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fluentbyear
🇪🇸 Spanish · Fluency Level 2

PART 2 · LESSON 11 OF 30 · 40 MINUTES

The Unwritten Rules

Monday, September 3rd. For two years, Julian came to the Archive of the Indies as a reader. Today he starts as its new researcher, in Professor Ortega's old chair, and a senior archivist tells him how things really work. Speak the language of a first day at work - we all use first names here, is there any rule I should know, the written ones, the unwritten ones, I'm all ears, whoever arrives last pays, I was just passing, I wouldn't dream of it - and find out who still comes in every day.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

It's Monday, September 3rd, 2029, eight in the morning, at the Archive of the Indies, the old merchants' exchange next to the cathedral in Seville. For two years, Julian came here as a reader. Today, he's on the staff. He's wearing a new shirt that Sarah ironed and a tie he has already taken off twice. His new office is upstairs, with a high window, a long table, the old map, and a wooden chair with a faded green cushion that Professor Ortega sat on for forty years. A senior archivist is waiting for him at the door with a bunch of keys and a look that says she has seen many new researchers come and go. At five o'clock, someone knocks at the door. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
Aquí nos tuteamos todos.ah-KEE nohs too-teh-AH-mohs TOH-dohsWe all use first names here.
¿Hay alguna norma que deba saber?AH-ee ahl-GOO-nah NOHR-mah keh DEH-bah sah-BEHRIs there any rule I should know?
un cajónoon kah-HOHNa drawer
Las escritas, en ese cajón.lahs ehs-KREE-tahs ehn EH-seh kah-HOHNThe written ones, in that drawer.
Las no escritaslahs noh ehs-KREE-tahsThe unwritten ones
Te las cuento yo.teh lahs KWEHN-toh yohI'll tell you.
Soy todo oídos.soy TOH-doh oh-EE-dohsI'm all ears.
El café es a las once.ehl kah-FEH ehs ah lahs OHN-sehCoffee is at eleven.
el que llega el último lo pagaehl keh YEH-gah ehl OOL-tee-moh loh PAH-gahwhoever arrives last pays
¿Y la silla de Ortega?ee lah SEE-yah deh ohr-TEH-gahAnd Ortega's chair?

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