Beginner Spanish with Spanish Obsessed

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Manu Chao sings "¿Qué hora son, mi corazón?", but the first time Rob asked the time that way, he was put right. Rob and Lis show you how to ask the time and answer it, from o'clock to quarter to, plus two little words for "ago" and one for "for". Why is one o'clock the odd one out? And which New Year's song is all about five to twelve?

Do you know what these mean?
¿Qué hora es? · Es la una · Son las cinco menos cuarto · en punto

Can't catch every word? Read along with the full transcript, translations and meanings:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/telling-time

In the listening quiz, Lis says "las ocho y treinta y cinco", and Rob gets her time wrong when he repeats it. Can you spot what he said instead?

Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word, and get how to say how often you do things, from "never" to "always", the English for every line, and the chocolate habit Lis kept secret from Rob:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts

How do you ask "how often" in Spanish? The answer translates literally as "every how much". Rob and Lis run the scale from "never" to "always", then quiz each other on their habits, and Rob discovers a chocolate habit Lis has been keeping secret. By the end you'll be able to say how often you do things, and use soler, the handy verb for what you "usually" do.

Do you know what these mean?
¿Cada cuánto...? · de vez en cuando · a menudo · suelo

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👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/how-often

Rob offers a second way to say "almost never", and Lis has never heard it. Which version should you stick with?

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Rob and Lis record this episode seconds after a real argument, and the row before, over Rob getting into Lis's Facebook and writing to the family and friends, still isn't funny to her. So they show you how to hold your own in Spanish: say you're fed up, tell someone not to shout at you, and ask for forgiveness. Then they stage a fight over the last piece of chocolate. Does anyone get forgiven?

Do you know what these mean?
Estoy harta · Tenemos que hablar · No me grites · No te pongas bravo

Hear it, then see it. Follow along with the transcript and translations:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/arguing

Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word, and get the phrases for asking prices and haggling, every line in Spanish and English, and what it really means when something "costs a kidney":

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Why do South Americans call money "silver" rather than gold? Neither Rob nor Lis can answer that one. In this episode you'll learn to ask how much something costs, understand the price, and say it's too expensive. Then Lis tries to haggle at Rob's greengrocer's over organic veg, with only three pounds left. Plus: what it means when something costs a kidney, or even an egg.

Do you know what these mean?
¿Cuánto cuesta? · Es demasiado caro · la plata · ¿Me puedes hacer una rebaja?

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👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/money-prices

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How do you say you feel happy, sad or nervous in Spanish, and why can't you say you feel "malo"? Lis is still smiling after el día de las velitas, a Colombian night of candles and tamales. Then she and Rob show you how to say what you feel and what makes you feel it, with a nod to Shakira, one of Rob's favourite phrases, and one "excited" word to steer well clear of.

Do you know what these mean?
me siento feliz · tengo nervios · me da asco · me pone triste

Missed something? The full transcript, translations and meanings are here:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/feelings-emotions

Read this episode word for word, free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word, and get the questions for asking if someone fancies a drink tonight, every line in Spanish and English, and why a proper night out in Spain can end with breakfast:

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Fancy a night out in Spanish? Rob and Lis give you the words for going out with friends, plus the questions to ask if someone has plans tonight or fancies a drink. But careful: add one tiny word to "vamos a rumbear" and it means something quite different. You'll also hear why a proper night out in Spain can end with breakfast, and where Rob's friend had lots of blind dates in one night.

Do you know what these mean?
ir de rumba · pasarlo bomba · trasnochar · ¿Salimos a tomar algo esta noche?

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👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/going-out

Rob guesses that trasnochar means not sleeping at all, and Lis puts him right. So what's the difference between trasnochar and pasar de largo?

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Rob played a sport in Colombia that involves mud, metal discs and a little triangle of gunpowder. Then you'll learn to ask someone if they play any sport, what their favourite is, and what's popular in their country. Along the way, Rob tries out a word for jogging he's sure he heard in Spain, which is new to Lis. And one sport is all the rage in Colombia right now, for an Olympic reason.

Do you know what these mean?
¿Practicas algún deporte? · ¿Cuál es tu deporte favorito? · estar en forma · sin duda

Can't catch every word? Read along with the full transcript, translations and meanings:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/sports

Rob tells Lis what he does at the gym with weights, but he picks the wrong verb. What should he have said?

Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word, and get how to ask anyone about their family, notes on the grammar, and how the verb for "carry" tells you how much older someone is:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts

Lis talks to her family in Colombia almost every day; Rob speaks to his mum about once a week. In this episode you'll learn to ask anyone about their brothers, sisters and cousins, meet a word that sounds like "parents" but isn't, and find out how the verb for "carry" tells you how much older someone is. Then Lis reveals just how many cousins she has, and Rob can hardly believe it.

Do you know what these mean?
mis parientes · ¿Tienes hermanos o hermanas? · ¿Cuántos años te lleva tu hermano? · soy la menor

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👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/la-familia

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Rob and Lis have just moved house, and they share the three biggest headaches of una mudanza. Lis moved all her belongings by bus in just two trips, while Rob hired a van, and it still wasn't enough. You'll also learn the phrase every Spanish property advert boasts about, a quick tip for spotting feminine nouns, and enough words to describe your own home, room by room.

Do you know what these mean?
nos hemos mudado · un buen sitio para vivir · pagar la fianza · buena ubicación

Hear it, then see it. Follow along with the transcript and translations:

👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/moving-house