Coffee Break Spanish - CBS Scenes 1.04 | El café de la suerte

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

Join Mark and Pablo for the next chapter of Scenes, our course for intermediate Spanish learners! In this chapter, a nervous man steps into Isabel’s café, dressed smartly in a suit and carrying a briefcase. ¿Adónde irá?Mark and Pablo will guide you through the vocabulary and grammar featured in the story. For example, you’ll learn how to use the verb merecer, explore demonstrative pronouns in Spanish, and understand the word ojalá.Click here to access the premium course of Scenes, which includes access to lesson notes, vocabulary lists, exercises, quizzes (and much more!) to check your understanding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scenes from the Coffee Brick Spanish Cafe Lesson 4. Bienniz to Coffee Brick Spanish. I'm Mark. And I'm Paul. How is Paul? I'm of the Maravilla. And you? I'm also of marvellia.

Very content to be in the studio grabbing another episode with you. Well, Mark, what we're going to do? Tell me. Well, we're, of course, in the coffee brick Spanish cafe. We are, of course, in the Coffee Brick Spanish Cafe, an unnamed bar in an unnamed location, and somewhere in Spain.

And we are following the stories of the people who work there and the people who visit this cafe on a regular basis. And maybe they'll be in our audience, to make a resum of all the characters, no? Well, to me, me, it's perfect. And I'm sure that the audience are well. Well, we know a co-proprietarios, who are Isabel and Manuel.

Also, we've known to the Chicoes de Oro. Yes. And also, and the womeners that work in the hospital of Enfront. Yes. Then the episode

anterior, we know a Elena, which is the professor of language and literature Spanish,

that's a new to move to the barrio. And then Harvey.

Harvey, yeah. Harvey, the exchange. The student of interchamble, yes. Well,

I'm sure that we going to know a person. So, we're going to

learn the text, then we will be a little of the vocabulary. And finally, we'll never to

to hear the text one more. Fantastic. Since from the coffee break Spanish coffee, Caffe, Capitulo 4. The night pasted

a great hellad. Incluso there was yellow on the coches. We've

entered very very very very very very frio. With

what little that I like but without, the occasion it has made to.

We've received the new machine of coffee. It's marvellousa. Apart

to be very elegant in the design, it's easy to

and the best of all, the coffes are exquisito. It

has the first coffee, was a chico that really he really he needed he'd two coffes

solos in the rato that was in the bar this morning very

very he was a young of some 30 and he was a

hevable a and a maletine of heel he was a

nervioso when he asked his first coffee. The maletine he got a cartel

a carton and of these some folios. At serve him the

first I could read the name of the important

buffete of the the building the little the

little he was like maintaining a conversation to

so I could I could an interview. With a a

a big a and a question he said, and assinted with the head.

"'Parexed nervous? I'm asked, preoccupied. No, I'd that's

a so I said that no, that I had had divinated for the

number that was the problem. The young was a half

hour there sated, reading, repiting words in voice and

being a coffee. When he did the second coffee, I wrote

a note in the Sovere of the sugar. This is the coffee

of the Suerte. Al give the the I

did I did it I invited the house, but when

when had to be a abogado of the famous buffete, had to invite me to a a coffee.

He was he a trot just. Oh,hala, he has a in your interview and we'll have

for here and it looks a manh he's a manho. Hmm, I'd

presentarsel to Elena. Well, yeah we're. Okay. We'll to learn

to hear every phrase and about the grammatica and the vocabulary. Venga.

The night passed was a great hell a lot even

there was the so we're beginning once again with the weather forecast

so so the night last night came a grand hellas there was

a heavy frost yeah I'm thinking we're maybe

in the north of Spain somewhere perhaps yes but even in my

public, that's in the province of Alicante. It's a lot of the winter that yele.

Okay. So a heavy frost fell last night. Incluso had yelel on the coaches.

There was even ice on the cars this morning. And Mark, maybe, our old people

are going for not we don't we don't say a great elada

and we are saying a grand Helada. Well, Quintanos. Well, this is what

we call an apocope of the adjective. And this sound a little rarro,

not? This means that with some adjectives eliminate the

last syllable when preceden to the substantive. And one

of these examples is great. Okay. So we've got some adjectives

which are affected by the situation when they come before the

noun. So one of these is grand and when grand becomes before the noun, then we drop that de

exactly. So, so, Pablo, with grande, grande, grande means big. But does it take on a different meaning when it comes before the noun? Yes, could acquire a significate different. And it would be

greater. So like, let's see what we're talking about a famous person from history. We could talk about one grand mojer, a great woman. Now that great woman might be very, very small. Physically, but she is

a great woman. Exactly. So in this case, it's a big frost, it's a significant frost, a heavy frost. Not literally that it went everywhere, but maybe it did. Perfect. Does it happen with any other adjectives? A bit, let me think,

