New here? This is lesson 178 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.
Free Spanish CourseLesson 178 of 238
Looking back at it in Spanish
Justin's weekend story has been told in three coffees, and this is the last one. Time to say what he really thinks of it now.
You'll learn to open with the truth, name the best part and the worst part, and say whether you'd do it all again.
By the end of this lesson
Give your honest opinion of something you did, and say if you'd do it again.
- La verdad es que ___The truth is, ___
- Lo que más me gustó fue ___What I liked most was ___
- Lo que no me gustó fue ___What I didn't like was ___
- Lo volvería a hacerI'd do it again
- Desde entonces, ___Since then, ___
Scene — the last coffee
Café Laurel, early evening. Justin's third and last coffee of the telling sits half-finished, and Michael leans on the counter.
Yako, on his two chairs, has heard every part of the weekend story and wants the verdict.
Learn — the truth, the good, the bad
Five openers that turn a story into an opinion. Learn them as fixed pieces: la verdad es que, lo que más me gustó fue, and their friends.
Each one leads into your own words.
La verdad es que ___
The truth is, ___
When to use it: Use this to open an honest take on something.
Es que softens what follows; learn the whole piece as one opener.
Lo que más me gustó fue ___
What I liked most was ___
When to use it: Say this to name the best part of an experience.
Gustó is preterite: a finished moment in the past.
Say it: Gustó stresses the last syllable: goos-TOH.
Lo que no me gustó fue ___
What I didn't like was ___
When to use it: Say this to name the part you didn't like.
Same frame as the previous line, with no tucked in before gustó.
Lo volvería a hacer
I'd do it again
When to use it: Say this when the experience was worth repeating.
Volvería is conditional: what you would do.
Desde entonces, ___
Since then, ___
When to use it: Use this to link a past moment to a habit now.
Desde entonces points from a past moment up to the present.
Story — the whole weekend, summed up
The last coffee of the telling. Watch Justin sum up the whole weekend: the truth, the best part, the worst, and whether he'd repeat it.
Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Early evening. The cups are nearly empty.
Michael¿Cómo estuvo tu fin de semana, Justin?How was your weekend, Justin?
JustinLargo. Para no hacerla larga, perdimos el camión el viernes.Long. Long story short, we missed the bus on Friday.
Yako¿Y todo salió bien al final?And did everything work out in the end?- JustinLa verdad es que no todo salió mal.The truth is, not everything went wrong.
- MichaelCuéntame lo bueno.Tell me the good part.
- JustinLo que más me gustó fue el mercado de Coyoacán.What I liked most was the Coyoacán market.
- Yako¿Y lo malo?And the bad part?
- JustinLo que no me gustó fue la lluvia del domingo.What I didn't like was Sunday's rain.
- Michael¿Volverías a ir?Would you go again?
- JustinLo volvería a hacer, sí. Con paraguas.I'd do it again, yes. With an umbrella.
- Yako¿Y qué aprendiste, con todo y lluvia?And what did you learn, rain and all?
- JustinDesde entonces, siempre llevo paraguas.Since then, I always carry an umbrella.
- MichaelY bueno, eso es básicamente todo.So yeah, that's basically it.
- Yako sighs like someone who missed a good story.
- YakoYo solo pasaba. Y me quedé con las ganas de ir.I was just passing by. And now I'm dying to go.
Practice — your honest opinion
Eleven quick exercises: listen, match, fill gaps, and swap words around. Every one of the five openers shows up at least once.
Take them in order; they build on each other.
0 of 12 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Spanish
La verdad es que ___Drop the English hereLo que más me gustó fue ___Drop the English hereLo que no me gustó fue ___Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
A friend asks if the weekend trip was as perfect as the photos. You want to start your honest answer.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Since then, ___
Desde ____, ___
Swap the word
Swap the word
You said what you liked least. Now say what you liked most.
Lo que ____ me gustó fue ___
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Lo que no me gustó fue ___
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
What I liked most was ___
Lo que ____ me gustó fue ___
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
True or false?
True or false?
This line means the speaker would repeat the experience.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
So yeah, that's basically it
Y bueno, eso es básicamente ____
Pick the reply
Michael says:
Pick the reply
¿Volverías a hacer ese viaje?
Would you do that trip again?
And you reply with:
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Say it — the recap is yours
Now the recap is yours. Michael and Yako ask the questions, and you answer as Justin with the lines you just learned.
Tap ▶ to hear a model first. Your recording stays on your device.
- MichaelEntonces, ¿cómo estuvo el viaje?So, how was the trip?
- Justin (you)Start honestly: it was a strange trip.
Start honestly: it was a strange trip.
La verdad es que ___
The truth is, ___
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Spanish | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| La verdad es que ___ | The truth is, ___ | |
| Lo que más me gustó fue ___ | What I liked most was ___ | |
| Lo que no me gustó fue ___ | What I didn't like was ___ | |
| Lo volvería a hacer | I'd do it again | |
| Desde entonces, ___ | Since then, ___ |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want these opinion openers handy for your next recap? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
One quick round with the Yak Cards a day keeps your la verdad es que sharp.
Open Yak Cards