MICHEL THOMAS SPANISH (BUILDER) COURSE, 2 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. An asterisk denotes a phrase that is highlighted in the booklet which accompanies the recordings. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Page numbers in the booklet are also shown in brackets.
Version 2, Aug 11th 2006
Transcribed by JK
CD 1 (74.28)
(1) 11.15
(p7)
*We are going to start
we're going to start
let's start
I like...
I like to be here
*I want to do it but...
(lo haré, lo hará I will do it, he/she/you will do it)
*I won't do it, I won't do it today because...
...I'm very busy
...I'm too busy...
...to do it
*I feel like...
I feel like doing it
I don't feel like going there
I don't feel like staying here
I feel like going out
*It seems to me that, I think that...
I believe that..., I think that...
It seems to me that she doesn't feel like going here
*I agree with you
OK, agreed
I don't agree with him
(p8)
What is your opinion?
What is your opinion?
What do you think?
*It interests me
It interests me a lot, very much
Unfortunately it's doesn't interest me
(2) 9.23
*I think that...
I think that he will be there...
...this afternoon
It's too late to do it
(tarde means "late" as well as "afternoon"; es tarde use "it is late")
I think that he is going to be here tonight
We will see
*It won't be possible...
...to do it like this, in this way
I don't think so, I don't believe it
*sure, surely
Of course
Naturally
Of course I'm sure
*Look...
...it's on the table
Will / Can you put it, could you put it...
...under the table?
(p9)
*It is necessary...
*We have to...
*One must...
...to go there
It is not necessary to buy it...
...because it is very expensive
*I need, I need it
I don't need it now
It is all I need
(Note the use of lo que in the middle of the sentence, literally, "all what I need")
This / That is all I need
It is all I want
Is this all you want?
I want something else
Do you need anything else?
No thank you, that's all
*Will you / Can you show me?
Yes, I'll show you
(Present tense used for future: mostrar means "to show", muestro means "I show, I'll show"; le muestro, "I'll show you". The future is often expressed by the present tense in Spanish)
(3) 7.47
*Will you / Can you / Could you tell me...
...what time it is going to be ready?
...what time it will be ready?
(p10)
*I will find out (lit. inform myself)
I need certain information
I have to find out
I will tell you tomorrow
(poder means "to be able"; podré I will be able)
*I will not be able...
...to do it
He will not be able to come with us
He isn't going to be able to come with us
(buscar means "to look for")
*I am looking for it...
*...but I can't find it
*Do you have something for me?
*No, I don't have anything, I have nothing
I don't have it any longer, any more
There is a message for you
There are some messages for you
Are there messages for me?
Is there any message for me?
Yes, there are some
*How much is it?
How much is this / that?
How much does it cost?
What is the price?
How much is it worth?
(p11)
It's not worth much
How much do I owe you?
(debo means "I must, I'm supposed to, I should". ¿Qué debo hacer? is "What should I do?". Debo salir is "I must go out")
*It's fine, all right
It's OK like this
(4) 10.10
I think that...
...he will decide to do it
*I'm going to do it...
...immediately / right now
...right away
*I want to do it
*I would like to do it
(me gusta means "I like", me gustaría "I would like")
I would like to know...
...at what time...
...he can / will be able to / could...
...be here
(olvidar means "to forget")
*I will not forget...
...to tell / to give you / him / her / them
*...to give it to you / him / her / them
I'm going to give it to you
I feel like doing it...
...but I don't know if I can do it now
(p12)
*It's not worth the trouble...
...to go there / going there
We can go there if you want
Do you want to come with me?
I'd like to go with you
Would you like to come with me?
Yes, of course
I'd like to very much
With much pleasure
That's nice of you
Agreed, OK
This / That pleases me, I like it
It's a good idea
You are right
You are quite right
You are right and I agree with you
(5) 6.21
*I like to stay / staying here...
...because I'm tired
I like to rest
*I'm going to rest...
...for a little / for a while
...because I'm very tired
(p13)
Is it worth going to see it tonight?
No, it's not worth it
*It's incredible!
I don't believe it
It's incredible what you're telling me
It's great / magnificent / extraordinary
It's excellent
This is very interesting
It interests me a lot to see it
I am very interested
I'm very interested to go and see it
She is very charming, lovely, nice
I like very much to go there with you
*I'm sorry
*I'm sorry to tell you...
...that I can't go to see it
...with you tonight
I'm sorry to tell you...
