domingos, sin excusas.
Third: I'll call Mom every Sunday, no excuses.
Y la última: seré constante. Esto es muy difícil para mí: tengo poca voluntad.
And the last one: I'll be consistent. This is very hard for me: I have little willpower.
Por eso tengo dos opciones: hacer una lista más corta o pedir ayuda.
That's why I have two options: make a shorter list or ask for help.
He elegido la segunda. Le he enviado la lista a Lucía: así no podré olvidarla.
I've chosen the second one. I've sent the list to Lucía: that way I won't be able to forget it.
Lucía ya me ha escrito: «Muy bien. ¿Y cuándo descansarás?».
Lucía has already written to me: "Very good. And when will you rest?"
Tiene razón. Una promesa más: los domingos por la tarde no haré nada.
She's right. One more promise: on Sunday afternoons I won't do anything.
¿Tendré éxito? No lo sé, pero hay posibilidades.
Will I succeed? I don't know, but there's a chance.
Con cumplir la mitad ya estaré contenta.
If I keep just half, I'll already be happy (woman speaking).
¿Y la otra mitad? La dejaré para el año que viene.
And the other half? I'll leave it for next year.
Grammar for this text
A list of promises uses the future tense. Aprobaré (I'll pass), llamaré (I'll call), seré constante (I'll be consistent), no haré nada (I won't do anything). Irregular: haré, saldré, podré, tendré.
Será necesario estudiar (it will be necessary to study). This is es necesario + infinitive, just in the future.
Ponerme en forma (get in shape). In a to-do list you can write just the infinitive, like English "get in shape". The pronoun me is attached to the end.
¿Tendré éxito? (Will I succeed?) Tener éxito means "to succeed". Éxito is a false friend: it means "success", not "exit" (that's salida).
Con cumplir la mitad ya estaré contenta. Con + infinitive means "just doing this is enough": if I keep just half, I'll already be happy.
¿Cuándo descansarás? (When will you rest?) Here cuándo is the question word "when?", and the future tense after it is fine. The rule against the future applies only to cuando without an accent ("when I arrive, …"); more on that in unit 21.
Words and grammar of the unit: Share your plans for the year.
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