New here? This is lesson 212 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.
Free Spanish CourseLesson 212 of 238
What I'm getting at in Spanish
Sometimes a conversation drifts: you start about one thing and end up three stories away.
Today Justin learns to pull a point back with what I'm getting at, so that means, and put another way.
He also learns to check if he's making sense, and to own it when he's the one who drifted. Yako tells a story about a rooster.
By the end of this lesson
Reformulate a point until the other person has it.
- A lo que voy es ___What I'm getting at is ___
- O sea que ___So that means ___
- Dicho de otro modo, ___Put another way, ___
- ¿Me explico?Am I making sense?
- Sí, ya te entendíYes, I've got you
- Perdón, me fui por las ramasSorry, I went off on a tangent
Scene — a story about a rooster
Afternoon at Café Laurel. Justin looks tired, and there's a construction site across the street that starts early.
Yako has two chairs and one long story from his cousin's farm, and Michael is already pouring a second round.
Learn — pulling the point back
Six lines that steer a conversation: name your point, draw the conclusion, restate it, check you're clear, confirm you understood, and apologize for drifting.
Each one does a small job, and today they all get used in one sitting.
A lo que voy es ___
What I'm getting at is ___
When to use it: Say this to name the real point behind everything you've just said.
Literally "where I'm going is"; it steers the listener to your actual point after background.
O sea que ___
So that means ___
When to use it: Say this to spell out the conclusion that follows from what you just heard.
The que turns reformulation into a deduction; it points forward to a result.
Dicho de otro modo, ___
Put another way, ___
When to use it: Say this to restate the same idea in different words, usually to make it clearer.
Dicho is "said"; the whole chunk means "having said that in another way".
Say it: Dicho sounds like DEE-choh, with a soft ch as in church.
¿Me explico?
Am I making sense?
When to use it: Say this to check whether your explanation is landing with the listener.
Literally "do I explain myself?"; it puts the burden on you, not the listener.
Sí, ya te entendí
Yes, I've got you
When to use it: Say this to confirm that someone's explanation or point finally came through.
The ya marks the moment it clicked: up to now it wasn't clear, and now it is.
Perdón, me fui por las ramas
Sorry, I went off on a tangent
When to use it: Say this when you notice you've drifted from the point and want to return to it.
Literally "I went off through the branches"; a common image for wandering off topic.
Story — nobody sleeps
Watch Justin name his point, draw the conclusion, and restate it once Yako's rooster takes over the table.
Two older reformulation lines come back too. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Justin yawns into his coffee cup for the second time.
YakoTe ves cansado, Justin. ¿Todo bien?You look tired, Justin. Everything okay?
JustinEs la obra en el edificio de enfrente. Empiezan a las siete.It's the construction in the building across the street. They start at seven.- Yako¿Y a qué hora te acuestas?And what time do you go to bed?
- JustinTarde. A lo que voy es que ya no duermo bien.Late. What I'm getting at is that I'm not sleeping well anymore.
- Yako¿En serio? Qué mal.Really? That's rough.
- JustinO sea que llevo tres semanas llegando aquí medio dormido.So that means I've spent three weeks showing up here half asleep.
MichaelPor eso pides doble café.That's why you order a double coffee.- Yako's eyes light up; the rooster is coming.
- YakoUna vez, en la granja de mi primo, había un gallo terrible.One time, at my cousin's farm, there was a terrible rooster.
- YakoCantaba a las cinco, sin falta, todos los días, y más fuerte si llovía.It crowed at five, without fail, every day, and louder if it rained.
- Yako notices two blank faces across the table.
- YakoPerdón, me fui por las ramas. A lo que voy es que en la granja nadie dormía bien.Sorry, I went off on a tangent. What I'm getting at is that nobody slept well on the farm.
- JustinNo, sigue. Dicho de otro modo, el gallo era tu vecino ruidoso.No, go on. Put another way, the rooster was your noisy neighbor.
- Yako¿Me explico?Am I making sense?
- JustinSí, ya te entendí. El gallo y la obra son lo mismo.Yes, I've got you. The rooster and the construction are the same thing.
- MichaelYo me perdí en la granja, la verdad.I got lost at the farm part, honestly.
- YakoO sea, nadie en esta mesa duerme bien.I mean, nobody at this table sleeps well.
- MichaelDicho de otra forma, todos necesitamos otro café.Put another way, we all need another coffee.
- Yako¿Me sigues, Justin?Are you with me, Justin?
- JustinSí, ya te entendí. Y sí, Michael, otro café.Yes, I've got you. And yes, Michael, another coffee.
Practice — restate and confirm
You'll listen, match, rebuild, and swap endings across eleven exercises.
Two older reformulation lines come back too, so you can feel the difference between them and today's new spine.
Take your time; the swap is the tricky one.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Spanish
A lo que voy es ___Drop the English hereO sea que ___Drop the English hereDicho de otro modo, ___Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
You were explaining your sleep problem but drifted into a long story about your neighbor's dog. Get back to the point with an apology.
Pick the reply
Yako says:
Pick the reply
¿Me explico?
Am I making sense?
And you reply with:
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
What I'm getting at is ___
A lo que ____ es ___
Swap the word
Swap the word
This morning you only half followed Yako's rooster story. Now, after the restated version, it's clear.
Sí, ya te ____
Build the line
Build the line
Sorry, I went off on a tangent
,
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Yako just explained that the early construction noise is why you can't sleep. State the conclusion that follows.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
O sea, ___
True or false?
True or false?
You say this line right before giving the same idea in different words.
Sort them
Making or restating a point
Checking or confirming understanding
Say it — make yourself clear
Now you're Justin, explaining why you look so tired. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and say the line.
Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the model. Your recording stays on your device.
- YakoSe te ve cansado, Justin. ¿Qué pasa?You look tired, Justin. What's going on?
- Justin (you)Get to your point: you're barely sleeping.
Get to your point: you're barely sleeping.
A lo que voy es ___
What I'm getting at is ___
0 of 4 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Spanish | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| A lo que voy es ___ | What I'm getting at is ___ | |
| O sea que ___ | So that means ___ | |
| Dicho de otro modo, ___ | Put another way, ___ | |
| ¿Me explico? | Am I making sense? | |
| Sí, ya te entendí | Yes, I've got you | |
| Perdón, me fui por las ramas | Sorry, I went off on a tangent |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want these reformulation lines at hand the next time a conversation slips away? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and keep them handy.
A daily flip through the Yak Cards keeps A lo que voy ready before you need it.
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