MICHEL THOMAS SPANISH (ADVANCED) COURSE, 4 CDs
TRANSCRIPT
This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too.
Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying the recordings.
Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets.
Version 2, Aug 16th 2006
Transcribed by JK
CD 1 (74.10)
(1) 6.43
to buy
I am buying it
I don't buy it because it is very expensive
why don't you buy it?
why aren't you buying it?
to understand
I understand
I understand it
you understand
why don't you understand me?
why don't you understand me? (friend)
why don't you understand me? (plural)
they don't understand me
he is preparing it for me
(2) 2.39
he is right now preparing it for me
why don't you do it?
why aren't you doing it? (friend)
why don't you do it? (plural)
he is right now in the process of doing it
he is leaving right now
he is leaving tomorrow
(3) 6.05
I don't understand what you are saying
to say, to tell
they are telling me
you are telling me
why don't you tell me? (plural)
why don't you tell me? (friend)
we are telling you
to understand
why don't you understand me?
why don't you understand me?
to start, to commence
why don't you start?
why don't you start? (plural)
I am starting now
why don't you start? (friend)
why don't you start? (friend)
to buy
I don't buy it
why don't you buy it? (friend)
why don't you buy it? (plural)
we are buying it
(4) 8.08
you are not buying the house, he is not buying the house
buy the house!
don't buy it!
don't buy it! (friend)
don't buy it! (plural)
buy it!
don't buy it!
buy it! (plural)
don't buy them! (plural)
don't buy them! (friend)
(for a positive command, talking to a friend, you don't switch tracks and you drop the -s)
buy it! (friend)
to call
I am calling you
I am calling you (friend)
he is calling me
why don't you call me? (friend)
why don't you call me? (plural)
we are calling you
we are calling you (friend)
call me tomorrow!
don't call me today!
don't call me today! (friend)
call me! (friend)
call me!
(5) 4.37
to have
you have
why don't you have it for me?
we don't have it
I have
I have it
I don't have it
I have to see it
to say, to tell
you say, you tell
I tell
I am telling you
I am telling you (friend)
why don't you tell me? (friend)
why don't you tell me? (plural)
I have
I am telling, I am saying
to have
to come
he is coming with us
we are coming
I am coming
to do, to make
what are you doing?
(6) 2.28
to know
do you know it?
do you know it? (friend)
why don't you know it? (plural)
we know it
I know it
I don't know it
to know (general knowledge)
to know, be acquainted with (somebody, somewhere)
I know
I don't know him
I don't know her
(7) 1.19
do you know Pedro?
do you know my friend?
do you know Madrid?
I don't know him
I don't know it
(8) 3.53
I have
I am saying, I am telling
I am doing, I am making
I am doing it
I have it
I am telling you (friend)
I am coming
to leave
I am leaving
I am leaving tomorrow
at what time are you leaving?
I have
I come
I am doing
I am telling
I am leaving
to put
I am putting
I am putting it here
where are you putting it?
why don't you put it here? (friend)
to compose
to oppose
to suppose
I suppose
to bring
I am bringing it
to hear
I hear
(9) 12.18
come with me!
don't leave!
don't leave! (friend)
don't leave! (plural)
tell me!
don't tell me!
tell it to me!
don't tell it to me!
tell it to him!
tell it to her!
tell it to them!
don't tell it to him, tell it to me!
don't do it!
don't do it!
don't do it! (friend)
don't do it! (plural)
do it! (plural)
to put
I am putting it here
I want to do it
I can do it
I cannot do it
I am right now in the process of doing it
do it!
don't do it!
I am doing it
I am not doing it
why don't you do it?
why don't you do it? (friend)
why don't you do it? (plural)
do it! (plural)
don't do it now! (plural)
put it here!
don't put it there!
bring it!
bring me something!
bring it to me!
don't bring it to me today because I don't need it today
I hear it
hear it!
tell it to me, don't tell it to him!
tell it to him!
but don't tell it to him today!
