B2 · Unit 33 · 44 words, 2 texts with translation
Deal with a letter from the immigration office
Go to a lawyer with a friend: read a letter from the immigration office, see that it isn't a denial, answer it properly, and learn how to get a deposit back without going to court.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
Official letters: the future tense as an order
In a letter from a government office, the future tense is often not about the future. It tells you what you must do (an order), what the office will do (a promise) or what happens if you don't act (a warning). English official letters work in a similar way: "you must submit", "you will be notified", "your application will be closed".
| What the office writes | What it means | What's going on |
|---|---|---|
| Usted deberá presentar una copia del pasaporte. | You must submit a copy of your passport. | deber in the future + infinitive: an obligation |
| Se le notificará la decisión. | You'll be notified of the decision. | se + a verb in the future: who does it doesn't matter |
| De no hacerlo, se archivará su solicitud. | If you don't, your application will be closed. | de + infinitive: "if not", instead of si no |
| Usted podrá interponer un recurso. | You may file an appeal. | poder in the future: your right |
| Se le citará para comparecer. | You'll be summoned to appear. | se + future: an action of the office |
How to read a sentence like this. Usually there's no subject (nobody says who does it), and the small words le ("to you") and se come before the verb. Look for the verb in the future tense: it tells you what you have to do or what will be done to you. A verb ending in stressed -rá (notificará, archivará, deberá, podrá) is in the future; the stress on the last syllable gives it away.
De no hacerlo. These three words replace the longer si usted no lo hace (if you don't do it): De no pagar la tasa, no se tramitará la solicitud — If you don't pay the fee, the application won't be processed. Offices and lawyers write like this; in conversation people say si no lo hace.
The deadline. En el plazo de diez días — within ten days; a partir del día siguiente a la notificación — starting from the day after you're notified. There's almost always a deadline: look for a number and the word plazo.
A common mistake. Reading deberá as a guess ("he probably has to"), because the future can also be a guess about now (estará en casa — he's probably at home). In an official letter it's not a guess, it's an order. And when you write to an office yourself, you don't say usted deberá: you write ruego que… ("I request that…"). You ask; you don't give orders.
One more example from this unit: Se le notificará por la sede electrónica. — You'll be notified through the official website.
Official language and how to say it in everyday words
Letters from government offices are written in a special language: long phrases, formal verbs, impersonal se. You need to recognize these formulas; nobody talks like this. If you start a conversation with se le comunica, you'll sound like an answering machine. Below: what you read in a letter and what you'll say (or hear) in normal conversation.
| In a letter (recognize) | In conversation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Se le comunica que… | Le escribo / le llamo para decirle que… | You are hereby informed that… |
| Se le requiere para que subsane… | Le piden que lo corrija. | You are required to correct… |
| Por la presente… | Con esta carta… | I hereby… / With this letter… |
| En el plazo de diez días | En diez días | Within ten days |
| De no hacerlo… | Si no lo hace… | Failing that… / If you don't… |
| Ruego que… | Le pido que… | I request that… |
| Adjunto copia… | Le mando una copia… | Attached is a copy… |
| Dejar constancia | Que quede escrito | To put on record |
When to write like this yourself. Only when you're answering an office: a reply to a requerimiento (an official request), a complaint, an application. Then these phrases are exactly what the office expects:
- por la presente — hereby
- ruego que se tenga por… — I request that it be considered…
- adjunto copia… — attached is a copy…
- quedo a la espera — I look forward to your reply
You already know how to start and end a letter (units 4 and 16): Estimado/a…, Atentamente. What's new here is the middle part.
How to spot a letter from an office. Three signs: impersonal se (se le comunica, se le notificará), the future tense as an order (deberá), and the words plazo and de no hacerlo. If you see them, it's not a denial and not a personal request: it's a procedure. Calmly find the deadline and the list of what you need to do.
A requerimiento is not a denegación. A requerimiento — the office asks you to correct or add to your papers and waits for your reply by a deadline. A denegación or resolución desestimatoria — a denial; that's when you file a recurso (an appeal). Mix them up and you'll panic for nothing.
