Spanish course

Lesson 236 of 238

New here? This is lesson 236 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.

Start hereHow this works

Free Spanish CourseLesson 236 of 238

I can promise this in Spanish

Yako has learned not to promise more than he can deliver. Today, he makes a careful deal with Justin and Michael at Café Laurel.

You'll practice conditions, limits, and a clear fallback when plans get complicated.

The useful skill is saying exactly what you can do—and no more.

By the end of this lesson

Make clear promises by stating conditions, limits, and fallback plans.

  • Si ___, lo hagoIf ___, I'll do it
  • No te puedo prometer ___I can't promise ___
  • Lo que sí puedo es ___What I can do is ___
  • Quedamos así, entoncesSo that's what we're agreeing
  • Si se complica, te avisoIf it gets messy, I'll tell you
  • Cuenta con esa parteYou can count on that part

Scene — a careful deal

Late afternoon at Café Laurel, after Justin and Yako have reviewed the last line together. Yako still has the mysterious item he took to keep safe.

Michael has locked an empty tin nearby, and everyone is trying to settle exactly what happens next without making promises they can't keep.

Justin, Michael, and Amanda calmly work out the next step at Café Laurel while an empty locked tin and a mysterious covered item remain nearby.

Learn — promises with conditions

These six chunks help you promise responsibly: state the condition, name your limit, and offer the part you can actually handle.

They also give you natural ways to confirm the agreement and warn people if the plan changes.

  1. Justin offers to hand over the mysterious item while indicating that he will do so after a condition is met.

    Si ___, lo hago

    If ___, I'll do it

    When to use it: Use this to promise an action that depends on a stated condition.

    The condition comes first, and lo hago means I'll do it.

    Say it: Stress si and HA-go; keep the condition flowing before the pause.

  2. Michael holds both palms up beside the locked empty tin to show that he cannot guarantee an uncertain outcome.

    No te puedo prometer ___

    I can't promise ___

    When to use it: Use this to set an honest limit on what you can guarantee.

    Te marks the person receiving the promise; learn the whole chunk as one useful piece.

    Say it: Stress PWEH-do and pro-me-TER; the final r is light.

  3. Amanda turns a coat inside out and empties its pockets onto the café table as the practical action she can guarantee.

    Lo que sí puedo es ___

    What I can do is ___

    When to use it: Use this to replace an uncertain promise with a specific action you can deliver.

    Sí adds contrast: this is the part you can do, even if something else is uncertain.

    Say it: Keep lo que together, then stress sí and PWEH-do.

  4. Justin brings the group to a clear agreement as Michael and Amanda confirm the arrangement with attentive gestures.

    Quedamos así, entonces

    So that's what we're agreeing

    When to use it: Use this to confirm that everyone accepts the arrangement just discussed.

    Quedamos literally says we settle; here it confirms a mutual arrangement in a conversational register.

    Say it: Stress sí in así, and pronounce the final s in entonces softly.

  5. Michael points to a small tangled cord on the table and raises one finger toward Justin, indicating he will alert him if the situation becomes complicated.

    Si se complica, te aviso

    If it gets messy, I'll tell you

    When to use it: Use this to promise communication if the situation becomes difficult or changes.

    Complicarse means to become complicated; se marks this pronominal verb.

    Say it: Stress PLI in complica and A in aviso.

  6. Amanda confidently holds up one secured portion of the plan while Justin watches, showing that this specific part can be relied upon.

    Cuenta con esa parte

    You can count on that part

    When to use it: Use this to guarantee one specific part of a larger plan.

    This is reassuring but narrower than Cuenta conmigo; it guarantees the named part, not everything.

    Say it: Stress CUEN-ta and PAR-te; con stays short.

Story — only what Yako can do

Watch how Yako makes a deal without pretending he can guarantee everything. The highlighted chunks show conditions, limits, and the part he can promise.

The mysterious item stays safe and unexplained. Turn on Show English whenever you need a check.

  1. Late afternoon. Michael has placed a locked, empty tin beside the coffee cups.
  2. Michael¿Qué puedes hacer hoy?What can you do today?
  3. YakoSi lees la última línea conmigo, lo hago.If you read the last line with me, I'll do it.
  4. Justin¿Y después me entregas lo que guardaste?And afterward, will you hand over what you stored?
  5. YakoSí, esa es la idea.Yes, that's the idea.
  6. Michael¿Puedes prometer que llegaste a tiempo?Can you promise that you arrived on time?
  7. YakoNo te puedo prometer que llegué a tiempo.I can't promise that I arrived on time.
  8. JustinEntonces, ¿qué sí puedes garantizar?Then what can you guarantee?
  9. YakoLo que sí puedo es vaciar este abrigo.What I can do is empty this coat.
  10. MichaelEso sí es una tarea concreta.That is a concrete task.
  11. YakoQuedamos así, entonces.So that's what we're agreeing.
  12. Justin¿Y si se complica algo?And what if something gets complicated?
  13. YakoSi se complica, te aviso. Lo digo en serio.If it gets messy, I'll tell you. I mean that.
  14. Michael¿Podemos contar con esa parte?Can we count on that part?
  15. YakoCuenta con esa parte. No lo juraría sobre lo demás.You can count on that part. I wouldn't swear to the rest.
  16. JustinEstá bien; así queda claro.All right; that makes it clear.
  17. YakoCuenta conmigo para leer la última línea.You can count on me to read the last line.
  18. Michael checks the tin's lock. It is still empty, and Yako keeps the other item safely out of sight.

Practice — make the deal clear

You'll listen for distinctions, match promises to meanings, and build a short deal one piece at a time.

Read every condition carefully: the condition is part of the promise, not an optional detail.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    No lo juraríaDrop the English here
    Lo digo en serioDrop the English here
    Cuenta conmigoDrop the English here
    Quedamos así, entoncesDrop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You can only promise to empty the coat, not to guarantee that Yako arrived on time.

  4. Fill the gap

    So that's what we're agreeing

    Quedamos ____, entonces

  5. What did you hear?

  6. What does it mean?

    Si se complica, te aviso

  7. True or false?

    This line sets a limit instead of guaranteeing the thing that follows.

  8. What do you say?

    Everyone has agreed on the condition and the exact action, so you confirm the arrangement.

  9. Pick the reply

    Michael says:

    ¿Podemos contar con esa parte?

    Can we count on that part?

    And you reply with:

  10. What did you hear?

Say it — promise precisely

Now take Justin's role in a careful conversation with Yako and Michael. State the condition, limit the promise, and confirm the deal.

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

  1. Michael¿Qué puedes hacer hoy?What can you do today?
  2. Justin (you)Promise to do it if he reads the last line with you.

    Si ___, lo hago

    If ___, I'll do it

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Si ___, lo hagoIf ___, I'll do it
No te puedo prometer ___I can't promise ___
Lo que sí puedo es ___What I can do is ___
Quedamos así, entoncesSo that's what we're agreeing
Si se complica, te avisoIf it gets messy, I'll tell you
Cuenta con esa parteYou can count on that part
Next: lesson 237When I first got here

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to review these careful promises anywhere? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson.

Use the cards to practice promising the condition, the limit, and the part you can guarantee.

Open Yak Cards