Skip to content
fluentbyear
🇪🇸 Spanish · Fluency Level 1

PART 2 · LESSON 20 OF 30 · 40 MINUTES

Better Late Than Never

Emily promised to come at Easter, and arrives on the Tuesday of the April Fair instead, in a hired flamenco dress, without having quite told her father everything - and then her father phones. Say better late than never, I'm late but I'm here, that's a half-truth, they say that everywhere, and somewhere around, and look back over the whole second part of this level with Emily, who missed all of it.

Audio instruction: English

Report a problem with this lesson

This lesson needs a subscription.

The first 2 lessons of each level are free. One subscription unlocks every other lesson, in the app and on the website.

See the plans

Already subscribed? Sign in. Or listen to lesson 1 for free.

THE STORY

It's Tuesday, April 17th, 2029, nine at night, at the gate of Manolo's cousin's tent at the April Fair. The lights went on at midnight on Saturday, thousands of paper lanterns over streets of yellow sand. Sarah is in her red polka-dot dress, Julian is still walking carefully because of his neck, and Encarna is in her flamenco dress from nineteen seventy-five. Curro is pacing up and down by the gate, checking his phone. Then a taxi stops, and Emily gets out, in a yellow flamenco dress, with a suitcase. Her phone is still switched off from the plane, so when her father calls from Boston, it's Sarah's phone that rings. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

Flashcards

The words and phrases of this lesson, one card each. Best after you’ve listened.

Create your account.

A free account keeps the cards you like and the decks you make. You’ll come straight back to this card.

Already have an account? Sign in

Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
¡Has venido!ahs beh-NEE-dohYou've come!
Dije que vendría en Semana Santa.DEE-heh keh behn-DREE-ah ehn seh-MAH-nah SAHN-tahI said I'd come at Easter.
Llego tarde, pero llego.YEH-goh TAHR-deh PEH-roh YEH-gohI'm late, but I'm here.
más valemahs BAH-lehit's better, word for word it's worth more
Más vale tarde que nunca.mahs BAH-leh TAHR-deh keh NOON-kahBetter late than never.
¿Papá sabe que has venido sola?pah-PAH SAH-beh keh ahs beh-NEE-doh SOH-lahDoes Dad know you've come on your own?
Papá sabe que he venido.pah-PAH SAH-beh keh eh beh-NEE-dohDad knows I've come.
lo de solaloh deh SOH-lahthe on my own part, the business of being alone
Lo de sola, no se lo he dicho.loh deh SOH-lah noh seh loh eh DEE-chohThe on my own part, I haven't told him.
a mediasah MEH-dee-ahsby halves, half

14 more cards in this lesson. Subscribe to see and study them all. See the plans. Already subscribed? Sign in.