Words in this unit
estar al tanto — to be up to date, to keep track
Estaré al tanto de cualquier novedad. — I'll stay up to date on any news.
dar de alta — to register, to sign up
Me di de alta en la sede electrónica el lunes. — I signed up on the official website on Monday.
en regla — in order (about papers), valid
Mis papeles están en regla. — My papers are in order.
acuse de recibo — acknowledgment of receipt, proof of delivery
Envíe la carta con acuse de recibo. — Send the letter with proof of delivery (formal).
silencio administrativo — no reply from the authorities
A la solicitud respondieron con silencio administrativo. — The authorities answered the application with silence.
certificado digital — digital certificate
Presento el escrito con mi certificado digital. — I'm submitting the document with my digital certificate.
traducción jurada — certified translation
Necesito una traducción jurada de este certificado. — I need a certified translation of this certificate.
sede electrónica — official website
Presentamos la solicitud por la sede electrónica. — We're submitting the application through the official website.
antecedentes penales — criminal record
Piden un certificado de antecedentes penales. — They ask for a criminal record certificate.
respirar tranquilo — to breathe easy, to relax
Ya puedo respirar tranquila. — Now I can breathe easy (woman speaking).
ganar tiempo — to save time, to buy time
Si lo mandas hoy, ganamos tiempo. — If you send it today, we'll save time.
reagrupación familiar — family reunification
Vive en España por reagrupación familiar. — She lives in Spain through family reunification.
dejar constancia — to put on record
El burofax deja constancia de la petición. — The burofax puts the request on record.
recurso de reposición — appeal (to the same office)
Si me deniegan el permiso, presentaremos un recurso de reposición. — If they deny me the permit, we'll file an appeal.
el requerimiento — official request (to correct or add documents)
Me ha llegado un requerimiento de la oficina. — I've gotten an official request from the office.
subsanar — to correct, to fix (an error in documents)
Hay que subsanar el error en diez días. — The error has to be corrected within ten days.
la alegación — written argument, objection (to an office)
Presentamos alegaciones por escrito. — We're submitting our arguments in writing.
notificar — to notify (officially)
Nos notificaron la decisión por correo. — They notified us of the decision by mail.
el notario — notary
Vamos al notario para firmar la compra del piso. — We're going to the notary to sign the purchase of the apartment.
demandar — to sue
Voy a demandar a la empresa. — I'm going to sue the company.
el burofax — burofax (certified letter with proof of content)
Voy a mandar un burofax al casero. — I'm going to send a burofax to the landlord.
el ministerio — ministry, government department
El ministerio publicó la lista ayer. — The ministry published the list yesterday.
la región — region
Mi familia vive en otra región. — My family lives in another region.
la capital — capital (city)
Madrid es la capital de España. — Madrid is the capital of Spain.
los honorarios — fees (of a professional)
Mis honorarios se los paso por escrito. — I'll send you my fees in writing (formal).
la normativa — regulations, rules
La normativa cambia de vez en cuando. — The regulations change from time to time.
vigente — valid, current, in force
El pasaporte tiene que estar vigente. — The passport has to be valid.
la denegación — denial, refusal (by an authority)
Llegó la denegación del permiso. — The denial of the permit arrived.
desestimar — to reject, to dismiss (an application, an appeal, a lawsuit)
Desestimaron la solicitud por falta de papeles. — They rejected the application because of missing papers.
la errata — typo, misprint
Hay una errata en el número de teléfono. — There's a typo in the phone number.
la apostilla — apostille
Este documento necesita apostilla. — This document needs an apostille.
legalizar — to legalize (a document), to certify
Tengo que legalizar el título antes de enviarlo. — I have to legalize my diploma before sending it.
el pleito — lawsuit, legal battle
Un pleito cansa mucho y casi nunca hace falta. — A lawsuit is exhausting and almost never necessary.
jurídico — legal (about law)
Necesito asesoría jurídica. — I need legal advice.
la asesoría — consulting firm, advice (legal or tax)
La asesoría está en el centro, cerca del mercado. — The consulting firm is downtown, near the market.
interponer — to file (an appeal, a lawsuit)
Vamos a interponer un recurso de reposición. — We're going to file an appeal.
el procedimiento — procedure, process
El procedimiento es largo, pero sencillo. — The procedure is long but simple.
administrativo — administrative
Es un error administrativo, no un problema grave. — It's an administrative error, not a serious problem.
comparecer — to appear (when summoned)
Tiene que comparecer ante el juez. — He has to appear before the judge.
irregular — undocumented (about status), irregular, uneven
No estás en situación irregular: renovaste a tiempo. — You're not undocumented: you renewed on time.
asesorar — to advise
Una abogada me asesoró con el contrato. — A lawyer (female) advised me on the contract.
la discrepancia — discrepancy, disagreement
Hay una discrepancia entre los dos documentos. — There's a discrepancy between the two documents.
la transcripción — copying (of data), transcription
Fue un error de transcripción. — It was a copying error.
archivar — to close (a case), to file away, to save (to a folder)
Archivaron el expediente por falta de respuesta. — They closed the case because there was no reply.
Learn these words with flashcards
In the app, the unit’s words come to your flashcards a few at a time and repeat until they stick, and the texts show them in use. 15 minutes a day.
Start for freeEverything is open for free. No card needed to sign up.