A1.35: Housing and accommodation

Vivienda y alojamiento

This lesson covers housing vocabulary such as el apartamento, el dúplex, and el casero, and essential verbs like alquilar, firmar, and reservar to help you discuss renting and accommodation in Spanish at an A1 level.

Listening & reading materials

Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.

A1.35.1 Lectura

Buscando piso

Looking for a flat


Vocabulary (15)

 La casa: The house (Spanish)

La casa

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The house Show

 La habitación: The room (Spanish)

La habitación

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The room Show

 El apartamento: the flat (Spanish)

El apartamento

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The flat Show

 El hotel: The hotel (Spanish)

El hotel

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The hotel Show

 La villa: the villa (Spanish)

La villa

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The villa Show

 El dúplex: The duplex (Spanish)

El dúplex

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The duplex Show

 El loft: the loft (Spanish)

El loft

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The loft Show

 La urbanización: The housing estate (Spanish)

La urbanización

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The housing estate Show

 Reservar (to reserve) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Reservar

Show

To reserve Show

 Alquilar (to rent) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Alquilar

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To rent Show

 Compartir (to share) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Compartir

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To share Show

 Firmar (to sign) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Firmar

Show

To sign Show

 La hipoteca: the mortgage (Spanish)

La hipoteca

Show

The mortgage Show

 El casero: the landlord (Spanish)

El casero

Show

The landlord Show

 El propietario: the landlord (Spanish)

El propietario

Show

The landlord Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercise 1: Reorder sentences

Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.

Show answers
1.
la urbanización? | un apartamento | cerca de | ¿Quieres alquilar
¿Quieres alquilar un apartamento cerca de la urbanización?
(Do you want to rent an apartment near the residential area?)
2.
contrato y | No quiero | pagar la | tampoco quiero | hipoteca ahora. | firmar el
No quiero firmar el contrato y tampoco quiero pagar la hipoteca ahora.
(I don't want to sign the contract and I also don't want to pay the mortgage now.)
3.
juntos. | Compartimos la | el loft | también vamos | a reservar | habitación y
Compartimos la habitación y también vamos a reservar el loft juntos.
(We share the room and we are also going to book the loft together.)
4.
casa. | problemas de la | ayuda con los | amable porque nos | El casero es
El casero es amable porque nos ayuda con los problemas de la casa.
(The landlord is kind because he helps us with the house problems.)
5.
económico. | parador más | es muy | cara, entonces | prefiero un | La villa
La villa es muy cara, entonces prefiero un parador más económico.
(The villa is very expensive, so I prefer a more economical inn.)
6.
un hotel | porque prefiero | No quiero | tranquila. | una casa | vivir en
No quiero vivir en un hotel porque prefiero una casa tranquila.
(I don't want to live in a hotel because I prefer a quiet house.)

Exercise 2: Match a word

Instruction: Match the translations

Quiero alquilar un apartamento porque está cerca del centro. (I want to rent an apartment because it is near the center.)
El casero dijo que podemos firmar el contrato mañana por la tarde. (The landlord said we can sign the contract tomorrow afternoon.)
No quiero reservar el loft y tampoco quiero compartir la casa. (I don't want to book the loft and I also don't want to share the house.)
Compartimos la habitación y también alquilamos un dúplex juntos. (We share the room and we also rent a duplex together.)

Exercise 3: Cluster the words

Instruction: Classify the following words into two categories: types of accommodation and people or actions related to renting.

Tipos de alojamiento

Personas o acciones relacionadas con el alquiler

Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.

1

La habitación


The room

2

El casero


The landlord

3

Reservar


To reserve

4

Alquilar


To rent

5

La hipoteca


The mortgage

Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise

Instrucción:

  1. Talk to the real estate agent. What kind of accomodation do you want to rent? (Talk to the real estate agent. What kind of accomodation do you want to rent? )
  2. Name and describe the types of accomodations in the pictures. Think about the prices. (Name and describe the types of accomodations in the pictures. Think about the prices. )

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Example phrases:

¿Puedo alquilar la villa para el fin de semana? Es muy grande y tiene una piscina bonita.

