Learn Spanish with a Past Tense Story: La Tienda
This Spanish story is an excellent lesson for beginners, and also has useful phrases for intermediate Spanish learners. The story uses common Spanish verbs and other basic vocabulary. Native speakers from Mexico narrate using actions, expressions and props to make learning easy.
Story: La Tienda
Yesterday, I went to the store. I needed to buy some bread and milk. When I arrived at the store, I saw many people. There were many things to buy. I picked up a loaf of bread and a carton of milk. I went to the cashier to pay. The cashier was very friendly. I paid for my groceries and left the store.
Vocabulary
English | Spanish |
---|---|
Yesterday | Ayer |
I went | Fui |
To the store | A la tienda |
I needed | Necesitaba |
To buy | Comprar |
Bread | Pan |
Milk | Leche |
When I arrived | Cuando llegué |
I saw | Vi |
Many people | Mucha gente |
There were | Había |
Many things | Muchas cosas |
To buy | Para comprar |
I picked up | Tomé |
A loaf of bread | Una barra de pan |
A carton of milk | Un cartón de leche |
I went | Fui |
To the cashier | A la caja |
To pay | Para pagar |
The cashier | El cajero |
Was very friendly | Era muy amable |
I paid | Pagué |
For my groceries | Por mis comestibles |
I left | Me fui |
The store | La tienda |
Grammar
This story uses the past tense of verbs. The past tense of verbs in Spanish is used to talk about actions that happened in the past. The past tense of verbs is formed by adding an ending to the verb stem. The ending depends on the conjugation of the verb. For example, the verb "ir" (to go) is conjugated in the past tense as follows:
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | Fui |
Tú | Fuiste |
Él/Ella/Usted | Fue |
Nosotros | Fuimos |
Vosotros | Fuisteis |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Fueron |
This story also uses the definite article "la" before the word "tienda" (store). The definite article is used before nouns that are specific or known. In this case, the store is specific because it is the store that the speaker went to.
Practice
Here are some practice exercises to help you learn the vocabulary and grammar from this story:
- Translate the following sentences into Spanish:
- I went to the store yesterday.
- I bought a loaf of bread and a carton of milk.
- The cashier was very friendly.
- Write a short story about your last trip to the store.
- Use the past tense of verbs to describe what you did yesterday.
Conclusion
This story is a great way to learn some basic Spanish vocabulary and grammar. It is also a fun way to practice your Spanish skills. By reading and understanding this story, you can improve your fluency and confidence in speaking Spanish. Remember to practice regularly and have fun learning! ¡Buen trabajo!