Vocab test
- Saber – To know
- Cantar – To sing
- Nadar – To swim
- Manejar un carro (or, conducir un coche) – To drive a car
- Cocinar – To cook
- ¿Quién sabe? – Who knows?
- ¿Cómo se escribe …? – How do you write …?
- ¿Cómo se dice …? – How do you say …?
- El mismo – The same
- No (lo) sé – I don’t know (it)
Verb of the day
Conjugate the verb SABER (To know) in the present tense.
| Yo | Nosotros |
| Tú | Vosotros |
| Él/ Ella/ Usted | Ellos/ Ellas/ Ustedes |
Questions to answer
¿Qué quieres saber?
¿Sabes cuándo es mi cumpleaños?
¿Necesitas una respuesta ahora?
¿Sabes la edad de tus padres?
¿Sabes quién enseña esta clase?
¿Cómo se escribe tu nombre?
¿Cómo se dice “perro” en alemán?
¿Sabes nadar?
A simple dialogue
Use the Spanish phrases to translate the English dialogue. Write it out and perform it.
- What do you want to learn?
- I don’t know. I want to learn something useful.
- Do you like computer programming?
- It is not my favourite, but I know that it is important, and I can do it … a bit.
- Are you good at maths?
- Yes, I have a high level of maths.
- I have found a job with training that might be good for you.
- Tell me more!
- It is an apprenticeship in civil engineering based in Newcastle. The candidate has to go to university once a week in Teesside.
- That sounds great. Can you email me the details, please?
Use these phrases to translate the dialogue.
¡Cuéntame más!
¿Eres bueno en matemáticas?
¿Qué quieres aprender?
¿Te gusta la programación informática?
Es una práctica en ingeniería civil con sede en Newcastle. El candidato debe ir a la universidad una vez por semana en Teeside.
Eso suena genial. ¿Puedes enviarme los detalles por correo electrónico, por favor?
He encontrado un trabajo con formación que podría ser bueno para ti.
No es mi favorita, pero sé que es importante y puedo hacerlo… un poco.
No sé. Quiero aprender algo útil.
Sí, tengo un nivel alto en matemáticas.
Choose from a range of voices to read your dialogue here.
Grammar notes
* Read this information, then use it to quiz a friend.
Saber and Poder
In Spanish, “saber” and “poder” both translate to the English verb “to be able to” or “can” in some contexts, but they have different uses and meanings. Here’s a breakdown of each:
“Saber” is used when talking about knowledge or the skill to do something, similar to “knowing how” in English. It emphasizes familiarity or learned ability.
- Sé nadar. – I know how to swim.
- ¿Sabes tocar la guitarra? – Do you know how to play the guitar?
- No sé conducir. – I don’t know how to drive.
In these cases, saber indicates that someone has learned the skill. If you say sé nadar, it means you have the knowledge or skill to swim.
“Poder” is used to express whether someone is physically able to or has permission to do something. It focuses more on possibility or capability in a given moment, rather than on learned skill.
- No puedo nadar ahora porque estoy enfermo. – I can’t swim now because I’m sick.
- ¿Puedes ayudarme con esta tarea? – Can you help me with this task?
- No podemos ir a la fiesta esta noche. – We can’t go to the party tonight.
Here, poder means that someone is able (or unable) to do something in a particular situation. In the first example, no puedo nadar refers to a current limitation, not to whether the person knows how to swim.
Sometimes, both saber and poder make sense in a sentence, but they slightly change the meaning:
- No sé nadar. – I don’t know how to swim. (I haven’t learned to swim.)
- No puedo nadar. – I can’t swim. (I may know how, but I’m unable to swim right now due to some limitation.)
Summary
Use saber to express knowing how to do something (learned skill).
Use poder to express being able to do something in a specific situation (current ability or permission).
Journal prompts
Write short sentences. Keep them as simple as you can.
Use a translation tool to put them into Spanish.
Write them out, then check them with your teacher. Present them to a friend, teaching your friend any new Spanish, and making sure they learn it!
| Make a list of the things you can do, including any hidden talents. Which of these skills are you most proud of? Are there any skills you want to learn? Do you want to improve any of the skills you already have? | Haz una lista de las cosas que sabes hacer, incluidos tus talentos ocultos. ¿De cuál de estas habilidades te sientes más orgulloso/a? ¿Hay alguna habilidad que quieras aprender? ¿Quieres mejorar alguna de las habilidades que ya tienes? |
Next lesson: 3.5 Make comparisons
Buy the workbook in print!
Convenient, photocopiable books available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Please note, the books are the same content as this website, for those who want a convenient place to write their responses.
Key features.
- Habit tracker
- List of 20 vocabulary items to learn for each unit
- Space to note Duolingo phrases
- A conjugated verb for each unit
- Duolingo inspired questions to answer with the help of AI
- A simple on-theme dialogue for each unit
- Grammar explanations for each unit
- Suggested websites for further study
- Journal prompts to encourage the Spanish journaling habit
- Teaching notes and ideas
Please share this website with education professionals and language students.
DuoBookClub.com 