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Lesson 150 of 238

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I'm not convinced in Spanish

Someone makes a big claim and you don't quite buy it. This lesson gives you five polite ways to push back in Spanish.

You'll say you're not convinced, wonder out loud whether something is always true, and ask if there might be another way to see it.

All of it happens over coffee at Café Laurel, where Yako has a very strong opinion.

By the end of this lesson

Say you're not convinced and ask if there's another way to see it.

  • No estoy tan convencido de que ___I'm not convinced that ___
  • No estoy del todo de acuerdo con ___I don't quite agree with ___
  • Me pregunto si eso siempre es ciertoI wonder if that's always true
  • ¿Podría haber otra forma de verlo?Could there be another way to see it?
  • Puede que tengas razón, pero ___You may be right, but ___

Scene — the best coffee in the city

Late afternoon at Café Laurel. Michael has a new coffee from Oaxaca and two clean cups.

Yako is already convinced it's the best coffee in the city. Justin is about to be the only skeptic at the table.

Michael presents a new coffee from Oaxaca with two clean cups as Yako leans in eagerly and Justin eyes the cup doubtfully.

Learn — doubt, politely

These five lines soften the blow. You show doubt without saying anyone is wrong.

Two of them are frames, so you'll fill the blank with your own idea each time.

  1. Justin holds up a hand and tilts his head, not yet convinced about the coffee.

    No estoy tan convencido de que ___

    I'm not convinced that ___

    When to use it: Say this when someone's claim doesn't quite persuade you.

    After de que, the verb usually goes in the subjunctive, like sea.

    Say it: Convencido stresses the middle: con-ven-SEE-doh.

  2. Justin shakes his head and disagrees about Yako's claim that it is the best coffee in the city.

    No estoy del todo de acuerdo con ___

    I don't quite agree with ___

    When to use it: Say this for a soft, partial disagreement with an idea.

    Del todo softens it: not totally in agreement, not a flat no.

  3. Justin gazes thoughtfully at the ceiling, wondering if Yako's claim is always true.

    Me pregunto si eso siempre es cierto

    I wonder if that's always true

    When to use it: Say this to question a claim out loud without attacking it.

    Me pregunto literally means I ask myself.

    Say it: Cierto is two syllables: SYEHR-toh.

  4. Justin opens his hands asking whether there could be another way to see it, while Michael looks intrigued.

    ¿Podría haber otra forma de verlo?

    Could there be another way to see it?

    When to use it: Say this to open the door to a different opinion.

    Podría is could in the conditional, softer than puede.

    Say it: Podría keeps its accent: poh-DREE-ah.

  5. Justin nods half-agreeingly at Yako while raising a cautioning finger.

    Puede que tengas razón, pero ___

    You may be right, but ___

    When to use it: Say this to concede a point before adding your own.

    After puede que, use the subjunctive: tengas, not tienes.

Story — a big claim

Watch Justin doubt politely. He never says Yako is wrong; he wonders, asks and concedes.

The highlighted lines are today's five. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Michael sets down a new bag of coffee and three cups.
  2. MichaelPrueba este café, Justin. Es de Oaxaca.Try this coffee, Justin. It's from Oaxaca.
  3. JustinEstá rico, muy rico.It's good, really good.
  4. YakoYo digo que es el mejor café de toda la ciudad.I say it's the best coffee in the whole city.
  5. JustinNo estoy tan convencido de que sea el mejor.I'm not so convinced that it's the best.
  6. Yako¿Por qué? Todos lo dicen.Why? Everyone says so.
  7. JustinMe pregunto si eso siempre es cierto.I wonder if that's always true.
  8. MichaelBueno, en mi caso sí lo dicen.Well, in my case they do say it.
  9. JustinPuede que tengas razón, pero el de Veracruz también es muy bueno.You may be right, but the one from Veracruz is also very good.
  10. Michael¿Ah, sí? ¿Y por qué?Oh, yeah? And why?
  11. JustinNo estoy del todo de acuerdo con esa idea de que solo hay un buen café.I don't quite agree with that idea that there's only one good coffee.
  12. Yako¿Podría haber otra forma de verlo?Could there be another way to see it?
  13. JustinSí: cada café para su momento.Yes: each coffee for its moment.
  14. MichaelEs cierto, pero por la mañana gana el de Oaxaca.That's true, but in the morning the Oaxaca one wins.
  15. Yako drains his cup with great ceremony.
  16. YakoYo solo pasaba, pero ese aroma sí convence.I was just passing through, but that aroma does convince.

Practice — push back with care

Ten exercises are waiting: listen, match, sort and build your doubting lines.

You'll also bring back two 'but' lines from last lesson, so the contrast sticks.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    No estoy tan convencido de que ___Drop the English here
    Me pregunto si eso siempre es ciertoDrop the English here
    Puede que tengas razón, pero ___Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Yako says this café is the best in the whole city. You doubt it — say you're not so convinced.

  4. Fill the gap

    Could there be another way to see it?

    ¿Podría haber ____ forma de verlo?

  5. Sort them

    Concedes a point, then adds a but

    Shows doubt or wonder

    Drag each line into its group, or tap a line and then a group.

  6. Find the mistake

  7. What does it mean?

    Es cierto, pero ___

  8. What did you hear?

  9. True or false?

    This line asks whether there might be a different way to look at something.

  10. Build the line

    I wonder if that's always true

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — your turn to doubt

Now you're Justin, and the table is waiting for your opinion. Tap the microphone when it's your turn.

Tap ▶ first to hear the model line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. MichaelPrueba el nuevo café, Justin.Try the new coffee, Justin.
  2. YakoEs el mejor de toda la ciudad.It's the best in the whole city.
  3. Justin (you)Say you're not so convinced it's the best one.

    No estoy tan convencido de que ___

    I'm not convinced that ___

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
No estoy tan convencido de que ___I'm not convinced that ___
No estoy del todo de acuerdo con ___I don't quite agree with ___
Me pregunto si eso siempre es ciertoI wonder if that's always true
¿Podría haber otra forma de verlo?Could there be another way to see it?
Puede que tengas razón, pero ___You may be right, but ___
Next: lesson 151Because

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these polite doubts handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A daily round with the Yak Cards keeps your not-convinced lines ready when a big claim lands.

Open Yak Cards