New here? This is lesson 75 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.
Free Spanish CourseLesson 75 of 238
Forget it, I mean in Spanish
Justin starts complaining about the street outside Café Laurel, but his first explanation comes out wrong.
This lesson gives you several natural ways to drop a point, say that something doesn't matter, and correct yourself.
You'll also practice explaining what you meant more clearly instead of getting stuck in the first sentence.
By the end of this lesson
Drop a point, say it doesn't matter, and correct what you meant.
- OlvídaloForget it
- No importaIt doesn't matter
- No quise decir esoI didn't mean that
- No me expliqué bienI didn't explain that well
- Es que ___It's just that ___
- Mejor dicho, ___I mean, more like ___
Scene — a street complaint
Outside Café Laurel, Justin watches traffic crawl along the street while Michael locks the front door.
Justin begins a complaint about the noise and the traffic, then realizes he described the problem badly to his friends.
Learn — take it back
These six chunks help you stop, soften, and repair what you just said.
Learn them as complete pieces, especially when you need to correct an explanation quickly.
Olvídalo
Forget it
When to use it: Say this when you want to drop a topic or stop pursuing it.
Olvídalo is informal and means you want to leave the matter alone.
No importa
It doesn't matter
When to use it: Use this to say that a problem or detail is not important.
Importa comes from importar, meaning to matter or be important.
No quise decir eso
I didn't mean that
When to use it: Say this when someone understood your words differently from what you intended.
Quise is the past form of querer here: I wanted or meant.
No me expliqué bien
I didn't explain that well
When to use it: Use this when your explanation was unclear or caused confusion.
Me expliqué means I explained myself; bien means well.
Es que ___
It's just that ___
When to use it: Start this chunk when you want to give a reason or add an explanation.
Es que introduces a reason, so complete it with the detail you want to explain.
Mejor dicho, ___
I mean, more like ___
When to use it: Use this to replace your first wording with a more accurate version.
Mejor dicho literally means better said, and it signals a correction.
Story — the noisy street
Justin complains about the street, then repairs his meaning one step at a time.
Watch how the highlighted chunks help him stop, explain, and restate the problem. Turn on Show English if needed.
- Morning traffic crawls past Café Laurel, and a bus keeps honking.
MichaelLa calle está fatal esta mañana.The street is awful this morning.
Justin¿Como qué?Like what?- MichaelEl camión, los coches, todo.The bus, the cars, everything.
- JustinEs que la calle está cerrada.It's just that the street is closed.
YakoO sea, ¿está cerrada o hay tráfico?I mean, is it closed or is there traffic?- JustinNo quise decir eso.I didn't mean that.
- Michael¿Entonces qué pasa en la calle?So what is happening on the street?
- JustinNo me expliqué bien.I didn't explain that well.
- Michael¿Hay mucho ruido por el camión?Is there a lot of noise from the bus?
- JustinMejor dicho, hay mucho ruido.I mean, there's a lot of noise.
- MichaelNo pasa nada.It's fine.
- JustinOlvídalo. No importa.Forget it. It doesn't matter.
Practice — correct yourself
You'll listen for meaning, fill gaps, choose replies, and rebuild a correction.
The later activities mix new chunks with familiar conversation lines, so read each situation carefully.
0 of 9 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Spanish
O sea, ___Drop the English here¿Como qué?Drop the English hereNo pasa nadaDrop the English hereEnglish
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
It's just that ___
Es ____ ___
What do you say?
What do you say?
You said the street was closed, but you meant that it was noisy.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Olvídalo
Pick the reply
Michael says:
Pick the reply
¿Entonces qué pasa en la calle?
So what is happening on the street?
And you reply with:
Build the line
Build the line
I didn't mean that
Tap the words in order.
True or false?
True or false?
No importa says that the problem is not important.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want to stop talking about the street because the detail is not important.
Say it — fix the complaint
Now you're Justin, explaining the street problem to Michael and Yako.
When it's your turn, tap the microphone and say the correction. Tap ▶ for the model; your recording stays on your device.
- Michael¿Qué pasó en la calle?What happened on the street?
- Justin (you)Give a reason: the street is closed.
Give a reason: the street is closed.
Es que ___
It's just that ___
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Spanish | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Olvídalo | Forget it | |
| No importa | It doesn't matter | |
| No quise decir eso | I didn't mean that | |
| No me expliqué bien | I didn't explain that well | |
| Es que ___ | It's just that ___ | |
| Mejor dicho, ___ | I mean, more like ___ |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these correction chunks handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick Yak Cards review helps you repair a sentence without losing your train of thought.
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