(10) 4.14
(for positive commands to a friend, you drop the -go ending completely)
tell me! (friend)
tell it to me! (friend)
don't tell it to me! (friend)
don't tell it to me! (plural)
tell it to me! (friend)
come with me! (friend)
have it! (friend)
put it here! (friend)
don't put it there, put it here! (friend)
leave! (friend)
don't leave! (friend)
don't leave! (plural)
(11) 5.34
(we'll now turn the imperative into a command tense, namely the subjunctive. In English, we hardly use the subjunctive; e.g. "I want you to be here" means "I want that you be here", and not "I want that you are here". "at what time do you want me to be there?" means "at what time do you want that I be there?"; this is the equivalent to giving a command of "be there!")
(12) 5.15
(in Spanish, the subjunctive is used quite a lot. It expresses an element of doubt and
uncertainty, e.g. "it is necessary that you be here" expresses some doubt that you will be here)
(Verbs in the subjunctive, like the imperative, switch tracks. For -go verbs, the -ga ending is used with everyone, including "you friend")
it is important that you be here
(in the subjunctive, there is no -o ending for "I")
it is important that you call me
it is important that you all call me
it is very important for you to call me later (friend)
it is not necessary for you to wait from me
to write
(13) 2.32
(in Spanish, no words begin with st-, sc-, sp-. Spanish speakers have to insert an e- before those letters)
to study
student
school
to write
Spain
why don't you write to me?
write to me!
because it's very important that you write to me
(14) 1.23
(in Spanish, you cannot say literally "I want you to write to me". In Spanish, "I want you" means "I love you")
I love you (I want you - friend)
(15) 6.54
what do you want me to write to him?
I want you to do it, I want that you do it
I want you to do it (friend)
I want you to do it (plural)
what do you want me to do?
why don't you want me to tell it to him?
I think that he can do it
(that sentence is not subjunctive, but the next one is because there is an element of uncertainty)
I don't think that he can do it
I want you to call me later
I want you to write to me
he wants me to send it to him
(end of recording)
CD 2 (74.44)
(1) 5.09
I will buy it
we will buy it
he will buy it
they will buy it
you will buy it (friend)
I will write to you
he will write to you
we will write to you
you will write to me
you will write to me (friend)
they won't write to me
to take
I won't take it
we will take it
they won't take it
(2) 2.34
I have
I will have
I leave
I will leave
we will leave
they will leave
you will leave (friend)
I come
I will come
we will come
you will come (friend)
to sell
I will sell it
I will come
I put
I will put
I won't put it here
(3) 4.30
I will call you tomorrow
I am going to call you tomorrow
I call you tomorrow
I call you tomorrow (friend)
to stay
I am staying
we are staying
he is staying
they are staying
you are staying (friend)
I am going to stay
I want to know how long you are going to stay
I will stay here a few days
(4) 2.32
I am telling
I am doing
I will tell
I will do
I won't do it
I will tell you later why we won't do it
he won't tell me
he won't tell me why he won't do it
(5) 2.11
tell me!
tell me! (friend)
put it here! (friend)
make a reservation!
(the imperative of "make, do" to a friend is haz)
make a reservation! (friend)
do it! (friend)
don't do it! (friend)
(6) 6.52
river
I will leave
I would leave
we would leave
he would do it
he will do it
I wouldn't do it
they wouldn't do it
we wouldn't do it
I wouldn't tell you why we wouldn't do it
to wait
he won't wait
he will wait
he wouldn't wait
to prepare
I will prepare it
he wouldn't prepare it
I like
I like to see it
I don't like to do it
I would like to see it, it would please me
I would like to see you
(7) 3.19
I have spoken
I have bought
I have bought it
we have bought it
they have bought it
he has sold it
we have eaten
he has left
(8) 5.44
(now here is a simple past tense, called the "past historic")
I spoke
to take
I took it
I called
I accepted
I didn't accept it
I bought it
I will buy
I bought
to wait
I waited
I will wait
I spoke
he spoke, she spoke, you spoke
I speak
I am buying it
he bought it, she bought it, you bought it
(that is the -ar track. On the other track, you use the ending -í for "I", and the ending -ió for "you, he, she")
I sold
I left
he left, you left
I understood
he understood, you understood
(9) 10.45
he sold it
I didn't sell it
I bought it
why didn't you buy it?
why did you sell it?
I didn't sell it
why did you sell it?
why didn't you sell it?
to lose
I lost it
when did you lose it?
at what time did you leave?
when did you arrive?
yesterday
last night
I called you yesterday
he called me last night
I call myself..., my name is...
I call you tomorrow
he called you
I spoke
did you speak?
to start
I started
at what time did you start?