...that I wouldn't be able to go and see it
...because I'm very busy
...I shall be / I'm going to be very busy
(6) 3.31
I have to do it
*I would have to do it
(p14)
He has to do it
He would have to do it
We would have to go there
You should tell me
I should do it
You should wait for me
(7) 7.52
I like very much to travel
(de vacaciones means "on holiday")
I think I'm going on holiday...
...first to Spain
...and then, later to Italy
I would like...
...to see him / to go and see him
*I think I'm going to leave soon...
...because I can't wait
When do you think you will leave?
*I think I'll leave soon
When do you think you'll leave?
*I hope to leave soon
How long do you think...
...you'll stay in Madrid?
I think I'll stay a week in Spain
I feel like...
...going to the cinema night
...(in order) to see a film, a picture
(p15)
an interesting picture
She doesn't feel like going there...
...tonight, perhaps tomorrow
I think I'll leave / go away...
...next week
...next month
...or in two weeks
(8) 9.50
I want to have it
I'm going to buy it
*I'm not going to buy it because...
...it's too expensive
...it's very expensive
*I don't plan to buy it
(pensar "to think" is used for planning. esperar "to hope" also means "to expect")
*I don't intend to buy it
(pronunciation of letter "c": the letter "c" followed by "i" or "e" is pronounced "th" in Castilian Spanish but "s" in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world. But before "a", "o", "u" it is always "k". You'll hear intenthión in Castilian Spanish, but intensión in many other parts of Spain and in Latin America. Another example: Barthelona and Barselona)
(p16)
I don't intend to do it
(English words ending in "-tion": lots of words ending in -tion in English end in -ción in Spanish. Other examples: condición, reservación, confirmación, etc)
I plan to go there with you
I expect / I hope to go there with you
I'm going to take it
It will be ready soon
*At what time...
...are you going to be here?
*I don't have time to do it
He doesn't have time to do it
We don't have time to do it
How much time do you have?
*I don't know when...
...it will be ready
*I think...
...it will be ready soon
(abrir means "to open"; abro is "I open", I'm opening". cerrar means "to close"; cierro is "I close", "I'm closing")
Should I open the window?
*Shall I open the window?
I'm closing the door
*Shall I close the door?
(p17)
(Asking questions: all you have to do to change a statement "I'm closing the door" into a question "shall I close the door?" is to make it sound like a question, with the right inflection in your voice. The order of the worst doesn't change. In written Spanish, you put a question mark ¿ at the beginning and as well as ? at the end of the question)
I'm waiting for you
*Shall I wait for you?
*Shall I accompany you?
*Shall I go / come with you?
I'll call you later / tomorrow
*Shall I call you later?
We are leaving
*Shall we leave?
We are going to do it
*What shall we do?
(9) 8.19
I know he won't be able to do it
I have to go and see it
I am going to see it
*He was going to see it
I was going to do it
He wasn't going to do it
*I wasn't going to tell you...
...that I was going to do it for you
I was going to buy it
I wasn't going to find it
(p18)
He was going to be here this afternoon
I wasn't going to wait
I wasn't going to wait for you
*I know, I know it, I don't know it
I don't know where it is
I can't find it
Can you tell me where it is?
Could you / would you be able to tell me?
I have to know (it)
(saber means "to know". sé means "I know"; sabe "he/she knows", "you know"; sabes "you know" (informal); saben "you know", "they know")
*What do you know?
Why don't you know (it)? (to a friend)
*Nobody knows where it is
Nobody can find it
(sabía means "I knew", "he/she knew", "you knew"; sabías is "you knew" (informal); sabían "you knew", "they knew")
*I knew (it)
*I didn't know (it)
I didn't know you were going to be here
I wasn't going to tell you...
...that I was going to buy it for you
(p19)
(llegar means "to arrive")
I didn't know...
...you were going to arrive today
I knew everything was going to be ready
I know that I never...
...will be able to do it that way
(end of recording)
CD 2 (69.00)
(1) 5.51
*What is there?
(¿Qué hay? can also mean "What's up?", "What's the matter?", "What's going on?"
What is there to eat?
What is there to drink?
(ofrecer means "to offer")
*Can I offer you something...
...to drink?
*Yes, but first I have to...
...make a phone call
...telephone
*And afterwards I'm going to leave
(Pronunciation of the letter "z": the letter "z" is always "th" in Castilian and "s" elsewhere)
*the first time
the second time
the third time
the next time
*two times, twice
many times
I'm going to do it many times
I don't feel like doing it
I don't feel like going there alone
I'm going to do it
(p22)
I was going to do it
I didn't know you were going to be here
(If you need clarifiers, put them in! Add yo, tú, él/ella, usted where necessary)
*I didn't know you were going to be here
*He didn't know she was going to be here
I didn't know you were going to leave...
