The started project in Valencian
Telling how the started job is going in Valencian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Com va el projecte de la bici de l'avi? La vas encetar a l'estiu i després no en sabia res.» — How is grandpa’s bicycle project going? You started it in summer and then I heard nothing. 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: telling how the started job is going. 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.
- Com va el projecte de la bici de l'avi? La vas encetar a l'estiu i després no en sabia res.How is grandpa’s bicycle project going? You started it in summer and then I heard nothing.
- Va mica en mica: primer vaig desmuntar-ho tot i després em vaig embolicar amb els cables.It goes little by little: first I took everything apart and then I got tangled in the cables.
- I no hi has dit adéu? Molts abandonen cap al final.And you have not given up on it? Many abandon it toward the end.
- No, no: aquesta setmana he posat a punt els frens, i el que més costava ja és fet.No, no: this week I tuned up the brakes, and the hardest part is already done.
- I la pintura? La faràs de cop, o també per capes?And the paint? Will you do it in one go, or also in coats?
- Per capes: primer una de fons, després la de color. Vull que surti com cal.In coats: first a base one, then the color one. I want it to come out properly.
- I quan creus que l'acabaràs? La primavera avisa.And when do you think you will finish it? Spring does not wait.
- Si no s'allarga més del compte, per Sant Josep rodaré fins al mar.If it does not drag on too long, by Saint Joseph I will ride it to the sea.
Lines one by one
| Valencian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Com va el projecte de la bici de l'avi? La vas encetar a l'estiu i després no en sabia res. | — | How is grandpa’s bicycle project going? You started it in summer and then I heard nothing. |
| Va mica en mica: primer vaig desmuntar-ho tot i després em vaig embolicar amb els cables. | — | It goes little by little: first I took everything apart and then I got tangled in the cables. |
| I no hi has dit adéu? Molts abandonen cap al final. | — | And you have not given up on it? Many abandon it toward the end. |
| No, no: aquesta setmana he posat a punt els frens, i el que més costava ja és fet. | — | No, no: this week I tuned up the brakes, and the hardest part is already done. |
| I la pintura? La faràs de cop, o també per capes? | — | And the paint? Will you do it in one go, or also in coats? |
| Per capes: primer una de fons, després la de color. Vull que surti com cal. | — | In coats: first a base one, then the color one. I want it to come out properly. |
| I quan creus que l'acabaràs? La primavera avisa. | — | And when do you think you will finish it? Spring does not wait. |
| Si no s'allarga més del compte, per Sant Josep rodaré fins al mar. | — | If it does not drag on too long, by Saint Joseph I will ride it to the sea. |
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 Valencian in this situation?
“Com va el projecte de la bici de l'avi? La vas encetar a l'estiu i després no en sabia res.” — How is grandpa’s bicycle project going? You started it in summer and then I heard nothing.. 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.