Lesson 76. First, then: primero, después · Spanish from zero with Recursio

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.

al principio

at first

después

afterwards, then

luego

then, later

más tarde

later

al final

in the end

por fin

at last, finally

de repente

suddenly

entonces

then, at that time

antes de

before

después de

after

Step 2 · Grammar

primero, después, luego, al final; antes de / después de + infinitive

The order of events

To tell a story in order, use linking words:


primero / al principio	first, at first
después / luego	then, afterwards
entonces	then, at that time
más tarde	later
de repente	suddenly
por fin	at last (after waiting)
al final	in the end

You know primero as “first” (lesson 56); here it’s an adverb meaning “first, first of all.” Use por fin when you’ve been waiting for something; al final is simply the last step or the outcome.

Antes de, después de + infinitive

After antes de and después de the verb is an infinitive, where English uses -ing:

Antes de salir, cerré la puerta. — Before leaving, I closed the door.
Después de comer, descanso un poco. — After eating, I rest a bit.

With a noun it works the same: antes de la clase, después del trabajo.

Primero desayuné y después fui a clase. — First I had breakfast and then I went to class.

Antes de salir, cerré la puerta. — Before leaving, I closed the door.

Por fin llegó el tren. — At last the train arrived.

Después de comer, descanso un poco. — After eating, I rest a bit.

De repente, empezó a llover. — Suddenly it started to rain.

Step 3 · Dialogue

Dialogue

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

Javier Nora, ¿qué tal la entrevista? Nora, how was the interview?

Nora Muy bien, pero al principio el día fue horrible. Very good, but at first the day was awful.

Javier ¿Por qué? Why?

Nora Primero no llegó el autobús. Luego empezó a llover. First the bus didn't come. Then it started to rain.

Javier ¿Y entonces? And then?

Nora Esperé veinte minutos. ¡Por fin llegó el autobús! I waited twenty minutes. At last the bus came!

Javier ¿Y llegaste tarde? And were you late?

Nora No. Antes de entrar, tomé un café. ¡Y al final me dieron el trabajo! No. Before going in, I had a coffee. And in the end they gave me the job!

Step 4 · Exercises

Check yourself

Listen. What did you hear?

1. How do you say “First I had breakfast and then I went to class”?

2. How do you say “Before leaving, I closed the door”?

3. You waited a long time. How do you say “At last the train arrived”?

4. How do you say “After eating, I rest a bit”?

Match each word with its translation

Build the sentence: “Before leaving, I closed the door”

Build the sentence: “At last the train arrived”

Lesson summary

What you can do now

Tell things in order: Primero desayuné y después fui a clase.
Say before: Antes de salir, cerré la puerta.
Say at last: Por fin llegó el tren.
Say suddenly: De repente, empezó a llover.

Key phrases of the lesson:

Primero desayuné y después fui a clase.

Antes de salir, cerré la puerta.

Por fin llegó el tren.

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