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Illustration for “No fancy phrases, just little things”

Spanish story with translation · B1 · 16 lines

Sin frases bonitas, solo cosas pequeñas No fancy phrases, just little things

Comic · 15 panels

Panel 1 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: It's eleven o'clock and I can't sleep. Today at lunch, everyone knew what they wanted from life, and I was just listening. So I'm writing for myself: what is a…

  1. Son las once y no puedo dormir. Hoy, en la comida, todos sabían lo que querían de la vida, y yo solo escuchaba.

    It's eleven o'clock and I can't sleep. Today at lunch, everyone knew what they wanted from life, and I was just listening.

  2. Así que escribo para mí: ¿qué es una buena vida? Sin frases bonitas, solo cosas pequeñas.

    So I'm writing for myself: what is a good life? No fancy phrases, just little things.

Panel 2 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: An afternoon at the library, with silence and a book I don't have to finish.

  1. Una tarde en la biblioteca, con silencio y un libro que no tengo que terminar.

    An afternoon at the library, with silence and a book I don't have to finish.

Panel 3 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: A cooking magazine in bed on a Sunday, even though I don't cook anything afterward.

  1. Una revista de cocina en la cama un domingo, aunque luego no cocino nada.

    A cooking magazine in bed on a Sunday, even though I don't cook anything afterward.

Panel 4 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: Practicing Spanish without being afraid of making mistakes. I still feel like a student, and I like it (woman speaking).

  1. Practicar español sin miedo a equivocarme. Todavía me siento como una alumna, y me gusta.

    Practicing Spanish without being afraid of making mistakes. I still feel like a student, and I like it (woman speaking).

Panel 5 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: This language has given me friends, a job, and jokes I didn't understand before.

  1. Esta lengua me ha dado amigos, trabajo y chistes que antes no entendía.

    This language has given me friends, a job, and jokes I didn't understand before.

Panel 6 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: Dani says playing the guitar is useless, and that's why he loves it. He creates his best songs out of boredom.

  1. Dani dice que tocar la guitarra es inútil, y que por eso le encanta. Sus mejores canciones las crea por aburrimiento.

    Dani says playing the guitar is useless, and that's why he loves it. He creates his best songs out of boredom.

Panel 7 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: I think that what's useless is useful too: it helps Dani rest his mind.

  1. Yo pienso que lo inútil también es útil: a Dani le sirve para descansar la cabeza.

    I think that what's useless is useful too: it helps Dani rest his mind.

Panel 8 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: Pablo is right about one thing: rest isn't a waste of time. However, Lucía is right too: a job with new ideas makes me happy.

  1. Pablo tiene razón en una cosa: el descanso no es perder el tiempo. Sin embargo, Lucía también tiene razón: un trabajo con ideas nuevas me hace feliz.

    Pablo is right about one thing: rest isn't a waste of time. However, Lucía is right too: a job with new ideas makes me happy.

Panel 9 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: It's impossible to compare their lives with mine: everyone looks for their own balance.

  1. Es imposible comparar sus vidas con la mía: cada uno busca su equilibrio.

    It's impossible to compare their lives with mine: everyone looks for their own balance.

Panel 10 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: My favorite activities are cheap: walking on the beach, looking at art in a museum, and having dinner with friends.

  1. Mis actividades favoritas son baratas: pasear por la playa, ver arte en un museo y cenar con amigos.

    My favorite activities are cheap: walking on the beach, looking at art in a museum, and having dinner with friends.

Panel 11 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: My father is retiring next year, and he already has more plans than I do. And that makes me really happy.

  1. Mi padre se jubila el año que viene y ya tiene más planes que yo. Y eso me hace ilusión.

    My father is retiring next year, and he already has more plans than I do. And that makes me really happy.

Panel 12 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: What I don't want is tiredness that doesn't even let me think. The kind you get from walking all day, on the other hand, I love.

  1. Lo que no quiero es un cansancio que no me deja ni pensar. El de caminar todo el día, en cambio, me encanta.

    What I don't want is tiredness that doesn't even let me think. The kind you get from walking all day, on the other hand, I love.

Panel 13 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: Will I have all this in Madrid? I don't know yet, and tonight I don't need to know.

  1. ¿Tendré todo esto en Madrid? Todavía no lo sé, y esta noche no hace falta saberlo.

    Will I have all this in Madrid? I don't know yet, and tonight I don't need to know.

Panel 14 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: And one last thing for the list: let someone else do the dishes.

  1. Y una última cosa para la lista: que los platos los friegue otro.

    And one last thing for the list: let someone else do the dishes.

Panel 15 of 15 for “No fancy phrases, just little things”: Today it was my turn to eat and listen, and it was perfect.

  1. Hoy me tocaba comer y escuchar, y ha sido perfecto.

    Today it was my turn to eat and listen, and it was perfect.

Grammar for this text

Que los platos los friegue otro — que + subjunctive as a wish ("let…", unit 18): friegue is a form of fregar (the stem changes e → ie, as in friego). Los platos los — the same thing twice: the object comes first, and los repeats it.

Sus mejores canciones las crea… — the same pattern: las repeats "songs"; crea — "he creates", from crear. Por aburrimiento — "out of boredom".

Es imposible comparar sus vidas con la mía — la mía ("mine") stands for mi vida, so the word isn't repeated. Comparar something con something — "to compare with".

Lo inútil también es útil — lo + adjective: "what's useless" (unit 14).

Sin embargo — "however" (unit 10). Aunque luego no cocino nada — aunque with the normal form: it's a fact, but it doesn't stop anything (unit 5).

Me tocaba comer y escuchar — here tocar means "to be someone's turn": me tocaba — "it was my turn". That's also how people in Spain decide who does the dishes: ¿A quién le toca? — "Whose turn is it?"

Words and grammar of the unit: Debate your views at the table.

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