B2 · Unit 31 · 43 words, 3 texts with translation
Help newcomers settle in
Volunteer at a neighborhood association, read its notice, explain to newcomers how things work here, and talk about prejudice and about not being afraid of mistakes.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
"When you arrive…": talking about people in general
English talks about people in general with "you" (or, more formally, "one"): "When you arrive in a new country, everything is new." Spanish has four ways to do this. Choose by who you're talking to and what you mean.
| What you mean | In Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| People in general, me included. A calm, slightly more formal tone | uno + the él form of the verb | Cuando uno llega, todo cuesta más. — When one arrives, everything is harder. |
| The same, friendly and conversational | the tú form, without the word tú | Cuando llegas, todo cuesta más. — When you arrive, everything is harder. |
| "People" | la gente + the él form of the verb | La gente habla muy rápido. — People talk very fast. |
| What's normal here: a rule or a custom | se + verb | Aquí se cena tarde. — People have dinner late here. |
uno: experiences and feelings that many people know firsthand. The verb is in the él form: uno llega, uno entiende, uno se siente solo. The reflexive pronoun is se and the possessive is su: Cuando uno pierde su trabajo, se asusta. — When you lose your job, you get scared. A woman talking about herself can say una: cuando una llega sola… But uno works for everyone, and women use it too.
English "one" sounds stiff, while Spanish uno is common in everyday speech. That's why translations usually say "you"; the table above uses "one" only to show which form is which.
Generic tú. Si hablas poco, entiendes poco. — If you don't speak much, you don't understand much. The listener knows you mean anyone. Friends talk like this; with uno the tone is a little softer and more serious.
la gente is singular. La gente dice… — people say…; not ✗ la gente dicen. English "people" is plural, but la gente takes the él form. If you want a plural, use las personas: las personas dicen.
uno and se aren't the same. Se describes a rule or a custom: aquí se cena a las diez. Uno is what a person feels and does: cuando uno llega, se siente perdido. They often appear side by side.
Common mistake. Talking about everyone with yo: cuando yo llego… sounds like a story about you personally. Adding tú has a similar effect: cuando tú llegas… points at the person you're talking to. For what happens to everyone, say cuando uno llega or just cuando llegas.
More examples from the unit's texts: Con el certificado de empadronamiento uno hace casi todos los trámites. — With the address registration certificate, you handle almost all your paperwork. Cuando uno aprende un idioma, cada error parece una montaña. — When you're learning a language, every mistake seems like a mountain.
Comparing two sides: mientras que (whereas)
Mientras que goes between two parts of a sentence that you compare: "whereas", "while". Both verbs are in the normal form (indicative), because both sides are facts.
- Las clases son los lunes, mientras que los sábados hay intercambio de idiomas. — The classes are on Mondays, whereas on Saturdays there's a language exchange.
- En mi país se cena a las siete, mientras que aquí se cena a las diez. — In my country people have dinner at seven, whereas here they have dinner at ten.
- Yo me equivoco en tu idioma, mientras que tú te equivocas en español. — I make mistakes in your language, whereas you make mistakes in Spanish.
Mientras and mientras que aren't the same. You know mientras on its own from A2: "while", two actions happening at the same time. Mientras que means "whereas": a comparison. English "while" can mean both, so the two are easy to mix up.
| Meaning | Example | |
|---|---|---|
mientras | while (two actions at the same time) | Mientras espero, leo. — While I wait, I read. |
mientras que | whereas | Ella habla mucho, mientras que yo hablo poco. — She talks a lot, whereas I talk very little. |
If you just mean "but" or "on the other hand", pero and en cambio work too: yo hablo poco; ella, en cambio, habla mucho. Mientras que sets the two sides next to each other more clearly, and it sounds good in a notice or a story. In conversation, Spaniards sometimes use plain mientras to mean "whereas" too; in writing, stick to mientras que.
Common mistake. Because English "while" covers both meanings, it's tempting to always say mientras. Two actions at the same time: mientras. Two sides compared: mientras que.
Comma. People usually put a comma before mientras que in a long sentence; in short spoken sentences it's often left out.
