B1 · Unit 20 · 40 words, 2 texts with translation
Get help from tech support
Call customer support: ask them to fix your internet, wait on hold and ask for compensation. You'll also learn new uses of por and para.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
Por: by phone, for a price, per week, instead of someone
You already know two uses of por (A2, unit 14): a cause and a route.
- por una avería — because of a breakdown
- paso por Madrid — I go through Madrid
Por has four more meanings. You need them to call customer support, pay for something and ask for a replacement. In English they're usually "by", "for", "a" or "instead of".
| Meaning | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| means, channel | how? by what means? | Te lo cuento por teléfono. — I'll tell you over the phone. |
| exchange and price | for what? | Pago treinta euros por la fibra. — I pay thirty euros for fiber. |
| "a", "per": each unit | how many times a...? | Llamo dos veces por semana. — I call twice a week. |
| instead of someone | instead of whom? | Estoy enferma. Hoy Sonia trabaja por mí. — I'm sick. Sonia is working for me today (woman speaking). |
Gracias por and perdón por + verb. After them you can use a verb. English uses the -ing form here ("thanks for waiting"), but Spanish uses the infinitive:
- Gracias por esperar. — Thanks for waiting.
- Perdone por llamar tan tarde. — Sorry for calling so late (formal).
Set phrases — learn them as a whole:
- por error — by mistake
- por escrito — in writing
- por completo — completely
- por tercera vez — for the third time
Common mistakes. English "for" pulls you toward para, and "on the phone" toward en. In these meanings it's always por:
- cambiar por uno nuevo — to exchange it for a new one
- por teléfono — on the phone, by phone
- por tercera vez — for the third time
Not ✗ cambiar para uno nuevo, ✗ en teléfono, ✗ para tercera vez. And no -ing form after por: ✗ gracias por esperando.
Para: deadlines, "for a..." and por / para pairs
You already know two uses of para (A2, unit 14): a goal and a destination (para Madrid).
- para comprar un billete — to buy a ticket
Now for what you need when someone makes you a promise, and when you argue.
1. A deadline: "by Monday". You've already seen para mañana — by tomorrow. It works the same with any day or time: it's the latest point, not later.
- Estará arreglado para el lunes. — It'll be fixed by Monday.
- Necesito internet para las nueve: tengo una reunión. — I need internet by nine: I have a meeting.
Compare: el lunes is "on Monday" (that exact day). Now para and hasta:
- para el lunes — by Monday (it can happen earlier)
- hasta el lunes — until Monday (the whole time up to then)
- No tendré internet hasta el lunes — I won't have internet until Monday
2. "For a...": compared with what you'd expect. Just like English "for":
- Para ser extranjera, hablas muy bien. — For a foreigner, you speak very well (to a woman).
- Es muy caro para un piso tan pequeño. — It's very expensive for such a small apartment.
With a person, use para ser + noun: word for word, "for being a foreigner".
3. Pairs where the preposition changes the meaning.
| With por | With para |
|---|---|
| Por mí, vale. — Fine by me. | Para mí, es un error. — In my opinion, it's a mistake (unit 11). |
| Me dan un mes gratis por esperar. — They're giving me a free month for waiting (it already happened). | Llamo para pedir un técnico. — I'm calling to ask for a technician (it's still ahead). |
| Viene por la tarde. — He's coming in the afternoon (when?). | Lo quiero para la tarde. — I want it by the afternoon (by what deadline?). |
The same tip as before: por looks back, at the cause and at what was already done or given. para looks forward, at a goal, a deadline, a result.
Common mistake: English "by Monday" makes you want to say ✗ por el lunes, and hasta means "until" (the whole time). A deadline "by..." is always para.