I left
I am leaving
he is leaving
at what time are you leaving? (plural)
at what time did you leave?
I didn't eat
why didn't you eat?
I called you this morning
at what time did you call me?
I call you tomorrow
he is calling you
he called me
why didn't you call me?
I wrote to you
he wrote to me
why didn't you write to me?
to see
I saw it
I didn't see it
did you see it?
I didn't understand it
(10) 1.32
(for "they", on the -ar track you use the ending -aron)
they spoke
they called me
at what time did you call me? (plural)
they arrived
at what time did you arrive? (plural)
(11) 1.41
I arrived here two hours ago
at what time?
two hours ago
(12) 3.23
they didn't arrive yet, they still didn't arrive
they left
at what time did you leave? (plural)
they didn't eat
they wrote to me
they talked to me, they spoke to me
I am staying
I am not staying
I stayed
he stayed
he didn't stay
they stayed
(the ending for the other track is -ieron)
(13) 4.45
(for "you friend", the ending is -aste on the -ar track)
you spoke (friend)
at what time did you call me? (friend)
why didn't you call me? (friend)
at what time did you leave? (friend)
why didn't you sell it? (friend)
why didn't you sell it?
why didn't you sell it? (plural)
they sold it
I didn't sell it
I bought it
he didn't buy it
they bought it
they sold it
(on the other track, the ending is -iste)
why didn't you sell it? (friend)
why didn't you call me? (friend)
(14) 3.47
I spoke
they spoke
you spoke (friend)
(for "we", the ending in the present and the past historic is the same)
we spoke
we speak
we spoke
we are arriving, we arrive
we arrived
we arrived yesterday
we arrive tomorrow
he left
they left
you left (friend)
I left
we left
we leave, we are leaving
to sell
(with -er verbs, they a distinction between "we" past and "we" present)
we sold
we are selling
we sold
we eat, we are eating
we ate
(15) 8.37
(the -go on verbs are a little different. However, they all follow the same pattern, on both tracks)
I am doing
I am doing it
I am not doing it
I did, I made
he did, he made
I did it
he did it
he didn't do it
why didn't you do it?
I didn't do it
he made a reservation for us
why say
I said
I told
I told you
he told me
to do
I did
he told me that he didn't do it
I told you
he told me
he told me that he didn't do it
why didn't you tell me?
why didn't you tell it to me?
why didn't you tell it to him?
I did, I made
I told, I said
he told me
to put
I am putting
I put (past)
he put (past)
where did you put (past) it?
(16) 7.16
to be able
("to be able" in the past is pud-)
I couldn't do it
he couldn't do it
I did
I said, I told
I put (past)
I could
to want
I wanted
I wanted it
he wanted it
I did
I said, I told
I put (past)
I could
I wanted
wine
he came
he came with wine
I came
I have
I had
he had
I was
he was
(for "they", the ending for all these verbs is -ieron, and for "we", the ending for all these verbs is -imos)
I put (past)
he put (past)
they put (past)
you put (friend, past)
we put (past)
I did, I made
he did, he made, you made
they did, they made, you all made
you did (friend)
we did
he came
they came
you came (friend)
we came
(end of recording)
CD 3 (76.12)
(1) 3.21
I could
they could
we could
you could (friend)
he couldn't
he told me
they told me
why didn't you tell me? (plural)
they didn't tell me
they came with me
they didn't have it
I wanted it
he didn't want it
they wanted it
you wanted it (friend)
we didn't want it
(2) 3.53
(now back to the "diving" past)
I have bought it
I have not bought it
we have bought it
they have bought it
where have you bought it? (friend)
where did you buy it?
he has sold it
he sold it
why didn't you sell it?
why didn't you sell it? (friend)
he has not sold it
(3) 2.04
he would buy it
I wouldn't buy it
they wouldn't buy it
you wouldn't buy it (friend)
we wouldn't buy it
(4) 4.07
(for "will" and "would", there are some contractions in the stem, but never in the endings)
I will leave
he won't leave
he wouldn't leave
we won't leave
we wouldn't leave
I would put it here
I won't put it here
we will put it here
we wouldn't put it here
he wouldn't come with us
he wouldn't sell it
he would come here with us and he would sell it
(5) 2.44
I will do it
I won't do it
I wouldn't do it
we wouldn't do it
we won't do it
I will tell you later
he wouldn't tell me
we wouldn't tell you
I will have it for you
(6) 2.02
to go
I am going to do it
he is going to do it
they are going to do it
we are going to do it
to go
I will go
I will go to see it
I wouldn't go
we wouldn't go
(7) 0.57
to be able
I will be able to do it
he won't be able to do it
he wouldn't be able to it
(8) 2.40
(in English, "could you" means "would you be able to")
can you tell me, will you tell me
can you tell me where it is, will you tell me where it is
could you tell me where it is, would you be able to tell me where it is?
