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Lesson 187 of 238

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Can I be straight with you in Spanish

Honest feedback at work only lands when it's kind — and when you can take it as well as give it.

In a quiet corner of the café, Justin and Michael trade one 'one thing' each, and both walk away better off.

You'll learn to warn, praise, flag a single detail, ask for their view, and thank them for telling you the truth.

By the end of this lesson

Give a coworker kind feedback — and take it back the same way.

  • ¿Puedo ser franco?Can I be straight with you?
  • Lo estás haciendo bien, pero ___You're doing well, but ___
  • Una cosa: ___One thing: ___
  • ¿Cómo lo ves?What's your take?
  • Gracias por decírmeloThanks for telling me
  • No lo tomes a malDon't take this the wrong way

Scene — the quiet corner

Late afternoon at Café Laurel; the lunch crowd is long gone. Michael brings his new bilingual menu to Justin's corner table.

Yako drags his two chairs over to listen. This is not a meeting — just two people being straight with each other over the last coffees of the day.

Michael sits at Justin's corner table with a bilingual menu while Yako listens nearby on two chairs.

Learn — kind and straight

These six lines are a whole feedback conversation: ask permission, praise first, flag one thing, invite their view, and take feedback well yourself.

Two of them have a blank you fill with your real detail.

  1. Michael leans in and asks Justin sincerely if he can be frank.

    ¿Puedo ser franco?

    Can I be straight with you?

    When to use it: Ask this right before an honest comment, to warn the listener kindly.

    Franco is the masculine form; a woman says franca.

    Say it: FRAN-koh: the first syllable rhymes with 'don' without the d, or with the 'an' in 'Kansas'.

  2. Michael raises a hand encouragingly while making a gentle but pointing comment to Justin.

    Lo estás haciendo bien, pero ___

    You're doing well, but ___

    When to use it: Say this to open kind feedback: praise first, then add the but.

    Fill the blank with the one thing to improve, small and specific.

  3. Michael holds up a single finger to name one specific thing to Justin.

    Una cosa: ___

    One thing: ___

    When to use it: Say this to flag exactly one detail, keeping the feedback light.

    It makes the comment feel small and fixable, not like a list.

  4. Michael opens his hands toward Justin, inviting his opinion.

    ¿Cómo lo ves?

    What's your take?

    When to use it: Ask this to invite the other person's view after feedback.

    Lo here means the situation or the work, so no noun is needed.

  5. Justin smiles with relief and thanks Michael warmly.

    Gracias por decírmelo

    Thanks for telling me

    When to use it: Say this when someone gives you honest feedback you accept.

    Decírmelo glues 'to tell' and 'me it' into one word.

    Say it: The stress lands on CIR: de-CIR-me-lo.

  6. Justin raises a reassuring hand, asking Michael not to take it the wrong way.

    No lo tomes a mal

    Don't take this the wrong way

    When to use it: Say this just before a comment that could sting a little.

    Tomes is a subjunctive form of tomar, triggered by no.

Story — one thing each

Watch how Michael and Justin take turns being frank: warn first, praise, then one thing each.

The highlighted lines are the ones you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The café is nearly empty. Michael sits at Justin's corner table with his new menu; Yako drags over his two chairs.
  2. MichaelJustin, ¿puedo ser franco?Justin, can I be straight with you?
  3. JustinClaro, dime.Sure, tell me.
  4. MichaelLo estás haciendo bien, pero una cosa: a veces hablas muy rápido.You're doing well, but one thing: sometimes you talk too fast.
  5. Michael¿Cómo lo ves?What's your take?
  6. JustinTienes razón. Lo voy a intentar.You're right. I'll try.
  7. JustinGracias por decírmelo.Thanks for telling me.
  8. MichaelTú puedes, eh.You can do it.
  9. Justin slides the new bilingual menu across the table.
  10. JustinYo también. ¿Puedo ser franco?Me too. Can I be straight with you?
  11. MichaelAdelante.Go ahead.
  12. JustinNo lo tomes a mal.Don't take this the wrong way.
  13. MichaelNo, dime, dime.No, tell me, tell me.
  14. JustinLo estás haciendo bien, pero una cosa: dice "soup" dos veces.You're doing well, but one thing: it says 'soup' twice.
  15. Michael¡Neta! Lo arreglo hoy mismo.Really? I'll fix it today.
  16. YakoEsto no es una junta, ¿verdad?This isn't a meeting, is it?
  17. MichaelNo, Yako, solo café.No, Yako, just coffee.
  18. YakoMejor. En las juntas nunca hay pan.Better. There's never bread in meetings.

Practice — feedback drills

Ten exercises: you'll listen, match, fill, build, and reply your way through both sides of a feedback exchange.

The last one asks you to invite the other person's take — the step everyone forgets.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Lo estás haciendo bien, pero ___Drop the English here
    ¿Cómo lo ves?Drop the English here
    Lo estás haciendo bienDrop the English here
    Tú puedesDrop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Spanish, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You checked your teammate's slides. They're good overall; you only want to flag one small detail.

  4. Fill the gap

    Don't take this the wrong way

    No lo ____ a mal

  5. Swap the word

    Someone told you the truth about your presentation. Thank them for telling you.

    Gracias por ____

  6. Build the line

    Can I be straight with you?

    ¿ ?

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Michael says:

    No lo tomes a mal, pero tu menú dice "soup" dos veces.

    Don't take this the wrong way, but your menu says 'soup' twice.

    And you reply with:

  8. What does it mean?

    Lo estás haciendo bien

  9. True or false?

    You say this after the honest comment, never before it.

  10. What do you say?

    You've given your one suggestion and now you want to hear how the other person feels about it.

Say it — swap the truth

Now you're Justin, and Michael wants feedback on his new menu — then he gives some back.

When it's your turn, tap the microphone and say the line. Tap ▶ first if you want to hear it. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. MichaelJustin, ya viste mi menú nuevo en inglés.Justin, you've seen my new menu in English.
  2. Justin (you)Ask him if you can be straight with him.

    ¿Puedo ser franco?

    Can I be straight with you?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
¿Puedo ser franco?Can I be straight with you?
Lo estás haciendo bien, pero ___You're doing well, but ___
Una cosa: ___One thing: ___
¿Cómo lo ves?What's your take?
Gracias por decírmeloThanks for telling me
No lo tomes a malDon't take this the wrong way
Next: lesson 188Let's not fight about it

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One Yak Cards round a day keeps your praise-first, but-one-thing rhythm sharp.

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