Recursio
Lesson 89. At a restaurant: ¿Me pone…?
10 words in this lesson
Tap 🔊 and repeat out loud. These words come back in the dialogue and the exercises below.
¿Me pone…?, de primero / de segundo, para mí
¿Me pone…?
In a bar in Spain people often order like this: ¿Me pone un café, por favor? It’s the polite (usted) form of poner. With a waiter you know, or a friend, you use tú: ¿Me pones…? — and they ask you: ¿Qué te pongo?
You can also say Quiero un café or just Un café, por favor.
Menú del día
El menú del día is often served at lunchtime on weekdays: a first course, a main course, a drink and dessert for one price.
- De primero, sopa. — “Soup for the first course.”
- De segundo, pescado. — “Fish for the main course.”
- De bebida, agua.
Para mí
When ordering in a group: Para mí, una tapa de queso. Para is from lesson 86.
Words
La carta — a restaurant’s menu. It’s the same word as “letter” in lesson 49. El camarero — waiter; in some Latin American countries people more often say el mesero. La tapa — a small snack with a drink.
¿Me pone un café, por favor? — Can I have a coffee, please?
De primero, sopa; de segundo, pescado. — Soup for the first course, fish for the main.
Para mí, una tapa de queso. — A cheese tapa for me.
Quiero reservar una mesa para dos. — I'd like to book a table for two.
¿Qué hay de primero? — What's there for the first course?
Dialogue
Listen to each line and repeat it. Try to understand it before you look at the translation.
Javier ¡Hola, Lucía! Hoy ayudo al camarero. ¿Qué te pongo? Hi, Lucía! I'm helping the waiter today. What can I get you?
Lucía ¡Hola! Quiero el menú del día. ¿Qué hay de primero? Hi! I'd like the set menu. What's there for the first course?
Javier De primero, sopa o ensalada. De segundo, pescado o carne. First course: soup or salad. Main course: fish or meat.
Lucía De primero, sopa; de segundo, pescado. Soup to start, then the fish.
Javier ¿Y de bebida? And to drink?
Lucía Agua, por favor. ¿Me pones también una tapa de queso? Water, please. Can I have a cheese tapa too?
Javier Claro. Oye, la semana que viene hay paella. ¿Te reservo una mesa? Sure. Listen, there's paella next week. Shall I book you a table?
Lucía ¡Sí! Para dos, por favor: Nora y yo. Yes! For two, please: Nora and me.
Check yourself
Listen. What did you hear?
1. You're in a bar in Spain. How do you politely ask the waiter for a coffee?
2. How do you say “Soup for the first course, fish for the main”?
3. You're ordering with friends. How do you say “A cheese tapa for me”?
4. How do you say “I'd like to book a table for two”?
Match each word with its translation
Build the question: “Can I have a coffee, please?”
Build the sentence: “A cheese tapa for me”
What you can do now
- Order in a bar: ¿Me pone un café, por favor?
- Choose your dishes: De primero, sopa; de segundo, pescado.
- Say what's for you: Para mí, una tapa de queso.
- Book a table: Quiero reservar una mesa para dos.
Key phrases of the lesson:
¿Me pone un café, por favor?
De primero, sopa; de segundo, pescado.
Para mí, una tapa de queso.
Day 89 of 100. Next up: the following lesson.
Lesson 90. Module 18 review and test →The course is the first step. Next comes the Recursio app: short daily practice with spaced review.