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Lesson 219 of 238

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Free Spanish CourseLesson 219 of 238

Back home we in Spanish

Justin has been in Mexico City long enough to notice differences without turning them into competitions.

Today, he explains what food times were like back home, what surprised him here, and how his habits have changed.

You'll learn to compare experiences calmly: different doesn't automatically mean better or worse.

By the end of this lesson

Compare customs from home and Mexico without ranking either one.

  • En mi país, ___Where I'm from, ___
  • Aquí es distintoIt's different here
  • Me costó acostumbrarme a ___It took me a while to get used to ___
  • Ya me acostumbréI'm used to it now
  • No es mejor ni peorIt's not better or worse
  • ¿A ti qué te chocó al principio?What threw you at first?

Scene — a familiar difference

Late afternoon at Café Laurel. Justin, Michael, and Yako are comparing everyday routines while a small plate of food waits on the table.

Justin mentions that dinner time and paying at cafés felt unfamiliar when he first arrived, but neither custom is automatically better.

Justin, Michael, and Yako compare dinner and café payment routines around a small plate of food at an outdoor table at Café Laurel.

Learn — compare without ranking

These chunks help you describe a difference, name the adjustment it required, and ask someone what surprised them at first.

The goal is comparison, not judgment.

  1. Justin points toward the small plate and gestures toward himself to contrast customs in his home country.

    En mi país, ___

    Where I'm from, ___

    When to use it: Use this to introduce a custom or experience from your home country before describing it.

    It frames your comment as personal background, not a claim that every place follows the same rule.

  2. Michael presents two contrasting hand gestures to emphasize that the local routine is different.

    Aquí es distinto

    It's different here

    When to use it: Say this to mark a local difference without implying that the local way is worse.

    Distinto is a neutral alternative to diferente and agrees with the implied situation, not a person.

  3. Justin looks thoughtful and traces a slow adjustment gesture beside the plate and payment tray, showing that adapting took time.

    Me costó acostumbrarme a ___

    It took me a while to get used to ___

    When to use it: Use this for a past adjustment that required time, followed by the thing or habit you had to adapt to.

    Me costó literally means it cost me; acostumbrarme presents getting used to something as the adjustment.

  4. Michael now appears comfortable, relaxed beside the table and making an easy familiar gesture toward the café routine.

    Ya me acostumbré

    I'm used to it now

    When to use it: Say this when a routine that once felt unfamiliar has become normal for you.

    Ya signals that the adjustment is complete; the unstated object is clear from the conversation.

  5. Yako makes a balanced side-to-side gesture, conveying that neither custom is better or worse.

    No es mejor ni peor

    It's not better or worse

    When to use it: Use this to make clear that a difference is descriptive rather than a ranking.

    The pair mejor ni peor balances both judgments, so it sounds measured rather than evasive.

  6. Michael turns toward Justin with an inviting questioning gesture about what surprised him at first.

    ¿A ti qué te chocó al principio?

    What threw you at first?

    When to use it: Ask someone which local habit or situation felt surprising when they first arrived.

    Chocar is conversational here: it means to strike you as odd or unfamiliar, not to collide physically.

Story — food times and payment

At Café Laurel, Justin explains two small differences he noticed after arriving in Mexico City: when people eat and how they settle the bill.

Listen for the difference between describing an old adjustment and saying that it feels normal now.

  1. The afternoon light is fading, but the table still has a plate of food between two coffee cups.
  2. JustinEn mi país, cenábamos más temprano.Where I'm from, we ate dinner earlier.
  3. JustinAquí es distinto; la cena puede empezar más tarde.It's different here; dinner can start later.
  4. Yako¿Te costó acostumbrarte a esos horarios?Did it take you a while to get used to those schedules?
  5. JustinMe costó acostumbrarme a cenar tan tarde.It took me a while to get used to eating dinner so late.
  6. Michael¿Y ahora todavía te parece raro?And does it still seem strange to you now?
  7. JustinNo, ya me acostumbré.No, I'm used to it now.
  8. Yako¿Y pagar la cuenta también fue distinto?And was paying the bill different too?
  9. JustinEn mi país, cada quien pagaba lo suyo con tarjeta.Where I'm from, everyone paid their own share by card.
  10. JustinAquí se acostumbra hacerlo de otra manera.Here people usually do it another way.
  11. Michael¿Y en tu país?And where you're from?
  12. JustinNo es mejor ni peor; solamente es diferente.It's not better or worse; it's simply different.
  13. MichaelNo es tan simple; depende de la situación.It isn't that simple; it depends on the situation.
  14. Yako¿A ti qué te chocó al principio?What threw you at first?
  15. JustinMe chocó no saber si pagábamos juntos o por separado.What threw me was not knowing whether we paid together or separately.
  16. Michael¿Y ahora ya sabes qué hacer?And now do you know what to do?
  17. JustinSí, pregunto y listo. No es mejor ni peor.Yes, I ask and that's it. It's not better or worse.

Practice — explain the difference

You'll identify meanings, fill precise gaps, swap details, and build complete responses.

Read the situation carefully: each choice depends on whether you're describing the past or your current routine.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    En mi país, ___Drop the English here
    Aquí es distintoDrop the English here
    Ya me acostumbréDrop the English here

    English

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

  3. What did you hear?

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm used to it now

    Ya me ____

  5. What do you say?

    Someone compares payment customs and you want to say neither way is superior.

  6. What does it mean?

    ¿Y en tu país?

  7. True or false?

    This question asks what surprised someone when they first arrived.

  8. Build the line

    It's different here

    Tap the words in order.

  9. Pick the reply

    Yako says:

    ¿A ti qué te chocó al principio?

    What threw you at first?

    And you reply with:

  10. What did you hear?

  11. What did you hear?

Say it — talk about home

Now you're Justin, talking with Michael and Yako about routines that felt different after you arrived.

Tap the microphone for each learner turn, and tap ▶ to hear the model line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Michael¿A qué hora cenabas en Chicago?What time did you have dinner in Chicago?
  2. Justin (you)Say when people used to have dinner where you're from.

    En mi país, ___

    Where I'm from, ___

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
En mi país, ___Where I'm from, ___
Aquí es distintoIt's different here
Me costó acostumbrarme a ___It took me a while to get used to ___
Ya me acostumbréI'm used to it now
No es mejor ni peorIt's not better or worse
¿A ti qué te chocó al principio?What threw you at first?
Next: lesson 220The paperwork

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to review these comparison chunks away from the lesson? Grab the Yak Cards for quick practice.

Use one card to describe home, one to describe here, and one to say that neither way is better.

Open Yak Cards