could you come with me?
can you wait for me, will you wait for me
could you wait for me?
(9) 4.54
(dever can mean "must", "have to", "shall/should", "to owe")
I must have it
I speak
I understand
I am eating
I must
I must do it now
you must do it
I have to do it
how much is it?
how much does it cost?
how much do I owe?
I will have to do it
I will have to do it
I would have to do it
I would have to do it
(devería is also used in the sense of "I should do something", meaning "I ought to do something")
you should tell me (friend)
(10) 1.37
I have sold it
(after any form of haber, there is nowhere to go but to dive)
I would have sold it
I wouldn't have sold it
(11) 5.19
made in Spain
I have done it
I haven't done it
I wouldn't have done it
I have told you
he has told me
I would have told you
to see
I haven't seen it
we would have seen it
I would have gone
(in diving, estar becomes estado, and ser becomes sido)
it is possible
it would have been possible
it wouldn't have been possible that way
(12) 4.08
(for the English -ing tenses, in Spanish use the endings -ando and -iendo)
I am right now doing it
I am doing it every day
(the English past -ing is expressed in Spanish with -aba on the -ar track, and -ía on the other track)
I was speaking
he was speaking
she was speaking
you were speaking
they were speaking
they were calling
they were buying
they were selling
they were doing it
they were telling me
we were telling you
we were doing it
(13) 3.57
(there are only two or three exceptions in Spanish language)
I was going
I was going to
I was going to do it
I was not going to tell you that I was going to do it
he was going to be here
you haven't told me that you were going to arrive today
I would have waited for you
(14) 3.39
I told
you told me me
you didn't tell me
you didn't tell me (friend)
you didn't tell me (plural)
I did, I made
I said, I told
I came
I put (past)
I wanted
I had
(15) 0.55
I was
(in the past historic, haber is hub- and "could" is pud-)
(16) 4.08
I made, I did
he did
they did
you did (friend)
we did
I put
they put
you put (friend)
we put
they had
you had (friend)
we had
I said, I told
he said, he told
they said
they told me
you didn't tell me (plural)
we told you
you didn't tell me that you were going to arrive today
you didn't tell me that you were going to arrive today (friend)
I would have waited for you
I would have waited for you (friend)
(17) 7.23
I was waiting
I was waiting for you
I was waiting for you (friend)
he is waiting from me
(the "was -ing" and "were -ing" could be called the "wing" tenses; in Spanish, -aba and -ía)
he was doing it
I was telling you
(in Spanish, the wing tense expresses a straight line in the past, maybe a short line or maybe a long line, but a straight line. On the other hand, "I did it" is not a straight line.)
(In Spanish, the wing tense can also express a broken line: "I did it very often", "I did it all the time", "I used to do it". In English, you don't make a distinction)
he did it every day
he is speaking
he was speaking
he spoke (this morning)
he spoke (every day)
(18) 5.22
to do, to make
I did it (it is done)
he did it (this morning)
he did it (every day, very often)
he told me
he told me (every day)
he put it here
he put it here (every day)
and I cannot see it
I don't know where it is
he put it here (this morning)
he put it here (every day)
he told me
he was telling me
he told me (all the time)
(19) 4.08
("I knew" is rarely used, except in the context of finding something out)
I knew
I knew it, I found out
he knew
they knew
you knew (friend)
we knew
(fui- is the past of two separate verbs)
to go
I went
I went to see it
he went to see it
they went
you went (friend)
we went
I went
he went
they went
you went (friend)
we went
we went to see it
I went
he went
she went
you went
they went
you went (friend)
we went
(20) 2.21
(fui- is also the past of ser)
I went
I was
it was possible
("was" as a straight line is era)
I was going
I was going to
it was important (straight line)
(21) 4.11
(it is in the nature of some verbs to express a straight line in the past, for example "to know")
I knew, I found out
I knew, I used to know
I didn't know
I didn't know you were going to arrive today
I didn't know that they were going to arrive today
I didn't know that you were going to arrive today (friend)
(the same for "to have the time")
I didn't have the time
I was very busy
(22) 2.11
I wanted (dot)
I wanted (line)
I wanted to do it
("I would want" contracted from querería to querría)
I wanted
I would want
(end of recording)
CD 4 (76.04)
(1) 1.13
I would want, I would like me gustaría, quisiera
I wanted
they wanted
I wanted to do it
he wanted to do it
they wanted to do it
(2) 4.03
(the "they - past" ending, -ron, when changed to -ran is the past subjunctive, meaning "I might...")
