Recursio
Spanish from zero with Recursio Lesson 31 of 100 · Module 7

Lesson 31. Tea or coffee?

Step 1 · New words

10 words in this lesson

Tap 🔊 and repeat out loud. These words come back in the dialogue and the exercises below.

pero
but
o
or
e
and (before an i sound)
u
or (before an o sound)
la cerveza
beer
el vino
wine
el refresco
soft drink
la tarta
cake
el helado
ice cream
el postre
dessert
Step 2 · Grammar

pero, o; y → e, o → u

Pero — “but”

Pero links two ideas that pull in different directions: Me gusta, pero es caro. — “I like it, but it’s expensive.” A comma usually goes before pero, as in English.

O — “or”

O offers a choice: ¿Té o café? — “Tea or coffee?” The answer picks one: Café, por favor.

Y → e, o → u

The connectors change form according to the first sound of the next word:

  • y → e before a word that starts with an ee sound (not simply the letters i- or hi-): español e inglés, padres e hijos.
  • o → u before a word that starts with an o sound (o- or ho-): siete u ocho.

If the next word starts with a different sound, keep y and o: té y café, cerveza o vino.

Words in this lesson

El refresco is a cold, sweet soft drink. El postre is dessert: ¿Quieres postre? — “Would you like dessert?”

¿Té o café? — Tea or coffee?

Me gusta, pero es caro. — I like it, but it's expensive.

Hablo español e inglés. — I speak Spanish and English.

Siete u ocho. — Seven or eight.

Es bonito, pero es pequeño. — It's pretty, but it's small.

Step 3 · Dialogue

Dialogue

Listen to each line and repeat it. Try to understand it before you look at the translation.

Javier Lucía, ¿quieres postre? Lucía, would you like dessert?

Lucía Sí. ¿Qué hay? Yes. What is there?

Javier Tarta o helado. Cake or ice cream.

Lucía Me gusta la tarta, pero hoy prefiero un helado. I like cake, but today I'd rather have ice cream.

Javier ¿Y quieres cerveza o vino? And would you like beer or wine?

Lucía No, gracias. Un refresco, por favor. No, thanks. A soft drink, please.

Javier ¿Y Nora? And Nora?

Lucía Un café o un té. ¡Toma mucho café! A coffee or a tea. She drinks a lot of coffee!

Step 4 · Exercises

Check yourself

Listen. What did you hear?

1. How do you ask “Tea or coffee?”

2. How do you say “I like it, but it's expensive”?

3. Pick the word: Hablo español ___ inglés.

4. Pick the word: siete ___ ocho (seven or eight)

Match each word with its translation

Build the sentence: “I like it, but it's expensive”

Build the question: “Tea or coffee?”

Lesson summary

What you can do now

  • Offer a choice: ¿Té o café? ¿Cerveza o vino?
  • Say but: Me gusta, pero es caro.
  • Use y → e and o → u: español e inglés, siete u ocho
  • Order dessert and a drink

Key phrases of the lesson:

¿Té o café?

Me gusta, pero es caro.

Siete u ocho.

The course is the first step. Next comes the Recursio app: short daily practice with spaced review.