I don't agree in Spanish
An argument over a news story from social media: points, objections and a compromise in Spanish. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «¿Has visto lo que dicen del alcalde en las redes?» — Have you seen what they say about the mayor on social media? Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: an argument over a news story from social media: points, objections and a compromise. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- ¿Has visto lo que dicen del alcalde en las redes?Have you seen what they say about the mayor on social media?
- Lo he visto, sí. Aunque no me creo ni la mitad.I have seen it, yes. Though I don't believe even half of it.
- Pues la fuente parece seria. Es un reportaje del periódico.But the source seems serious. It's a report in the newspaper.
- Sin embargo, el titular exagera. Dentro dice algo más suave.However, the headline exaggerates. Inside it says something milder.
- En mi opinión, da igual el tono: el hecho es grave.In my opinion, the tone doesn't matter: the fact itself is serious.
- Estoy de acuerdo en parte. Eso sí, primero hay que comprobarlo.I partly agree. That said, first it has to be checked.
- Vale. ¿Y tú qué opinas si sale otra fuente diciendo lo mismo?Okay. And what do you think if another source says the same thing?
- Entonces me lo creo. Al fin y al cabo, dos fuentes ya es otra cosa.Then I'll believe it. After all, two sources is already something else.
Lines one by one
| Spanish | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Has visto lo que dicen del alcalde en las redes? | — | Have you seen what they say about the mayor on social media? |
| Lo he visto, sí. Aunque no me creo ni la mitad. | — | I have seen it, yes. Though I don't believe even half of it. |
| Pues la fuente parece seria. Es un reportaje del periódico. | — | But the source seems serious. It's a report in the newspaper. |
| Sin embargo, el titular exagera. Dentro dice algo más suave. | — | However, the headline exaggerates. Inside it says something milder. |
| En mi opinión, da igual el tono: el hecho es grave. | — | In my opinion, the tone doesn't matter: the fact itself is serious. |
| Estoy de acuerdo en parte. Eso sí, primero hay que comprobarlo. | — | I partly agree. That said, first it has to be checked. |
| Vale. ¿Y tú qué opinas si sale otra fuente diciendo lo mismo? | — | Okay. And what do you think if another source says the same thing? |
| Entonces me lo creo. Al fin y al cabo, dos fuentes ya es otra cosa. | — | Then I'll believe it. After all, two sources is already something else. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Spanish in this situation?
“¿Has visto lo que dicen del alcalde en las redes?” — Have you seen what they say about the mayor on social media?. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.