Local services and shops
Servicios y tiendas locales
- Know the names of local services and shops.
- Discuss what you find in the shopping center.
- The conjunctions: "Ni... Ni...", "Así Como"
Learn how to talk naturally about local shops and services in Spanish using the conjunctions "Ni... ni..." and "Así como." Practice common vocabulary for shops like the pharmacy, bakery, and fruit store, and master simple past verb forms to describe your activities. Improve your ability to express negations and additions in conversations about a neighborhood’s offerings and make your speech more fluent and authentic.
Vocabulary (21) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
El panadero
The baker
2
Bonito
Nice
3
La tienda de decoración
The home decor store
4
La carnicería
The butcher's
5
El centro comercial
The shopping centre
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ayer ______ medio kilo de fruta en la frutería del centro comercial.
(Yesterday ______ half a kilo of fruit at the shopping mall's fruit store.)2. El dependiente ______ la tienda a las nueve de la mañana.
(The clerk ______ the store at nine in the morning.)3. Si tuviera tiempo, ______ de tiendas así como al estanco para comprar tabaco.
(If I had time, ______ shopping as well as to the tobacco shop to buy tobacco.)4. El cliente ______ los cien gramos de queso que compró ayer.
(The customer ______ the hundred grams of cheese that he bought yesterday.)Exercise 4: An afternoon at the mall
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Abrir - Open
Pretérito indefinido
- yo abrí
- tú abriste
- él/ella/usted abrió
- nosotros/nosotras abrimos
- vosotros/vosotras abristeis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes abrieron
Comprar - Buy
Pretérito indefinido
- yo compré
- tú compraste
- él/ella/usted compró
- nosotros/nosotras compramos
- vosotros/vosotras comprasteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes compraron
Devolver - Return
Pretérito indefinido
- yo devolví
- tú devolviste
- él/ella/usted devolvió
- nosotros/nosotras devolvimos
- vosotros/vosotras devolvisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes devolvieron
Hacer - Do
Pretérito indefinido
- yo hice
- tú hiciste
- él/ella/usted hizo
- nosotros/nosotras hicimos
- vosotros/vosotras hicisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes hicieron
Exercise 5: Las conjunciones: "Ni... Ni...", "Así Como"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The conjunctions: "Ni... Ni...", "Así Como"
Show translation Show answersNi, así como, ni
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.35.1 Gramática
Las conjunciones: "Ni... Ni...", "Así Como"
The conjunctions: "Ni... Ni...", "Así Como"
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Abrir to open Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) abrí | I opened |
| (tú) abriste | You opened |
| (él/ella) abrió | he/she opened |
| (nosotros/nosotras) abrimos | we opened |
| (vosotros/vosotras) abristeis | you opened |
| (ellos/ellas) abrieron | they opened |
Comprar to buy Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) compré | I bought |
| (tú) compraste | You bought |
| (él/ella) compró | he/she bought |
| (nosotros/nosotras) compramos | we bought |
| (vosotros/vosotras) comprasteis | You bought |
| (ellos/ellas) compraron | they bought |
Devolver to return Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) devolví | I returned |
| (tú) devolviste | You returned |
| (él/ella) devolvió | he/she returned |
| (nosotros/nosotras) devolvimos | we returned |
| (vosotros/vosotras) devolvisteis | You returned |
| (ellos/ellas) devolvieron | they returned |
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Welcome to the Lesson on Local Services and Shops
This lesson is designed for A2 level Spanish learners who want to practice everyday conversation about local services, shops, and shopping scenarios. You will learn how to use the conjunctions "Ni... ni..." (neither... nor...) and "Así como" (as well as) in context, which are essential connectors for expressing negations and additions in Spanish.
What You Will Learn
- How to speak about places you visit in a shopping center, like the bookstore (librería), pharmacy (farmacia), shoe store (zapatería), and clothing store (tienda de ropa).
- How to express negations using "ni... ni...", for example: "No hay ni quiosco ni peluquería" (There is neither a kiosk nor a hairdresser).
- How to add information smoothly with "Así como", for example: "Visito la óptica así como el supermercado" (I visit the optical shop as well as the supermarket).
- Discuss buying fruit and meat at the fruit store (frutería) and butcher's shop (carnicería), using useful vocabulary for common products like manzanas (apples), peras (pears), pollo (chicken), and ternera (beef).
- How to ask for local services like banks, post offices, libraries, pharmacies, and wellness centers, and describe what is and isn’t available in a neighborhood.
Key Grammar Focus
The lesson focuses on practicing verb conjugations in the simple past tense (Pret ertito indefinido), important for talking about completed actions such as compré (I bought), abrí (I opened), and devolvió (he/she returned). You will also review related verbs and build short dialogues simulating real-life situations.
Practical Tips
In English, the double negation with "neither... nor..." is similar to Spanish "ni... ni..." but Spanish often uses double negatives more freely. The phrase "Así como" can be translated as "as well as," which helps to add equal emphasis when mentioning multiple items or places.
Useful phrases include: "No hay ni banco ni correos" (There is neither a bank nor a post office), and "Voy a la tienda así como a la cafetería" (I’m going to the shop as well as the café).
By mastering these structures, you will be able to talk naturally about everyday shopping, services, and local amenities, enhancing your conversational skills and cultural understanding.
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