oh, yeah, well, uh, uh, good, a man good but no we're not

we're a good man we need the apocope of the

adjective and we're a good man and what's the difference

in meaning there between an um um man is the

same okay in that case so it doesn't really have a

change in meaning and another other objective malo

also a partido a mal partido Okay. So with grand

the meaning does change when it comes in front of the noun, but with those other words maybe there's less change. We do say apocope in English as well. Ah, yes? Ah, well, oh, well, yeah has been able to be a bit. I'm fairly certain. It's not the kind of word that you would use every day. No, it's the termino

linguistically, yes. But ultimately it's the sound It's when the sound of a word is cut off. You know, I've just thought an example. Very often we say a cup of tea. So that's rather than saying a cup of tea, that's an example of a Pocobi. Fantastic. There we go. We're learning something to do it.

Let's continue with our text. So the night's past cameo a gran elada. Incluso, there was yelho enceme of those coaches. We've already had our weather forecast. Let's continue on. We've entered very temprano. and I've passed much

frio with the little bit with the okay so we got in very early literally we

entered very early and he passed muchissimo frio and I was very cold

so this is pass frio and I have to say our Spanish colleagues here at coffee break

do mention sometimes that they pass much free here in Scotland

yeah in Scotia in Scotsia so pass free is when you are cold

it's when you feel the cold so I pass much very cold with the

little I'm really cold literally with the little that I like it but

you know how I hate that that sort of idea okay but but

but but no the occasion it has made we

have received the new Machena of coffee. Okay, but without,

no, the occasion it has mercedo. Literally the occasion deserved it. It was

appropriate for the occasion. We received the new coffee we received the new

coffee machine. Perfect. It's marvellousa. Apart to be very elegant in the

design, it's easy to do do the best of all,

the coffes are exquisitos. Well, that is very important. Very important. So the coffee machine

is described. It's marvellous. Apart to be very elegant in the design, apart from being very elegant in its design,

it's easy to clean. It's easy to clean. And the best of all, the best of all, the cafes are exquisites.

The coffees are exquisite. They're delicious. Okay. Here we could ask me you could say the coffes

are good Yes, very good. One question, Pablo, the cafes are they exquisitos?

Why are we using star? Well, here we use Star because we're we're talking

to the taste. Oh, okay. We're we're going ies are goodissimists, but in

this case would be the quality of the coffee. Okay, so we're talking about it being really good

quality beans, for example. But when we're talking about something being delicious, then you're going to use estar. Like, for example,

there's that really rich or the salsa. Or the salsa is very rich. So it's a

good quality sauce. Okay, good. Okay. Okay. It has been the

madrugon and the Frio mañanero. I'm a mangan. Madrugan. So madrigar is when you either stay up late into the very early morning or you get up early in the morning. Exactly. Okay.

And that's the verb, well, it's the noun from madrugar. To wake up early. And it's the madrugon, the early start. Yes. Or the very early start. It's a madrugon. And the frio mani-magnero and the morning cold. Yes.

Okay. So the morning cold and the early start were worth it. Yes. To get this new coffee machine. the Eligido for a

first coffee was a man really he really he was a

chosen one to take the first coffee to have the first coffee Yeah

was a a boy who really really needed it and Mark you have

done of what we came first coffee and a

poe We need to have a little apocopy bell or something with that. So, so, for the first cafe. So the,

the, the, the, the, the adjective, but when it comes before, the first

coffee. Exactly. Okay, so this boy really needed the coffee. I'd like to know more about why he really

need the coffee. Well, yeah. Pidio two coffes solos in the rato that he

was in the bar this morning very very so, so, so,

so, so, so, so Solos. He ordered two black coffees in the rato that he was in the bar, in the time that he was in the bar, this morning, this morning. He's obviously been madrugando as well.

Well, yeah, is that madrugar, it's a little bit. Let's continue. He was a young young boy, he was a 30-po-a-a-a-a-year-a-old, he'd a lotetine of piel. Okay, so he was a young boy of some 30 and

many years. I love because we're about about

many and he was about 30 something. He was about 30 something. He was wearing an

elegant suit and a maletine of a leather breech case. Exactly. He

was nervous when he said his first coffee. So he

seemed nervous when he asked for his first coffee. De

Maletine he Sacco a carton and this some

folios. Okay, del maletine out of the briefcase saco a carpet

of carton. That's like a cardboard folder. A little folder. Yeah, a little folder.