they wanted
I might want
I might want, I would like
I want to do it
I wanted to do it
I would like to do it
I would like to do it
I would want to do it
I may want
they wanted
I would like to do it
(3) 4.38
I can do it
I could do it
I will tell you
I will do it
I will tell you
will you please tell me where it is
(4) 5.19
you have to wait here
you have to wait for me
you don't have to wait
(in English, "you have to wait" means "you must wait", but "you don't have to wait" means not "you must not wait", but "you don't need to wait")
it's not necessary that you wait
I need
you don't need to wait
(5) 6.56
(it is in the nature of some verbs to express a line, not a dot, in the past)
I knew it
I found out
I didn't know
I wanted
("I could" can be in the past, meaning "I was able"; or it might not be in the past, meaning "I would be able")
I would be able, I could
could you tell me?
could you wait?
can you wait, will you wait
can you tell me
could you tell me?
I couldn't find it, I was not able to find it
I couldn't see it
I couldn't (line in past)
I couldn't do it
I couldn't (at that moment in the past)
(6) 5.31
I wanted
he wanted
they wanted it
I would like
(after "if", you use the subjunctive in both Spanish and English, e.g. "if I were" not "if I was")
I knew
they knew
if I knew
(the form of "they knew" gives you the subjunctive)
if I had the time I would do it
if I were there I would tell you
I had (straight line, broken line)
to have
I was having, I used to have, I had
I had (dot)
they had
if I had
(7) 6.30
I have sold it
I would have sold it
I had sold it
I would have sold it
I have sold it
I had sold it
I would have sold it
they had
if I had sold it
if I had seen it I would have bought it
if I had known it
if I had bought it
if I had known it I would have told you
(8) 2.14
if I told you
I said, I told
they said, they told
they did, they made
I might do it
I knew
they knew
if I knew
if I knew it I would tell you
(9) 3.50
(we must distinguish in English between "would" and "would have")
I would
I would have
I would do it
I would buy it
I would have bought it
(10) 7.57
I was buying it
he was selling it
he sold it
they sold it
he was selling it
he used to sell
he sold it
he has sold it
we have sold it
they have sold it
they were selling it
they sold it (all the time)
he sold it (dot)
they sold it
if I sold it
I have sold it
I had sold it
if I had sold it
(you could use hubiera for "I might have")
I might have sold it
I would have sold it
if I had been there last night I would have seen it and I would have bought it
I might have bought it
(11) 2.09
I don't know that you will come
I don't think that he may come
I know that he will come
(if you are in the past, you must use the past subjunctive)
I didn't know that he might come
(12) 1.25
(after the expression ojalá, meaning "I hope that", "hopefully that" you use the subjunctive)
(13) 6.41
to look for
I was looking for it
to lose
I lost it and I was looking for it but I couldn't find it
I couldn't do it
(14) 2.52
if you had called me last night
I have bought it
I would have bought it
if you had called me last night
and if you had told me
that you were going to arrive today
(15) 2.30
if you had told me that you were going to arrive today
I would have waited for you
I would have made a reservation
we would have had dinner (would have dined) at the restaurant
we would have gone to see it
and it would have been very interesting
(16) 3.43
if I had known it I would have done it
I might have done it
("I could have" means "I would have been able")
I could have done it, I wouldn't have been able to do it
(17) 5.12
could you come with me?
should
could have, would have been able
should have
you should have told me
you could have told me
he would have told me
you should have done it
you could have told me
he would tell me
he would have told me
(18) 3.14
(end of recording)