Everyday services
Servicios cotidianos
- Describe the location of services on a map.
- Ask for the opening hours of a certain service.
- "Estar" + participle
Learn key Spanish vocabulary for everyday services like "la biblioteca" (library), "el hospital" (hospital), and "la panadería" (bakery). Practice asking about locations and opening hours using the verb "estar" with participles to navigate city services confidently.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (19) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the words into two groups: public services and commercial services, to better understand their function and location.
Servicios públicos
Servicios comerciales
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
La oficina
The office
2
La peluquería
The hairdresser's
3
El ordenador
The computer
4
Pronto
Quick
5
La farmacia
The pharmacy
Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- What did Eva do today? Where did she pass by? (What did Eva do today? Where did she pass by?)
- Where have you been today? (Where have you been today? )
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Eva ha ido al gimnasio esta mañana. Eva has gone to the gym this morning. |
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Después ella ha pasado por la panadería para comprar algo de comida. Afterwards she has passed by the bakery to buy some food. |
|
Ha pasado por el banco por la tarde. She has passed by the bank in the evening. |
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Hoy he ido al hospital porque trabajo allí como médico. I have gone to the hospital today because I work there as a doctor. |
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He estado en el colegio esta mañana por mis hijos. I have been to the school this morning because of my children. |
|
He ido a la universidad y a la biblioteca hoy. I have gone to the university and the library today. |
| ... |
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. La biblioteca está ____ ahora y puedes usar el ordenador.
(The library is ____ now and you can use the computer.)2. El banco ____ sus puertas a las nueve esta mañana.
(The bank ____ its doors at nine this morning.)3. ¿Puedes decirme dónde ____ la farmacia? Siempre paso por allí cuando voy al trabajo.
(Can you tell me where the pharmacy ____? I always pass by there when I go to work.)4. Los gimnasios ____ cerrados los domingos, pero la cafetería abre temprano.
(Gyms ____ closed on Sundays, but the café opens early.)Exercise 8: Everyday services in the city
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Comprar - Buy
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he comprado
- tú has comprado
- él/ella/Ud. ha comprado
- nosotros hemos comprado
- vosotros habéis comprado
- ellos/ellas/Uds. han comprado
Abrir - Open
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he abierto
- tú has abierto
- él/ella/Ud. ha abierto
- nosotros hemos abierto
- vosotros habéis abierto
- ellos/ellas/Uds. han abierto
Usar - Use
Presente
- yo uso
- tú usas
- él/ella/Ud. usa
- nosotros usamos
- vosotros usáis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. usan
Pasar - Pass
Presente
- yo paso
- tú pasas
- él/ella/Ud. pasa
- nosotros pasamos
- vosotros pasáis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. pasan
Exercise 9: "Estar" + participio
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: "Estar" + participle
Show translation Show answerscerrada, preparadas, cerradas, organizada, abierta, abiertos, alquilada, preparado
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Abrir to open Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he abierto | I have opened |
| (tú) has abierto | You have opened |
| (él/ella) ha abierto | He/she has opened |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos abierto | we have opened |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis abierto | You have opened |
| (ellos/ellas) han abierto | they have opened |
Comprar to buy Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he comprado | I have bought |
| (tú) has comprado | You have bought |
| (él/ella) ha comprado | he/she has bought |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos comprado | we have bought |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis comprado | You have bought |
| (ellos/ellas) han comprado | they have bought |
Usar to use Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) uso | I use |
| (tú) usas | You use |
| (él/ella) usa | he/she uses |
| (nosotros/nosotras) usamos | we use |
| (vosotros/vosotras) usáis | You use |
| (ellos/ellas) usan | they use |
Pasar to pass Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) paso | I pass |
| (tú) pasas | you pass |
| (él/ella) pasa | he passes/she passes |
| (nosotros/nosotras) pasamos | we pass |
| (vosotros/vosotras) pasáis | You pass |
| (ellos/ellas) pasan | they pass |
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Everyday Services in the City
This lesson introduces you to common everyday public and commercial services you might find in a city, useful for newcomers or anyone wanting to navigate urban life in Spanish-speaking areas. You will learn key vocabulary related to places such as la biblioteca (the library), el hospital (the hospital), la panadería (the bakery), and la oficina de correos (the post office).
Focus on Locations and Status Using "Estar" + Past Participle
A key grammatical point in this lesson is how to describe the location and current status of these services using the verb estar plus a past participle. For example, sentences like La panadería está abierta hasta las ocho de la tarde (The bakery is open until eight in the evening) help you communicate whether a service is open or closed at a given time.
Examples you will study include:
- ¿Dónde está la biblioteca en el mapa? (Where is the library on the map?)
- La oficina de correos está cerrada ahora, ¿cuándo abre? (The post office is closed now, when does it open?)
- La gasolinera está delante del gimnasio y está abierta ahora. (The gas station is in front of the gym and is open now.)
Vocabulary Grouping: Public and Commercial Services
To better understand and remember the functions and locations of different services, words are classified into two groups:
- Public Services: el banco (bank), la biblioteca (library), el hospital (hospital), la comisaría (police station), la oficina de correos (post office)
- Commercial Services: la peluquería (hairdresser), la cafetería (coffee shop), la panadería (bakery)
Useful Phrases for Asking Location and Hours
You will practice dialogues such as:
- ¿Dónde está la farmacia en este mapa? (Where is the pharmacy on this map?)
- La farmacia está al lado del supermercado. (The pharmacy is next to the supermarket.)
- ¿Está abierta ahora? (Is it open now?)
- No, la farmacia está cerrada hasta las diez de la mañana. (No, the pharmacy is closed until ten in the morning.)
Verb Practice with "Estar" + Past Participle and Present Tense
The lesson includes exercises to reinforce the use of estar combined with past participles like abierta (open) and cerrada (closed), as well as present tense verbs related to daily activities. This helps build practical language skills for discussing service availability and urban navigation.
Short Story Practice
A short narrative titled Servicios cotidianos en la ciudad (Everyday services in the city) provides context for using various verbs in the present and perfect tenses related to buying, opening, and using services.
Important Cultural and Language Notes for English Speakers
In Spanish, the verb estar is used to describe temporary states or locations, which differs from English where "to be" can be more general. For example, La panadería está abierta is "The bakery is open," emphasizing the current state. Also, many nouns related to places take the feminine or masculine gender, which affects adjectives and articles. For instance, la biblioteca is feminine, so you say está abierta, while el banco is masculine and you say está cerrado.
Some useful phrases to remember:
- ¿Dónde está...? —"Where is...?"
- Está abierto/abierta — "It is open"
- Está cerrado/cerrada — "It is closed"
- ¿A qué hora abre/cierra? — "What time does it open/close?"
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