And from that, the carpetia of a little folder, some sheets, some pieces

of paper. Very very. All servile the first cafe, Pude lear the

number of the important buffet of abogados that's in the edificio of the

office. Okay, so when I served him the first coffee, al serve the first coffee, I was

read the name of the important buffet of the important lawyer's office firm,

that's in the edificio detras, which is in the building behind

ours. Mm-hmm. Yeah. the child was like maintaining

a conversation so he could not put to ask he was

a interview that is our is so yeah

the the chico was like maintaining a conversation

with himself so he was as if he was maintaining a

conversation with himself so so he could not

to avoid to ask him if he had an interview. So I couldn't

avoid asking him if he had an interview. Lista and also a little curious.

Yes, is that at the end and when one he a bar you

goes much experience observing a person, and also

giving to give what advice is given or indeed

if there's any advice given in just a moment. We're going to take a short break now. In each episode of the Scenes from the Coffee Break Cafe podcast, you'll enjoy listening to the story and our discussion of keywords and phrases from each chapter.

But what if you could explore the language even further and take your learning to the next level? That's where the Seen's online course comes in. For every chapter, you'll get comprehensive lesson notes, a video version of the reading, exercises, vocabulary, and even spotlight videos that help break down the key expressions and grammar points with additional examples.

It's the perfect way to deepen your understanding and get even more from the story. To access this wealth of learning resources, visit coffeebreaklanguages.com slash scenes. Well, we're in the bar. There's a young. Nergiosete. Yes, yes.

And he has an interviewist, maybe. Yes. Yes. Let's find out. With a sonrisa, between nerviosa and and orgoyosa

me contested that's he, and assinted with the head. Okay, so with a

sonrisa between nervosa and orgoyosa. So this is a smile which is somewhere

between nervous and proud. Yeah. I like that. He answered me that yes

indeed, he did have an interview, and assinted with his head. I'm

nervous I'm worried So do I seem nervous He asked me worried No

I said He said He said He was He had had divinado for the name

that were There's She's quick That's I was So No

I So no I didn't want him to feel worse

To get any worse. We'll come back to this. So I told him no. So I told him no, that I had adivinado for the name that I had worked it out, I had guessed it because of the name, that's her paw again, as because of,

because of the name that appeared in those papeles, of the name which appeared on the papers. So she's obviously been taking a close look at those papers in the time that it took her to serve the coffee. But let's go back to no

carea that he put worse. So I didn't want that he put himself worse,

literally. So we've got an imperfect subjunctive there coming after the Kereke, which is already

in the imperfect. Give us some of the examples of that, Pablo. No

I didn't want, literally, that you arrived late. I didn't want you to arrive

late, we would say in English. What about something in the, in the, the positive,

I wanted I wanted you to help me with the tasks I wanted you to help me with the tasks but literally

I wanted that you helped me with the tasks or that you helped me with the tasks but in English

we make that an infinitive I wanted you to help me with the tasks it's just tricky

when we're going the other way from English into Spanish so how would you say for example

I didn't want you to come to the party. We'll leave you a little time to think about that. I didn't want you to come to the party. So first of all, we might want to espanglishify this. I didn't want that you came in the subjunctive to the party, which would be, Pablo. No, I'd hear that vinyas to be a fiesta. So with the imperfect subjunctive, we've always got two forms that we can use, the era form or the essay form and aara and so on. Very well. Okay, let's continue on with our text. El Joveen

Siguio UNAZE SENTATO, repitiento, speaking words in voice Baja, Sornriending, and Bebiendo Cafe.

What a lovely collection of Jerens. So El Joveen Siyo en Midi Hurti. So he continued on for half an hour sitting there or seated there. And that's the description of what he's doing.

He's seated. Okay, we've got an adjective there, Alli, sentado. Now the things that follow are the actions he's doing. And so these are our gerins, leyendo, reading, repitiando words in both baja, repeating words in a low voice,

sonriending, smiling, and drinking coffee. But there are a part of them that are a little irregular, because we're, for example, leyendo, so we're saying, we have

and here we have a y a y that we also have

a repeat and we have repitient so we're so we're and then with sonreirir

the the same so sorying no so it's a quite

this is the this is the this is the this is the perfect okay I'm glad

that is so Soorriending, at least. Yes, that sounds good. Okay. When he did the second coffee, he'scribys a note in the

sobre of the sugar. This is the coffee of the Suerte. There's an entrañable. I'm

so when he ordered the second coffee, he wrote a note in the sobre of the sugar. So I wrote a little note in the

envelope of the acucar. Is that a little... I think there's a sache. That's a shes. The sugar

sashi. I'm thinking, you know when you get little sugar cubes and they're kind of looking in a

little envelope. Yeah, but in the shabre is the sashy of sugar. This is the coffee of luck.

This is the coffee of luck. Yes, what gist more beautiful. I'm noticed there.

