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Illustration for “They won't exchange it for me”

Spanish dialogue with translation · B1 · 18 lines

No me lo cambian They won't exchange it for me

Comic · 18 panels

Panel 1 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Good morning. I bought this alarm clock here a week ago, and it doesn't work right: I set it for seven and it doesn't ring.”
  1. Ana

    Buenos días. Compré este despertador aquí hace una semana y falla: lo pongo a las siete y no suena.

    Good morning. I bought this alarm clock here a week ago, and it doesn't work right: I set it for seven and it doesn't ring.

Panel 2 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have the receipt? (formal)”
  1. Dependiente

    Vaya, lo siento. ¿Tiene el tique de compra?

    Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have the receipt? (formal)

Panel 3 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Yes, I have it here. I'll show it to you now (formal).”
  1. Ana

    Sí, lo tengo aquí. Ahora se lo enseño.

    Yes, I have it here. I'll show it to you now (formal).

Panel 4 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Thank you. And the box? For a return, we need the packaging.”
  1. Dependiente

    Gracias. ¿Y la caja? Para una devolución necesitamos el embalaje.

    Thank you. And the box? For a return, we need the packaging.

Panel 5 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “I don't have the box anymore. But the alarm clock has a defect, and it's no use to me like this.”
  1. Ana

    La caja ya no la tengo. Pero el despertador tiene un defecto, y así no me sirve.

    I don't have the box anymore. But the alarm clock has a defect, and it's no use to me like this.

Panel 6 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “I understand you, but I can't exchange it for you without the box. Those are the store's rules (to a woman, formal).”
  1. Dependiente

    La entiendo, pero sin la caja no se lo puedo cambiar. Son las normas de la tienda.

    I understand you, but I can't exchange it for you without the box. Those are the store's rules (to a woman, formal).

Panel 7 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Excuse me, but it's a defective item, and I have the right to an exchange (formal).”
  1. Ana

    Perdone, pero es un artículo defectuoso y tengo derecho a un cambio.

    Excuse me, but it's a defective item, and I have the right to an exchange (formal).

Panel 8 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do.”
  1. Dependiente

    Lo siento, yo no puedo hacer nada.

    I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do.

Panel 9 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Well, I'm outraged. I demand to speak to the manager, and I want the complaint form (woman speaking).”
  1. Ana

    Pues estoy indignada. Exijo hablar con el encargado y quiero la hoja de reclamaciones.

    Well, I'm outraged. I demand to speak to the manager, and I want the complaint form (woman speaking).

Panel 10 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “One moment. I'll bring it to you right away and call the manager (formal).”
  1. Dependiente

    Un momento. Se la traigo enseguida y llamo a la encargada.

    One moment. I'll bring it to you right away and call the manager (formal).

Panel 11 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Good morning, I'm the manager. How can I help you? (woman speaking, to a woman, formal)”
  1. Encargada

    Buenos días, soy la encargada. ¿En qué puedo ayudarla?

    Good morning, I'm the manager. How can I help you? (woman speaking, to a woman, formal)

Panel 12 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “This alarm clock has a fault, and your coworker won't exchange it for me because I don't have the box (formal).”
  1. Ana

    Este despertador tiene un fallo y su compañero no me lo cambia porque no tengo la caja.

    This alarm clock has a fault, and your coworker won't exchange it for me because I don't have the box (formal).

Panel 13 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Could you let me have it for a moment? Let's test it… It's true, it doesn't ring. (formal)”
  1. Encargada

    ¿Me lo deja un momento? Vamos a probarlo… Es verdad, no suena.

    Could you let me have it for a moment? Let's test it… It's true, it doesn't ring. (formal)

Panel 14 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “So what now? Can you exchange it for me without the box? (to several people, formal)”
  1. Ana

    ¿Y entonces? ¿Me lo pueden cambiar sin la caja?

    So what now? Can you exchange it for me without the box? (to several people, formal)

Panel 15 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Of course. We normally ask for the box; however, with a defective product it isn't necessary. We'll exchange it for you right now (formal).”
  1. Encargada

    Claro. Normalmente pedimos la caja; sin embargo, con un producto defectuoso no es necesaria. Se lo cambiamos ahora mismo.

    Of course. We normally ask for the box; however, with a defective product it isn't necessary. We'll exchange it for you right now (formal).

Panel 16 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “And what if the other one doesn't work right either? I'd prefer a refund. Can you give me my money back? (to several people, formal)”
  1. Ana

    ¿Y si el otro también falla? Prefiero el reembolso. ¿Pueden devolverme el dinero?

    And what if the other one doesn't work right either? I'd prefer a refund. Can you give me my money back? (to several people, formal)

Panel 17 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Of course. We'll return it to your card immediately. Please go to the checkout (formal).”
  1. Encargada

    Por supuesto. Se lo devolvemos inmediatamente en su tarjeta. Pase por caja, por favor.

    Of course. We'll return it to your card immediately. Please go to the checkout (formal).

Panel 18 of 18 for “They won't exchange it for me”: “Thank you very much. Then I don't need the complaint form anymore.”
  1. Ana

    Muchas gracias. Entonces la hoja de reclamaciones ya no la necesito.

    Thank you very much. Then I don't need the complaint form anymore.

Grammar for this text

Se lo, se la. The clerk talks to Ana with usted, so "to you" is le, and next to lo and la it turns into se: no se lo puedo cambiar (I can't exchange it for you; lo = el despertador), se la traigo (I'll bring it to you; la = la hoja), se lo devolvemos (we'll give it back to you; lo = el dinero, which is singular in Spanish).

Me lo. About yourself it's me: su compañero no me lo cambia (Ana), ¿me lo deja un momento? (the manager).

La caja ya no la tengo. When the thing comes first in the sentence, Spanish repeats it with a pronoun: word for word, "the box, I don't have it anymore".

La entiendo (I understand you): here la is the formal "you" for a woman.

Hoja de reclamaciones — the official complaint form. In Spain every store must give you one if you ask; often just asking for it is enough to solve the problem.

Caja here means both "box" and "checkout": pase por caja (please go to the checkout).

Exijo (I demand) comes from exigir. The g in exigir sounds like a throaty h, like the ch in Scottish loch; to keep the same sound before the ending -o, it's spelled j: exigir → exijo.

Words and grammar of the unit: Return a purchase and make a complaint.

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