...this afternoon
(2) 3.59
We are going to start...
...soon / right away
...immediately
I'm going to wait
He was going to wait
He wasn't going to wait
I didn't know...
...that you were going to be here...
...today / this morning
I didn't know...
...that you were (all) going to be here
*Generally / usually...
(English words ending in -ly: the ending -ly in English is usually -mente in Spanish. "specially" is especialmente)
(p23)
...I don't do it that way
(special = especial: words beginning sp-, st- or sc- in English usually start esp-, est- or esc- in Spanish: "Spain" is España; "student" estudiante; "school" escuela)
(English words ending -ty: words ending in -ty usually end in -tad or -dad in Spanish: especialidad; libertad; oportunidad; cualidad)
Generally I don't like doing it
Generally I don't go there
*Often
*Frequently
*I almost never go there
(3) 8.11
(acabar means "to finish". acabo de + Infinitive (to have just...) is an easy way of expressing the past tense!)
*I have just
I have just seen it
He has just left
*I have just arrived...
*...two days ago
He has just called me...
...ten minutes ago
She has just gone out / left
I have just told you
I have just bought it
I have just spoken to him
He has just told me
(p24)
(volver means "to come back", "return")
*I'll come back...
...right away / soon
She will come back...
...very soon / later
She has just left ten minutes ago...
...and she'll come back later
I don't feel like going out now...
...because I'm very tired
(preferir means "to prefer"; prefiero "I would rather...")
*I would rather / I would prefer to...
*...stay here
I have just bought a book...
...that I find very interesting
I find it very interesting
I think it is very interesting
*I have been waiting ten minutes for you
(To say how long you have been waiting, doing something, working etc, use hace, literally "it makes" + que + the present tense)
*How long...
*...have you been here in Madrid?
(4) 8.49
*I would like...
...to talk to him
...to see it
(p25)
He isn't in / isn't there
What time will he be here?
*Do you know what time...
*...he will arrive?
... he will come back / return?
Can / Could you tell me...
...what time he will be here?
(irse means "to leave", "to go away". dejar means this "to leave (behind)" and also "to let", ie "to let someone do something")
to leave the key
to leave a message
Can you let me work?
*I'd like to leave a message
Can I leave a message?
Can I leave you a message?
Can / Could you tell me...?
*Can / Could you tell him...
*...that I'll call him later?
...that I'll call him tomorrow?
...that I'll call him next week?
*next time
(Three words for "time": vez as the sense of one of a number of occasions; tiempo is the general word for a period or passing of time; hora is the point of time marked on a clock)
once, twice
three, four, five times
(p26)
six, seven, eight times
nine, ten times
eleven, twelve, thirteen times
fourteen, fifteen times
the first time
*It's the last time
(5) 6.37
(expresar means "to express", expresarse "to express oneself")
I don't know how to express it exactly...
(exacto "exact" becomes exactamente "exactly". The -o- changes to -a- before adding -mente. Another example: seguro becomes seguramente)
I don't know how to say it exactly...
...in Spanish
How do you say it in Spanish?
*How does one say it in Spanish?
(Special use of se: se is frequently used to mean "one" or "you", or to say something "is done")
*One speaks Spanish; Spanish is spoken here
(escribir means "to write")
I write to you
He writes to me often
...frequently
*How do you write it / spell it?
Can you write it down?
(p27)
Write it down, please
*One can / It is possible / allowed...
Can one come in?
Can one do it?
Can one pass / come in?
Where can one find it?
*Are you sure about this?
absolutely, totally
*Yes, I'm absolutely sure
(Note that you say seguro if you are a man, segura if you are a woman)
I know because...
...I've just read it...
...in the newspaper
...in today's newspaper
(6) 7.51
Can / Could you tell me where...
...I can find a good restaurant?
not very far from here
It's very far, a long way
*Is it far from here?
*No, it's not far from here
*It's near here
You can walk
Can I walk?
One can walk
I need a car
(In Spain a car is un coche, but in Mexico it's un carro)
...to go to the restaurant
(p28)
("to rent a car" in Spain is alquilar un coche but in Mexico it's rentar un carro)
I'd like to hire a car
Where can I hire a car?
*How much is it per day?
*How much does it cost...
...per week?
...per month?
(¿dónde? asks where someone or something is, ¿a dónde? asks where someone is going. ¿Dónde está? but ¿A dónde va?)
*Can you / Could you tell me...
*...where to go...
...to find what I want?
...to find what I'm looking for?
*I would like to know...
*...what I have to do...
