New here? This is lesson 231 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.
Free Spanish CourseLesson 231 of 238
Sit down, I'll tell you in Spanish
Someone new joins the table, and Justin takes responsibility for making the introduction feel easy rather than formal.
You'll bring Alex into an ongoing story, invite him to sit down, check a detail with Amanda, and postpone the missing part without losing the thread.
The language is warm and conversational, with Mexican Spanish expressions that help a group make room for one more person.
By the end of this lesson
Bring a new person into an ongoing conversation and share the story without taking over.
- Te presento a ___This is ___.
- Siéntate, te platicoSit down, I'll tell you.
- ¿Verdad, Amanda?Right, Amanda?
- Luego te cuento el restoI'll tell you the rest later.
- ¿Tú qué opinas?What do you think?
- Pásale, estás en tu casaCome in, make yourself at home.
Scene — a new chair at the table
Late afternoon at Café Laurel, where Justin, Yako, Amanda, and Michael are already discussing the weekend.
Alex arrives after hearing part of the conversation. There is one chair available, and the story still has one important detail missing.
Learn — bring someone in
These six chunks help you guide a conversation when someone new arrives: introduce them, offer a place, invite an opinion, and promise the rest later.
Notice how the lines keep the story moving without making you sound like its only speaker.
Te presento a ___
This is ___.
When to use it: Use this to introduce one person to someone who already knows you.
Presento means “I introduce,” and a fills the space before a person's name; learn the whole chunk.
Say it: Keep the stress on sen in presento.
Siéntate, te platico
Sit down, I'll tell you.
When to use it: Say this to invite someone to sit while promising to tell them what is happening.
In Mexico, platicar commonly means to chat or tell someone about something in a relaxed, familiar register.
Say it: The stress is on SÍEN-ta-te, and the c in platico sounds like k.
¿Verdad, Amanda?
Right, Amanda?
When to use it: Use this to invite Amanda to confirm or support what you just said.
Verdad literally means “truth,” but here it works as a conversational tag asking for agreement.
Say it: The final d in verdad is soft, almost like a brief th sound.
Luego te cuento el resto
I'll tell you the rest later.
When to use it: Say this when you want to postpone the remaining details without ending the conversation.
Luego can mean later or afterward; here it leaves the timing open rather than promising a precise hour.
Say it: In cuento, keep both vowels clear: KWEHN-toh.
¿Tú qué opinas?
What do you think?
When to use it: Use this to hand the conversation to the other person's opinion.
The tú makes the question direct and familiar; the wording emphasizes the person whose view you want.
Say it: Link tú qué smoothly, then stress the first syllable of opinas.
Pásale, estás en tu casa
Come in, make yourself at home.
When to use it: Say this warmly when welcoming someone into a home-like space.
Pásale is a friendly Mexican invitation to come in; estás en tu casa reassures the guest that they can relax.
Say it: Stress PÁ-sa-le and keep the final e audible.
Story — the short version
Alex has arrived in the middle of a conversation, so Justin makes room instead of restarting the whole story.
Listen for the moments when he introduces Yako, checks with Amanda, and lets Alex ask for more. The highlighted lines are new.
- Late afternoon light falls across the café table as Alex pauses beside the group.
- AlexHola. ¿Hay lugar? No quiero interrumpir.Hi. Is there room? I don't want to interrupt.
MichaelSí, claro. Pásale, estás en tu casa.Yes, of course. Come in, make yourself at home.
JustinTe presento a Yako. Es el de las dos sillas.This is Yako. He's the one with the two chairs.- AlexMucho gusto, Yako.Nice to meet you, Yako.
YakoPásale, estás en tu casa.Come in, make yourself at home.- JustinSiéntate, te platico lo que pasó.Sit down, I'll tell you what happened.
- Justin¿Verdad, Amanda?Right, Amanda?
AmandaSí, aunque te estás saltando una parte.Yes, although you're skipping a part.- JustinEl detalle es que la tarjeta desapareció de la bolsa.The thing is, the card disappeared from the bag.
- Alex¿Y qué hicieron después?And what did you do afterward?
- JustinLuego te cuento el resto; todavía falta esa parte.I'll tell you the rest later; that part is still missing.
- Justin¿Tú qué opinas, Alex? ¿La buscamos otra vez?What do you think, Alex? Should we look for it again?
- AlexSí, pero primero quiero escuchar la versión completa.Yes, but first I want to hear the complete version.
- YakoEntonces sí quieres escuchar el resto.So you do want to hear the rest.
- AmandaPrimero que se siente; luego seguimos.First let him sit down; then we continue.
Practice — include everyone
Practice choosing the right chunk for the social moment, not just translating word by word.
You'll listen, match, spot the odd line, fill a gap, and build complete responses before you tell the story yourself.
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What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Spanish
Te presento a ___Drop the English here¿Verdad, Amanda?Drop the English hereHola.Drop the English here¿Tú qué opinas?Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
Alex has just arrived, and you want to introduce Yako to him.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Luego te cuento el resto
Pick the reply
Amanda says:
Pick the reply
Sí, aunque te estás saltando una parte.
Yes, although you're skipping a part.
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
Amanda confirms that you skipped a part, and you want to ask her to confirm that point.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I'll tell you the rest later.
Luego te cuento el ____
What do you say?
What do you say?
You have explained the situation and now want Alex to give his opinion.
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
Build the line
Build the line
Come in, make yourself at home.
,
Tap the words in order.
Say it — make room in the story
Now you're Justin, and Alex is joining the conversation while Amanda and Yako keep the story grounded.
Tap ▶ to hear each model, then tap the microphone for your turn. Your recording stays on your device.
- AlexHola. ¿Hay lugar?Hi. Is there room?
- Justin (you)Welcome Alex warmly.
Welcome Alex warmly.
Pásale, estás en tu casa
Come in, make yourself at home.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Spanish | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Te presento a ___ | This is ___. | |
| Siéntate, te platico | Sit down, I'll tell you. | |
| ¿Verdad, Amanda? | Right, Amanda? | |
| Luego te cuento el resto | I'll tell you the rest later. | |
| ¿Tú qué opinas? | What do you think? | |
| Pásale, estás en tu casa | Come in, make yourself at home. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these conversation chunks handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
Use the Yak Cards to practice introducing someone, making room, and handing the story back to the group.
Open Yak Cards