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Lesson 214 of 238

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Free Spanish CourseLesson 214 of 238

I want this fixed in Spanish

Justin is at the front desk of his building with a broken lamp and a calm plan.

This is the fuller version of a complaint: explain what happened, say exactly what you need, name a date, and thank the people helping.

You'll do all of that with usted, without raising your voice.

By the end of this lesson

Make a calm complaint and name the outcome you want.

  • Quiero explicar lo que pasóI want to explain what happened
  • Lo que necesito es ___What I need is ___
  • Espero una solución para ___I'm hoping for a fix by ___
  • Agradezco que lo veanI appreciate the staff looking at it
  • No busco peleaI'm not looking for a fight
  • Quedo al pendienteI'll wait to hear

Scene — the front desk

The lobby of Justin's building, mid-morning. Behind the front desk there's a shelf of parcels, and the clerk keeps a careful log of every box that arrives.

Justin walks up holding a battered cardboard box with a lamp inside, or what's left of one.

Justin stands at a building lobby front desk holding a battered cardboard box while a uniformed clerk looks at it.

Learn — explain, ask, stay calm

Six lines build one calm complaint: open the story, state the one thing you need, give a deadline, thank, keep it friendly, and close by staying in touch.

Two of them have a blank you'll fill with your own words.

  1. Justin holds up the damaged box open toward the clerk, gesturing with his other hand as he explains.

    Quiero explicar lo que pasó

    I want to explain what happened

    When to use it: Open a complaint with this when you'd rather tell the story calmly than accuse anyone.

    Lo que pasó packs "what happened" into one chunk; the whole line is past-tense storytelling, not blame.

    Say it: PAS-oh: the accent on pasó marks the past tense.

  2. Justin points firmly at the broken lamp with one finger, stating clearly what he needs.

    Lo que necesito es ___

    What I need is ___

    When to use it: Say this to put one clear demand at the center: a refund, a repair, a new part.

    This is a cleft: "lo que necesito es" spotlights exactly one thing, so it sounds firm without sounding rude.

  3. Justin taps the edge of the desk, hopeful expression, asking for a timely fix.

    Espero una solución para ___

    I'm hoping for a fix by ___

    When to use it: Give the other side a deadline with this, politely: name a day or a date in the blank.

    Para works like "by" here: una solución para el viernes means a fix by Friday.

  4. Justin places a grateful hand on his chest, thanking the clerk warmly.

    Agradezco que lo vean

    I appreciate the staff looking at it

    When to use it: Thank the staff for taking on the case while the outcome is still pending.

    Vean is the ustedes subjunctive; here it refers to the people at the courier company, after agradezco que.

    Say it: ah-grah-DEHS-koh, with the stress on DEHS.

  5. Justin holds both palms open in a calm, peaceful gesture toward the clerk.

    No busco pelea

    I'm not looking for a fight

    When to use it: Drop this in when the other person tenses up; it resets the tone in one short line.

    Pelea is a fight or quarrel; buscar here is "to be after," so the line means you didn't come to argue.

  6. Justin gives a thumbs-up as he turns toward the door, ready to wait for news.

    Quedo al pendiente

    I'll wait to hear

    When to use it: Close a complaint with this: you're staying on the case until they get back to you.

    Very Mexican office Spanish: quedar al pendiente means to keep an eye on it and follow up.

Story — a broken lamp

Watch Justin work the front desk: he tells the story first, then names the fix he wants, and never raises his voice.

The highlighted lines are today's six. Turn on Show English if a turn gets long.

  1. Mid-morning in the lobby. Justin sets a battered box on the counter.
  2. JustinBuenos días. Quiero explicar lo que pasó.Good morning. I want to explain what happened.
  3. RecepcionistaBuenos días, pase, con gusto. Dígame.Good morning, go ahead, gladly. Tell me.
  4. JustinDejé aquí un paquete la semana pasada. Hoy lo abrí y la lámpara venía rota.I left a package here last week. Today I opened it and the lamp was broken.
  5. Recepcionista¿La lámpara? A ver… aquí dice que llegó en buen estado.The lamp? Let me see… it says here it arrived in good condition.
  6. JustinLa caja venía abierta. Esto no es lo que pedí, y no busco pelea.The box came open. This isn't what I asked for, and I'm not looking for a fight.
  7. RecepcionistaNo, claro. Nadie dice que usted mienta.No, of course not. Nobody's saying you're lying.
  8. JustinLo que necesito es un reembolso. Puedo mostrar fotos.What I need is a refund. I can show photos.
  9. RecepcionistaLas fotos ayudan. Se las mando a la paquetería hoy mismo.The photos help. I'll send them to the courier today.
  10. JustinAgradezco que lo vean. De verdad.I appreciate the people at the courier company looking at it. Really.
  11. RecepcionistaEs mi trabajo. A ver qué responden.It's my job. Let's see what they say.
  12. The clerk types. Behind her, the parcel shelf sags under a tower of boxes.
  13. Justin¿Y si la paquetería dice que no?And if the courier says no?
  14. RecepcionistaEntonces hablamos con el administrador del edificio.Then we talk to the building manager.
  15. JustinBien. Espero una solución para el viernes, si se puede.Good. I'm hoping for a fix by Friday, if possible.
  16. RecepcionistaLe aviso antes del viernes, palabra.I'll let you know before Friday, word of honor.
  17. JustinPerfecto. Quedo al pendiente.Perfect. I'll wait to hear.
  18. RecepcionistaY disculpe la demora. Gracias por su paciencia.And sorry for the delay. Thank you for your patience.
  19. JustinCon eso está bien.That'll do.

Practice — name the fix

Ten exercises cover every line: listening, matching, replying, filling a blank, and putting a whole desk conversation in order.

The order one is the real test, so save it for when you feel ready.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Quiero explicar lo que pasóDrop the English here
    Quedo al pendienteDrop the English here
    Esto no es lo que pedíDrop the English here
    Gracias por resolverloDrop the English here
    Con eso está bienDrop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You're at your building's front desk with a broken lamp. The clerk asks how she can help, and you want to tell the story first.

  4. Pick the reply

    Recepcionista says:

    Déjeme revisarlo con la paquetería y le aviso.

    Let me check with the courier and I'll get back to you.

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    I appreciate the staff looking at it

    Agradezco que lo ____

  6. Put the chat in order

    1. JustinWhat comes first?
    2. Recepcionista…
    3. Justin…
    4. Recepcionista…
    5. Justin…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  7. Swap the word

    The clerk looks tense, as if you came to argue. Calmly tell her you're not looking for a fight.

    No busco ____

  8. True or false?

    This line means the matter is closed and you'll forget about it.

  9. What do you say?

    You've told your story at the desk and the clerk is on your side. It's time to name the one thing you want: your money back.

  10. Build the line

    I want to explain what happened

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — your turn at the desk

Now you're Justin at the front desk. 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.

  1. Justin (you)Open by saying you want to explain what happened.

    Quiero explicar lo que pasó

    I want to explain what happened

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Quiero explicar lo que pasóI want to explain what happened
Lo que necesito es ___What I need is ___
Espero una solución para ___I'm hoping for a fix by ___
Agradezco que lo veanI appreciate the staff looking at it
No busco peleaI'm not looking for a fight
Quedo al pendienteI'll wait to hear
Next: lesson 215The interview

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want these complaint lines in your pocket? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and keep your calm front-desk Spanish sharp.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the whole complaint flow ready: explain, ask, thank, wait.

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