...to get what I want
...to get what I'm looking for
(hay que means "one has to")
*I want to know...
...what one has to do...
...in order to obtain it
*I would like to know...
...where one has to go...
...to have it / to find it
...to buy it
(p29)
(7) 6.05
Can you give me an explanation?
(explicar means "to explain"; una explicación is "an explanation". This is an exception to the rule that most English words ending in -ation are identical in Spanish, with the ending -ación. However, remember that most do obey this rule: información, preparación, reservación etc. It's also worth noting that the verbs associated with these nouns are all -ar verbs: informar, preparar, reservar)
Can you tell me where it is?
Thank you
*I thank you very much
I really do thank you very much
*I am angry, annoyed
I'm very angry, annoyed
(In Spain you'll often hear: Estoy enfadado / enfadada, which also means "I'm annoyed, angry")
I'm furious
*I'm worried (lit. it preoccupies me)
I'm very worried
I'm worried about seeing this
I'm not worried
*I'm bored
I'm very bored
Are you bored?
I don't like being bored
I think...
(p30)
...everything is all right
I'm going to see it once
I'm going to go and see it
I don't see it often
*At least...
(menos means "less"; más o menos means "more or less")
...I'll see it once
(8) 6.13
(temprano means "early")
Can you come...
...a little earlier?
(lleno means "full"; llenar is "to fill up")
It's very full
Can you fill it up?
(limpio is "clean"; sucio is "dirty")
It's not very clean
It's dirty
It's perfect
Perfectly
(calor is it "heat"; frío is "cold". For hot weather you say hace calor, literally "it makes heat". But a hot person says tengo calor, literally "I have heat")
I don't like the heat
*It's hot / cold (weather)
*I'm hot / cold
Are you cold?
I can't stand the heat
(p31)
(hambre is "hunger", sed is "thirst")
*I'm hungry
I have to eat something...
...because I'm hungry
*I'm thirsty
I have to drink something...
...because I'm thirsty
I think I can do it...
*...myself
(mismo means "self" and also "same"; la misma cosa is "the same thing"; lo mismo is "the same")
*I want the same
I'm going to take / have the same
It's not the same
I'm (very) surprised
*It surprises me
It doesn't surprise me
This / That doesn't surprise me
(9) 4.41
(traer means "to bring"; dar "to give"; mostrar "to show")
Can / Will you bring me something?
Can you give me something?
Can you show me something?
*Can you show it to me?
(Note that the personal me "me" comes before the object lo "it" and that they are joined together at the end of the infinitive)
(p32)
*Can you bring it to me?
When can you bring it to me...?
...because I need it and...
...I have to have it
(vivir is "to live")
Where do you live?
Do you live here?
(saber is "to know" in the sense of knowing a fact or some general knowledge. conocer is "to know" in the sense of being acquainted with somebody or something)
He knows where it is
*I know...
...the city / the country
(Personal a: conocer a... is used for "to know a person". Whenever the object of a verb is a person, not a thing, you always insert a between the verb and the person)
I'm going to call / phone him
*I'm going to call / phone my friend
(querer means "to want" and also "to love")
He wants it
*He loves his girlfriend
I know the city
*I know this lady
I don't know Madrid
(p33)
*I don't know anybody
Do you know this city?
*Do you know this lady?
Do you know where it is?
(10) 7.20
My friend comes here...
...every day
*He usually comes here
He usually does it...
...almost every day
(quizás, quizá means "perhaps", "maybe")
*Perhaps you don't like...
Perhaps you wouldn't like...
...to stay here...
...because there are many people
(la gente is "people", tanto / tanta means "so much", "so many")
*There are so many people here
For my part...
...I'm not going to stay here now
There's a lot of noise
(hay is "there is", "there are"; habla "there was", "there were"; habrá "there will be")
*There were many people here yesterday
*There will be many people
There was too much noise
There will be a lot of noise
(p34)
*There will be much more noise...
*There will be much less noise...
...here tomorrow
I hope to have...
I hope I'll have...
...the opportunity...
...of seeing it
*I hope to have the opportunity...
*...to see my friends
*...to visit my friends
(Note the use of the personal a again)
*I'm going to phone my friend...
...to find out if he can come...
...with us
(11) 3.23
(vemos means "we see"; nos vemos "we see each other", "we meet")
*What time shall we meet tomorrow?
At the same time
At ten o'clock
We will meet...
*We'll meet...
*...tomorrow at the same time
Now I can make myself understood...
...in Spanish
I think that's enough
Good luck!
(p35)
I wish you good luck
*Goodbye, until soon / until later
Have a good journey!
(end of recording)