Can I rent the villa for the weekend? It is very big with a nice pool.

Quiero alquilar una habitación en este hotel por dos meses.

I want to rent a room in this hotel for two months.

Creo que el alquiler es demasiado caro.

I think the rent is too expensive.

Prefiero alquilar una habitación compartida porque es más barata.

I prefer to rent a shared room because it is cheaper.

Me gusta vivir con más gente. Así que quiero compartir un piso, pero quiero una habitación individual.

I like to live with more people. So I want to share an appartment but I want a single room.

Estoy buscando una casa para alquilar junto a mi pareja.

I am looking for a house to rent together with my partner.

...

Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

Exercise 7: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Quiero ___ un apartamento en la ciudad porque está cerca de mi trabajo.

(I want to ___ an apartment in the city because it is close to my work.)

2. Entonces ___ un dúplex con dos habitaciones y un balcón.

(So I ___ a duplex with two bedrooms and a balcony.)

3. También ___ el contrato con el casero para reservar la vivienda.

(I also ___ the contract with the landlord to reserve the housing.)

4. Porque necesito un lugar tranquilo, no ___ en el centro de la ciudad.

(Because I need a quiet place, I don’t ___ in the city center.)

Exercise 8: Looking for housing to rent in the city

Instruction:

Hola, soy Laura y (Buscar - Presente) un apartamento para alquilar en la ciudad. Mi esposo y yo (Querer - Presente) vivir cerca del trabajo porque es más cómodo. Entonces, hoy (Llamar - Presente) al casero de un dúplex que me gusta mucho. Él me dice que también (Reservar - Presente) para el próximo mes. Nosotros (Firmar - Presente) el contrato esta tarde porque tenemos que organizar todo rápido. Además, mi hijo quiere un pequeño jardín para sus plantas, entonces el dúplex es perfecto para nuestra familia.


Hello, I am Laura and I am looking for an apartment to rent in the city. My husband and I want to live close to work because it is more comfortable. So, today I call the landlord of a duplex that I like a lot. He tells me that he also reserves for next month. We sign the contract this afternoon because we have to organize everything quickly. Also, my son wants a small garden for his plants, so the duplex is perfect for our family.

Verb Tables

Buscar - Buscar

Presente

  • yo busco
  • tú buscas
  • él/ella/usted busca
  • nosotros/nosotras buscamos
  • vosotros/vosotras buscáis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes buscan

Querer - Querer

Presente

  • yo quiero
  • tú quieres
  • él/ella/usted quiere
  • nosotros/nosotras queremos
  • vosotros/vosotras queréis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes quieren

Llamar - Llamar

Presente

  • yo llamo
  • tú llamas
  • él/ella/usted llama
  • nosotros/nosotras llamamos
  • vosotros/vosotras llamáis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes llaman

Reservar - Reservar

Presente

  • yo reservo
  • tú reservas
  • él/ella/usted reserva
  • nosotros/nosotras reservamos
  • vosotros/vosotras reserváis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes reservan

Firmar - Firmar

Presente

  • yo firmo
  • tú firmas
  • él/ella/usted firma
  • nosotros/nosotras firmamos
  • vosotros/vosotras firmáis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes firman

Exercise 9: Conectores: "Entonces, porque, también, tampoco"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Grammar: Connectors: "Entonces, porque, también, tampoco"

Show translation Show answers

también, tampoco, porque, Porque, entonces

1.
Quiero visitar la villa y ... quiero ver el dúplex.
(I want to visit the villa and I also want to see the duplex.)
2.
Reservamos la habitación, ... no tenemos que alquilar el apartamento.
(We reserved the room, so we don't have to rent the flat.)
3.
No voy a reservar el hotel y ... voy a alquilar la villa.
(I am not going to book the hotel and I am not going to rent the villa either.)
4.
Nos gusta el loft, ... vamos a reservarlo.
(We like the loft, so we are going to book it.)
5.
No voy a alquilar la casa, ... quiero reservar el hotel.
(I'm not going to rent the house, I don't want to book the hotel either.)
6.
... la urbanización es tranquila, decidimos alquilar la villa.
(Because the neighbourhood is quiet, we decided to rent the villa.)
7.
No vamos a alquilar la habitación ni ... el loft.
(We are not going to rent the room nor the loft either.)
8.
Quiero compartir el dúplex ... me gusta mucho.
(I want to share the duplex because I like it a lot.)