Words in this unit
la red — network
No hay red en mi casa. — There's no network in my house.
la línea — line, phone line, phone plan
La línea no funciona. — The line isn't working.
los datos — data, mobile data, personal details
Me quedo sin datos a mitad de mes. — I run out of data in the middle of the month.
la compañía — company
Mi compañía de internet es muy mala. — My internet company is really bad.
conectarse — to connect, to go online
No puedo conectarme a la wifi. — I can't connect to the Wi-Fi.
atender — to serve, to help (a customer), to answer (a call)
¿Quién te atendió en la tienda? — Who helped you at the store?
solucionar — to solve, to fix (a problem)
Vamos a solucionar el problema hoy mismo. — We're going to solve the problem today.
gratis — free, for free
La instalación es gratis. — The installation is free.
por error — by mistake
Me cobraron dos veces por error. — They charged me twice by mistake.
el/la wifi — Wi-Fi
¿Cuál es la clave de la wifi? — What's the Wi-Fi password?
el router — router
El router está en el salón. — The router is in the living room.
el operador — operator, phone company, carrier
El operador me pide que espere. — The operator asks me to wait.
el/la agente — agent, customer service representative, officer
El agente me pide mi número de cliente. — The agent asks me for my customer number.
la tarifa — rate, plan (for a service)
Mi tarifa es de treinta euros al mes. — My plan is thirty euros a month.
mensual — monthly
El pago mensual es de veinte euros. — The monthly payment is twenty euros.
la incidencia — service problem, issue, support ticket
Quiero abrir una incidencia. — I want to open a support ticket.
reiniciar — to restart, to reboot
Reinicia el router y espera un minuto. — Restart the router and wait a minute.
cortarse — to get cut off, to cut out (a call or connection), to cut yourself
Se corta la línea cada cinco minutos. — The line cuts out every five minutes.
desconectar — to disconnect, to unplug, to switch off (and relax)
Desconecto el router por la noche. — I unplug the router at night.
marcar — to dial (a number), to mark, to score (a goal)
Marco tu número, pero no contestas. — I dial your number, but you don't answer.
la tecla — key, button (on a phone or keyboard)
Pulsa la tecla 2 para hablar con un agente. — Press the 2 key to talk to an agent.
el código — code
Te envían un código por SMS. — They send you a code by text message.
en espera — on hold, waiting
Llevo veinte minutos en espera. — I've been on hold for twenty minutes.
pasar con — to put through to (on the phone)
Un momento, le paso con mi compañero. — One moment, I'll put you through to my colleague (formal).
dar de baja — to cancel (a service), to unsubscribe
Quiero dar de baja mi línea. — I want to cancel my phone line.
la permanencia — minimum contract term
Mi contrato tiene permanencia de un año. — My contract has a one-year minimum term.
la compensación — compensation
Quiero una compensación por estas tres semanas. — I want compensation for these three weeks.
por escrito — in writing
Quiero la respuesta por escrito. — I want the answer in writing.
por completo — completely
Mi trabajo ha cambiado por completo. — My job has changed completely.
a través de — through, via
Puede pedir la baja a través de la aplicación. — You can ask to cancel through the app (formal).
gratuito — free (of charge)
La llamada es gratuita. — The call is free.
la central — head office, headquarters
La central está en Madrid. — The head office is in Madrid.
humano — human
Por fin me contesta una voz humana. — Finally, a human voice answers me.
el contestador — answering machine, voicemail
Llamé tres veces y siempre salía el contestador. — I called three times, and I always got the answering machine.
configurar — to set up, to configure
El técnico configura el router en mi casa. — The technician sets up the router at my house.
denunciar — to report (to the police), to file a complaint against
Voy a denunciar a la compañía. — I'm going to report the company.
tomar el pelo — to pull someone's leg, to mess with someone
¿Me estás tomando el pelo? — Are you pulling my leg?
perder la paciencia — to lose your patience
A veces pierdo la paciencia con el teléfono. — Sometimes I lose my patience with the phone.
la fibra — fiber, fiber-optic internet
Tengo fibra en casa desde hace un año. — I've had fiber at home for a year.
por culpa de — because of (something bad)
Llegué tarde por culpa del tráfico. — I was late because of the traffic.
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