Words in this unit
participar — to participate, to take part
Quiero participar en el intercambio de idiomas. — I want to participate in the language exchange.
emigrar — to emigrate, to move abroad
Muchos españoles emigraron a Alemania en los años sesenta. — Many Spaniards emigrated to Germany in the sixties.
inscribirse — to sign up, to register (for a course, on a list)
Me inscribí por internet el martes. — I signed up online on Tuesday.
empadronarse — to register your address (at city hall)
Me empadroné en Valencia el mismo mes que llegué. — I registered my address in Valencia the same month I arrived.
animarse — to feel up to, to decide to (do something), to join in
¿Te animas a venir el sábado? — Are you up for coming on Saturday?
juzgar — to judge
No me gusta juzgar a la gente por su acento. — I don't like judging people by their accent.
orientar — to guide, to point (someone) in the right direction
En la asociación te orientan con los papeles. — At the association, they guide you through the paperwork.
recién llegado — newcomer, new arrival (in a city or country)
Los recién llegados vienen los sábados. — The newcomers come on Saturdays.
choque cultural — culture shock
El choque cultural es normal el primer año. — Culture shock is normal in the first year.
ponerse en el lugar — to put yourself in (someone's) shoes
Ponte en el lugar de un recién llegado: todo es nuevo. — Put yourself in a newcomer's shoes: everything is new.
sin ánimo de lucro — nonprofit
Somos una asociación sin ánimo de lucro. — We're a nonprofit association.
por mi cuenta — on my own, by myself
Aprendo español por mi cuenta, con vídeos. — I'm learning Spanish on my own, with videos.
intercambio de idiomas — language exchange
Los sábados hacemos un intercambio de idiomas en el local. — On Saturdays we do a language exchange at our space.
servicios sociales — social services
Pide cita en los servicios sociales de tu barrio. — Make an appointment at social services in your neighborhood.
banco de alimentos — food bank
El banco de alimentos del barrio abre los jueves. — The neighborhood food bank is open on Thursdays.
permiso de trabajo — work permit
Sin permiso de trabajo no puedes firmar el contrato. — Without a work permit you can't sign the contract.
el voluntario — volunteer
Soy voluntaria en una asociación del barrio. — I'm a volunteer at a neighborhood association (woman speaking).
la asociación — association, organization
La asociación del barrio tiene un local nuevo. — The neighborhood association has a new space.
la ONG — NGO, nongovernmental organization
Mi prima trabaja en una ONG que ayuda a niños. — My cousin works for an NGO that helps children.
la solidaridad — solidarity, helping each other
Gracias a la solidaridad de los vecinos, el banco de alimentos no se queda vacío. — Thanks to the neighbors' solidarity, the food bank doesn't run empty.
la desigualdad — inequality
En esta ciudad hay mucha desigualdad entre barrios. — In this city there's a lot of inequality between neighborhoods.
la pobreza — poverty
El banco de alimentos ayuda a familias que viven en la pobreza. — The food bank helps families who live in poverty.
el prejuicio — prejudice, bias
Muchos prejuicios desaparecen cuando conoces a la gente. — Many prejudices disappear when you get to know people.
el racismo — racism
En nuestra asociación no hay sitio para el racismo. — In our association there's no room for racism.
la discriminación — discrimination
La discriminación por edad también existe en el trabajo. — Age discrimination exists at work too.
la diversidad — diversity, variety
En mi clase hay mucha diversidad: hay personas de diez países. — There's a lot of diversity in my class: there are people from ten countries.
la integración — integration
La integración no depende solo del que llega. — Integration doesn't depend only on the person who arrives.
la inmigración — immigration
Una vez al mes hay una charla sobre inmigración. — Once a month there's a talk about immigration.
la igualdad — equality
Queremos igualdad de oportunidades para todos. — We want equal opportunities for everyone.
el/la miembro — member
Somos veinte miembros en la asociación. — We have twenty members in the association.
el local — premises, space (a store or office); local
Alquilamos un local pequeño para la asociación. — We rent a small space for the association.
la comunidad — community; residents of a building; autonomous region
La comunidad del barrio se ayuda mucho. — People in the neighborhood community help each other a lot.
la acogida — welcome, reception (of newcomers or guests)
Gracias por la acogida: me sentí como en casa. — Thanks for the welcome: I felt right at home.
el coordinador — coordinator, organizer
La coordinadora organiza los turnos de los voluntarios. — The coordinator (female) organizes the volunteers' shifts.
la sanidad — health care, the health system
Mi madre trabaja en la sanidad desde hace veinte años. — My mother has worked in health care for twenty years.
la donación — donation
Aceptamos donaciones de comida y de ropa. — We accept donations of food and clothes.
la barrera — barrier
El idioma es la primera barrera cuando llegas a otro país. — Language is the first barrier when you arrive in another country.
solidario — supportive, caring, ready to help
Mis vecinos son muy solidarios. — My neighbors are very supportive.
diverso — diverse, varied
Benimaclet es un barrio diverso. — Benimaclet is a diverse neighborhood.
racista — racist
Esa broma es racista, no me gusta. — That joke is racist; I don't like it.
tolerante — tolerant
Mis vecinos son muy tolerantes con los ruidos. — My neighbors are very tolerant of noise.
mutuo — mutual
El respeto mutuo es la regla número uno del grupo. — Mutual respect is the group's number one rule.
la sesión — session, showing (of a movie)
La sesión empieza a las seis. — The session starts at six.
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