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Lesson 224 of 238

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Free Spanish CourseLesson 224 of 238

It fell through in Spanish

Justin had a plan that mattered, but it never got off the ground. He tells Megan what he was going to do, what got in the way, and how that felt.

You'll learn several natural chunks for explaining a plan that fell through without blaming the other person.

Then you'll say when you'll return to the idea, even if the calendar is still uncertain.

By the end of this lesson

Explain a failed plan, its cause, your feelings, and when you'll revisit it.

  • Iba a ___, pero ___I was going to ___, but ___
  • Se me atravesó ______ got in the way
  • Quedó en nadaIt came to nothing
  • Lo retomamos cuando ___We'll pick it up when ___
  • Me sentí mal por esoI felt bad about it
  • No fue por tiIt wasn't about you

Scene — a plan that disappeared

At Café Laurel, Justin tells Megan why a course plan disappeared before it began. Yako has quietly taken the card to keep it safe, while Michael locks an empty tin.

At Café Laurel, Justin explains a vanished course plan to Megan while Yako safeguards a blank card and Michael locks an empty tin.

Learn — plans, obstacles, and feelings

These chunks help you describe an intention, name the obstacle, and acknowledge the emotional cost when a plan disappears.

Notice how the final two lines soften the explanation and protect the relationship.

  1. Justin reaches toward an empty space on the café table where the planned course should have begun, while Megan watches.

    Iba a ___, pero ___

    I was going to ___, but ___

    When to use it: Use this to contrast an intention with what actually prevented it.

    Iba a introduces a plan viewed from the past; learn the whole frame as one piece.

    Say it: Iba sounds like EE-bah, with stress on the first syllable.

  2. Justin points to a blocked path between the café table and the doorway as Megan looks at the obstruction.

    Se me atravesó ___

    ___ got in the way

    When to use it: Say this when an unexpected matter interrupts your plan.

    Literally, something crossed your path; Mexican Spanish uses this conversationally for an obstacle.

  3. Justin holds his empty hands above an open empty tin, showing that the plan produced nothing.

    Quedó en nada

    It came to nothing

    When to use it: Use this when an expected plan or effort produced no result.

    This idiom focuses on the outcome, not necessarily on who caused the failure.

  4. Justin gestures toward a clear future path while Megan looks hopeful beside a neatly folded blank course folder.

    Lo retomamos cuando ___

    We'll pick it up when ___

    When to use it: Say this to postpone an unfinished plan while keeping it alive.

    Retomar suggests returning to something already started or discussed; the following clause gives the condition.

  5. Justin presses one hand to his chest with a remorseful expression as Megan listens quietly.

    Me sentí mal por eso

    I felt bad about it

    When to use it: Use this to admit that the situation affected you emotionally.

    Por eso points back to the event just mentioned, so you do not need to repeat the whole explanation.

  6. Justin extends an open reassuring hand toward Megan, making clear that the failed plan was not her fault.

    No fue por ti

    It wasn't about you

    When to use it: Say this when you want to reassure someone that the problem was not their fault.

    Por ti can mean because of you or directed at you; context makes the reassuring meaning clear.

Story — the course that never started

Justin tells Megan about a course he planned to start, why the plan collapsed, and what he hopes to revisit later.

Yako and Michael add one small mystery at the café. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Megan finds Justin at Café Laurel with an unopened course folder beside him.
  2. Megan¿Qué pasó con el curso que ibas a empezar?What happened with the course you were going to start?
  3. JustinPerdón, no puedo ir. Iba a empezar el curso, pero tuve que cancelar nuestros planes.Sorry, I can't go. I was going to start the course, but I had to cancel our plans.
  4. Megan¿Qué se te atravesó?What got in the way?
  5. JustinSe me atravesó una entrevista de trabajo y ya no pude acomodar las fechas.A job interview got in the way, and I couldn't rearrange the dates.
  6. MeganEntonces, ¿el curso quedó cancelado?So, did the course get canceled?
  7. JustinSí. Quedó en nada, aunque sí me importaba.Yes. It came to nothing, even though it did matter to me.
  8. Megan¿Y cómo te sentiste con eso?And how did you feel about that?
  9. JustinMe sentí mal por eso, pero no fue por ti.I felt bad about it, but it wasn't about you.
  10. MeganYa entendí. ¿Lo vas a intentar después?I understand now. Are you going to try later?
  11. JustinLo retomamos cuando termine el semestre.We'll pick it up when the semester ends.
  12. Yako quietly takes the card from the table to keep it safe. Michael locks an empty tin.
  13. MeganPodemos retomarlo más tarde, cuando tengas tiempo.We can pick it up later, when you have time.
  14. JustinGracias por entender. Esta vez sí quiero terminarlo.Thanks for understanding. This time I really do want to finish it.
  15. MeganNos vemos pronto, entonces.See you soon, then.

Practice — say what happened

You'll identify meanings, match expressions, complete a missing word, and choose replies for a delicate conversation.

The last activities ask you to assemble and use the chunks with more independence.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Iba a ___, pero ___Drop the English here
    Se me atravesó ___Drop the English here
    Quedó en nadaDrop the English here
    Me sentí mal por esoDrop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Tell Megan what you intended to do, then contrast it with having to cancel the plans.

  4. What did you hear?

  5. What does it mean?

    Me sentí mal por eso

  6. Pick the reply

    Megan says:

    ¿Fue por mí que cancelaste el curso?

    Was it because of me that you canceled the course?

    And you reply with:

  7. What do you say?

    You still want to do the course, but only after the semester ends.

  8. Build the line

    It came to nothing

    Tap the words in order.

  9. True or false?

    This earlier expression keeps the possibility of returning to a topic later.

  10. What did you hear?

Say it — explain the change

Now you're Justin, explaining the failed course plan while Megan asks careful follow-up questions.

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

  1. Megan¿Qué ibas a hacer el mes pasado?What were you going to do last month?
  2. Justin (you)Say what you were going to do, then add what stopped it.

    Iba a ___, pero ___

    I was going to ___, but ___

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Iba a ___, pero ___I was going to ___, but ___
Se me atravesó ______ got in the way
Quedó en nadaIt came to nothing
Lo retomamos cuando ___We'll pick it up when ___
Me sentí mal por esoI felt bad about it
No fue por tiIt wasn't about you
Next: lesson 225In your shoes, I'd wait

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these plan-and-obstacle chunks handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

Review one failed-plan explanation today, then say when you'll pick it up again.

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