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Lesson 125 of 238

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Free Spanish CourseLesson 125 of 238

And then what in Spanish

Megan is telling Justin about her weekend, but she pauses right when the story gets interesting.

You'll learn six natural ways to ask for the next detail, urge someone to continue, and hand the conversation back.

Yako hears the exchange from the next table and quietly joins in.

By the end of this lesson

Keep a story going and hand the conversation back.

  • ¿Y luego?And then?
  • SigueGo on
  • ¿Y tú qué hiciste?And what did you do?
  • No me dejes asíDon't leave me hanging
  • ¿En serio?Seriously?
  • Ya, cuéntameOkay, tell me

Scene — a story with a pause

At Café Laurel, Megan is telling Justin about her weekend while people talk loudly at the next table.

She keeps stopping before the interesting parts, and Justin wants the whole story, including what happened after the party.

At Café Laurel, Megan pauses while telling Justin a weekend story, and a lively neighboring table listens and chats beneath a clear blue sky.

Learn — keep it going

These lines help you keep a story moving without taking over the conversation.

Some ask for the next event, while others invite the speaker to continue or answer you back.

  1. Justin urges Megan to continue, while Yako quietly echoes the same curious request from the neighboring table.

    ¿Y luego?

    And then?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to know the next event in a story.

    Luego means then or afterward; learn the short question as one piece.

    Say it: Y sounds like the y in yes.

  2. Justin makes an encouraging gesture for Megan to go on with her story.

    Sigue

    Go on

    When to use it: Say this when you want someone to continue their story.

    Sigue can mean continue or go on; it is a friendly tú command.

  3. Justin asks Megan what she did during her weekend, pointing inquisitively toward her.

    ¿Y tú qué hiciste?

    And what did you do?

    When to use it: Ask the other person about their own actions after hearing their story.

    Hiciste is the tú past form of hacer, meaning did or made.

    Say it: Hiciste sounds like ee-SEE-steh.

  4. Justin dramatically pleads with Megan not to stop the story at its most interesting moment.

    No me dejes así

    Don't leave me hanging

    When to use it: Use this playfully when someone stops before finishing an interesting story.

    Así means like this; the whole line expresses friendly impatience.

  5. Justin reacts with wide-eyed surprise as Megan reveals an unbelievable part of her weekend story.

    ¿En serio?

    Seriously?

    When to use it: Ask this when new information surprises you or seems hard to believe.

    En serio literally means in earnest, but this question means seriously.

    Say it: Serio sounds like SEH-ryoh, with a light y sound.

  6. Justin settles back into an eager listening pose and invites Megan to tell the whole story.

    Ya, cuéntame

    Okay, tell me

    When to use it: Say this when you're ready and want someone to tell you the story.

    Cuéntame means tell me; ya here means okay or now.

    Say it: Cuéntame sounds like KWEHN-tah-meh.

Story — Megan pauses

Megan's story keeps stopping just before the interesting details.

Watch how Justin pulls the story forward, then hands the conversation back. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Megan leans toward Justin, ready to share a weekend story.
  2. MeganEl sábado fui al mercado y luego pasó algo raro.On Saturday I went to the market, and then something strange happened.
  3. Justin¿Y luego?And then?
  4. MeganLuego vi a una amiga, pero la historia es larga.Then I saw a friend, but the story is long.
  5. JustinSigue, por favor.Go on, please.
  6. MeganMe invitó a una fiesta y después...She invited me to a party and afterward...
  7. JustinNo me dejes así.Don't leave me hanging.
  8. MeganFui a la fiesta y bailé toda la noche.I went to the party and danced all night.
  9. YakoYo también tuve un fin de semana raro.I also had a strange weekend.
  10. Justin¿Y tú qué hiciste?And what did you do?
  11. YakoFui a una fiesta también, pero pasó algo increíble.I went to a party too, but something incredible happened.
  12. Justin¿En serio?Seriously?
  13. YakoSí. Bueno, ya te cuento qué pasó después.Yes. Well, I'll tell you what happened next.
  14. JustinYa, cuéntame.Okay, tell me.
  15. YakoPrimero, se cayó una silla. No era la mía.First, a chair fell over. It wasn't mine.

Practice — pull out the details

You'll listen for the difference between a question, an invitation, and a strong request for more details.

Use the context carefully: the best answer depends on who paused and what happened before.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

    What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    SigueDrop the English here
    No me dejes asíDrop the English here
    ¿Qué pasó después?Drop the English here

    English

  3. Fill the gap

    Fill the gap

    Don't leave me hanging

    No me ____ así

  4. Fill the gap

    Fill the gap

    And then?

    ¿Y ____?

  5. What do you say?

    What do you say?

    Megan has finished her story, and Yako has just said he also had a strange weekend. Ask Yako about his actions.

  6. Put the chat in order

    1. MeganWhat comes first?
    2. Justin…
    3. Megan…
    4. Justin…
  7. What does it mean?

    What does it mean?

    ¿En serio?

  8. Which one doesn’t belong?

    Which one doesn’t belong?

  9. What do you say?

    What do you say?

    You're starting the conversation with Megan before she has told you anything. Ask about her weekend.

  10. Build the line

    Build the line

    Okay, tell me

    ,

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — keep asking

Now you're Justin, listening to Megan's weekend story at the café.

When she pauses, use the microphone to pull out the next detail. Tap ▶ for the model, and remember your recording stays on your device.

  1. MeganEl sábado fui al mercado y luego pasó algo raro.On Saturday I went to the market, and then something strange happened.
  2. Justin (you)Ask what happened next.

    Ask what happened next.

    ¿Y luego?

    And then?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Every line from this lesson
SpanishEnglishPlay
¿Y luego?And then?
SigueGo on
¿Y tú qué hiciste?And what did you do?
No me dejes asíDon't leave me hanging
¿En serio?Seriously?
Ya, cuéntameOkay, tell me
Next: lesson 126You can do it

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these story-following lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

Review the cards by imagining a friend pauses halfway through a very interesting story.

Open Yak Cards