Grammar

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A1.35.2 Gramática

Conectores: "Entonces, porque, también, tampoco"

Connectors: "Entonces, porque, también, tampoco"


Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

Alquilar to rent

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) alquilo I rent
(tú) alquilas You rent
(él/ella) alquila he/she rents
(nosotros/nosotras) alquilamos we rent
(vosotros/vosotras) alquiláis You rent
(ellos/ellas) alquilan they rent

Exercises and examples phrases

Reservar to reserve

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) reservo I reserve
(tú) reservas You reserve
(él/ella) reserva he/she reserves
(nosotros/nosotras) reservamos we reserve
(vosotros/vosotras) reserváis you reserve
(ellos/ellas) reservan they reserve

Exercises and examples phrases

Firmar to sign

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) firmo I sign
(tú) firmas You sign
(él/ella) firma he/she signs
(nosotros/nosotras) firmamos we sign
(vosotros/vosotras) firmáis You sign
(ellos/ellas) firman they sign

Exercises and examples phrases

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Lesson Overview: Housing and Accommodation

This lesson introduces basic vocabulary and expressions related to finding and renting accommodation in Spanish. It is designed for A1 level learners and focuses on practical communication skills for everyday situations such as contacting an agency, speaking to landlords, and visiting apartments.

Key Vocabulary

  • Types of accommodation: el apartamento (apartment), el dúplex (duplex), el loft (loft), la casa (house)
  • People and actions related to renting: el casero (landlord), el propietario (owner), alquilar (to rent), firmar (to sign)

Important Connectors

The lesson highlights common connectors used to join ideas, such as entonces (then/so), porque (because), también (also), and tampoco (neither/neither do I).

Example Sentences

  • ¿Quieres alquilar un apartamento cerca de la urbanización? (Do you want to rent an apartment near the housing area?)
  • No quiero firmar el contrato y tampoco quiero pagar la hipoteca ahora. (I don't want to sign the contract and I also don't want to pay the mortgage now.)
  • El casero es amable porque nos ayuda con los problemas de la casa. (The landlord is kind because he helps us with the house problems.)
  • La villa es muy cara, entonces prefiero un parador más económico. (The villa is very expensive, so I prefer a more economical inn.)

Dialog Practice

Various dialogues simulate real-life situations such as calling a real estate agency, contacting the landlord to ask about rental conditions, and visiting an apartment. These are designed to help practice conversational skills and useful expressions.

Grammar Focus: Verb Conjugations

The lesson includes verb conjugation exercises in the present tense for verbs like alquilar (to rent), buscar (to search), firmar (to sign), reservar (to book), and llamar (to call). These support learners in constructing sentences about housing.

Mini Story: Looking for a Rental in the City

The story features Laura and her family looking for a new apartment, incorporating key verbs and vocabulary to reinforce comprehension and contextual learning. For example, "Hola, soy Laura y busco un apartamento para alquilar en la ciudad."

Differences and Notes

In English, expressions related to housing often have direct equivalents, but the use of connectors like entonces and porque in Spanish can slightly differ in placement and emphasis. For instance, "entonces" is frequently used at the start of a sentence to show consequence, similar to "so" or "then" in English.

Useful phrases include:
Quiero alquilar un apartamento (I want to rent an apartment)
Tampoco quiero compartir la casa (I don't want to share the house either)
¿Cuál es la renta mensual? (What is the monthly rent?)

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