And this is perhaps I'm probably showing my age here, but see that this there's no accent in

Este. In the past, would there have been an accent? Yes. When he was the pronombre demonstrative, Antiguamente, it was solia accentua. But this norma disappeared, the RAE, established that no longer needed. In fact, it's not right now to put it. No, exactly. But certainly, when I started learning Spanish, was something that we always had to remember in that kind of pronoun

use of este. But now, no. Okay. Al-jevary the account, he said that all café of the Suerte invite to the house, but that when began to be a bogado of the famous buffet, tendria to invite me to a coffee. This is

quite interesting. There's some nice grammar in here. Let's let's look at many careful. Al-javehle the account on taking the bill to him. So that's a nice al plus infinitive. I'll But in this case, it's added the lay at the end, al-jevallel de la Quinta.

So I told him that. Al-cafe de la Suerte, invitaba la casa. So invi-tar in that sense is like to treat someone to something. Or to pay for. To pay for something. Yeah. So in Spanish, we need to think about our prepositions here.

So invite a alguien. to something. So you invite or you treat someone, you treat to someone to something.

Exactly. And that's where the Al Café de la Suerte is coming from. So the house was treating him or was paying for the

Café de la Suerte, the lucky coffee. But when when he started to be a lawyer of the famous buffete of the famous

firm, he would have to invite me or to pay for me to me to pay for me to a coffee or to a coffee. I'm thinking that when I was learning English, this error was always. When I wanted to say, I see, imagineate that we're in a bar and you're going to to say, Mark, you invite you to you

to say literally in English. And it's a little rare, no? I invite you for a

coffee. But it means that I'm going to I'm I think that's the whole thing in English

when you invite someone to do something or to go somewhere, you're not there yet. But in Spanish we're just

talking about the actual point of payment. Yes. Okay. Le It seemed to be a fair deal to him.

Ohhala, Tengas Suerte in his interview and we'll we'll take him pretty. It seems a chico very majo. So let's hope or we hope that that ohalah, followed by a subjunctive, ohla,

Tenga Suerte in his interview. Hopefully he'll have luck in his interview. He'll be lucky. And we'll have him back here. and we'll have him back here soon. He seems a really nice guy. Perfect. And for the last,

could presentarsel to Elena. Okay, so here our narrator is thinking about helping people make friends who are new to the area, perhaps. Well, yeah, for that all the world is to know. Podria presentarselow to Elena. I could introduce him to

Elena. Perfect. Let's go back through and listen to the whole text now. Since from the Coffee Break, Spanish Caffe, Capitulo 4. The night pasted

a guyo, a great elada. Incluso, there was yellow on the coaches. We've entered very

very temprano, and I have passed much frio, with what little that I

love but, but, without the occasion it has made We've received the new

machine of coffee. It's marvellousa. Apart to be very elegant in the design, it's easy to and the best of all, the best of all, the coffees

are exquisites. It has merceded the pain the madrugon and the free mañanero. The elected to

take the first coffee was a child that really he really was he'd do two coffes solos in the rato

that he's in the bar this morning very very very a young of a

three and many years he was a hevable a and a

maletine of a he was he was he was he was a

little the maletine he he then, a cartel of carton, and of this, some folios. At servile

the first coffee, I could learn the number of the important buffet of the abogas that's in the

edificio the little the chico was like maintaining a conversation withsig

so I could I'm able to ask to ask you a

interview with a a smile between nervosa and and orgoyosa, me contested that she, and assinted with the

head. "'Paretschnervioso?' I asked, preoccupied. No, I'd say he'd a better.

So, he said that no, that he had divinated for the name that was the

paper. The young, shegued a media hour there's sent,

reading, repiting words in voice and being a coffee. When

he did the second coffee, I wrote a note in the sobre of

the This is the coffee of the Suerte. All

get the I did you say that I did you

invite the house but when when had to

be a of the famous buffete, he'd have to invite me to a

a new a good. Oh, I'm sure he's a interview in

the we'll get us here and it is a manh he

might be a present to him well that's all

for we have met yet another person and I hope

hopefully soon they'll start to meet each other and we'll

get to know more of the goings on in the cafe. Of course, this is just part of the Coffee Break Scenes program. We have a full online course where you can access the lesson notes, vocabulary, exercises and lots more. You can find out all about that at coffeebreaklanguages.com slash scenes. And remember that we also have our free newsletter for you to practice all your Spanish. And the only thing you need to do to access this is to go to coffeebreakspanish.com and sign up there. Perfect. Well, Pablo, much thanks to thank you, Mark,

and to our audience. And we're going to get back very soon with another episode of Sings from the Coffee Brick Spanish

Cafe. Yes, until the next. Adios. Adios. You have been listening to

a Coffee Brick Language's production for the Radiolingoingua Network. Copyright 2025 Radio Lingual

Limited. Recording Copyright 2025 Radio Lingual Limited. All rights reserved.