Recursio
Lesson 2. At the café: un café, una tostada
10 words in this lesson
Tap 🔊 and repeat out loud. These words come back in the dialogue and the exercises below.
the article “a”: un / una
Un and una
In lesson 1 you met el and la, the Spanish words for “the.” Spanish also has a word for “a”: un for masculine nouns and una for feminine ones. You use it much like English a/an — for example, when you order something.
The gender of the noun doesn’t change; only the article does:
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| el café → un café | la tostada → una tostada |
| el zumo → un zumo | la galleta → una galleta |
The difference from English: a or an depends on the next sound (a coffee, an orange). Un or una depends on the noun’s gender.
Un, not uno
Un and una also mean “one.” But before a masculine noun you say un, not uno: un café, not “uno café.” You’ll need uno later, when counting.
A short café dialogue
The scene shows two moments of the visit: Lucía orders first and asks for the check after eating and drinking.
Café words in different countries
- el zumo — juice in Spain; in Latin America people say el jugo.
- el bocadillo — in Spain, a sandwich made with a baguette; in Latin America the word can mean something else, such as a small snack or a sweet.
This course uses the words of Spain. If you’re learning Spanish for Latin America, learn both forms.
un café — a coffee
una tostada — a piece of toast
un zumo y una galleta — a juice and a cookie
Dialogue
Listen to each line and repeat it. Try to understand it before you look at the translation.
Javier ¡Hola, Lucía! Buenos días. Hi, Lucía! Good morning.
Lucía ¡Hola, Javier! Un café y una tostada, por favor. Hi, Javier! A coffee and a piece of toast, please.
Javier ¿Un café y una tostada? A coffee and toast?
Lucía Sí. Y un zumo, por favor. Yes. And a juice, please.
Javier Un café, una tostada y un zumo. A coffee, toast and a juice.
Lucía Gracias. La cuenta, por favor. Thank you. The check, please.
Check yourself
Listen. What did you hear?
1. How do you order a coffee?
2. Which article fits: ___ tostada
3. The waiter asks: “¿Un té?” You don't want tea. What do you say?
4. Which article fits: ___ bocadillo
Match each word with its translation
Build the sentence: “The check, please”
Build the phrase: “A coffee and a cookie”
What you can do now
- Order at a café: Un café, por favor.
- Choose un or una by the noun's gender: un zumo, una tostada
- Say yes or no: Sí. No, gracias.
- Ask for the check: La cuenta, por favor.
Key phrases of the lesson:
Un café, por favor.
Una tostada y un zumo.
La cuenta, por favor.
Day 2 of 100. Next up: the following lesson.
Lesson 3. One and many: los libros, las sillas →The course is the first step. Next comes the Recursio app: short daily practice with spaced review.