At the bank
En el banco
- Open a bank account.
- Make online purchases and be familiar with common payment methods.
- Get to know the biggest banks of the country.
- Temporal expressions: "Hace un rato", "Esta semana", "Este mes", etc...
Learn essential banking vocabulary in Spanish like abrir una cuenta (to open an account), cuenta corriente (checking account), and expressions of time such as esta semana (this week) and hace un rato (a little while ago). Practice real dialogues to manage bank interactions confidently.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
A2.13.1 Diálogo
Pedro abre una cuenta bancaria para extranjeros
Pedro opens a bank account for foreigners
Vocabulary (15) 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 cajero automático
The cash machine
2
Hacer un pago electrónico
Make an electronic payment
3
La moneda
The coin
4
Abrir una cuenta bancaria
To open a bank account
5
La cesta de compras
The shopping basket
Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- Discuss the different payment methods that you see. (Discuss the different payment methods that you see.)
- Do you prefer shopping online or in a store? Do you like talking on the phone? (Do you prefer shopping online or in a store? Do you like talking on the phone?)
- Is it common in your country to leave a tip? (Is it common in your country to leave a tip? )
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Prefiero pagar con tarjeta porque es más rápido. I prefer paying by card because it is faster. |
|
Me gusta tener efectivo porque a veces no se puede pagar con tarjeta. I like to have cash because sometimes you can not pay by card. |
|
Me gusta más comprar por internet porque es menos estresante para mí. I like online shopping more because it is less stressful for me. |
|
Prefiero pagar con mi aplicación bancaria. I prefer paying with my bank application. |
|
Pagamos por transferencia bancaria. We pay by bank transfer. |
|
Casi nadie deja propina en mi país, así que yo nunca lo hago. Almost nobody leaves a tip in my country so I never do it. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Esta semana ___ abierto una cuenta bancaria en un banco reconocido de España.
(This week ___ opened a bank account in a well-known bank in Spain.)2. Ayer ___ mis datos personales en el formulario para activar la tarjeta de crédito.
(Yesterday ___ my personal information in the form to activate the credit card.)3. Hace un rato ___ un pago electrónico para comprar un producto en línea.
(A little while ago ___ an electronic payment to buy a product online.)4. Esta semana ___ el cajero automático para retirar dinero en efectivo.
(This week ___ the ATM to withdraw cash.)Exercise 5: At the bank
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
Hacer - Make
Pretérito indefinido
- yo hice
- tú hiciste
- él/ella/usted hizo
- nosotros/nosotras hicimos
- vosotros/vosotras hicisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes hicieron
Permitir - Allow
Pretérito indefinido
- yo permití
- tú permitiste
- él/ella/usted permitió
- nosotros/nosotras permitimos
- vosotros/vosotras permitisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes permitieron
Usar - Use
Pretérito indefinido
- yo usé
- tú usaste
- él/ella/usted usó
- nosotros/nosotras usamos
- vosotros/vosotras usasteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes usaron
Añadir - Add
Pretérito indefinido
- yo añadí
- tú añadiste
- él/ella/usted añadió
- nosotros/nosotras añadimos
- vosotros/vosotras añadisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes añadieron
Exercise 6: Expresiones temporales: "Hace un rato", "Esta semana", "Este mes",etc...
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Temporal expressions: "Hace un rato", "Esta semana", "Este mes", etc...
Show translation Show answershe hecho, abriste, han hablado, has añadido, he añadido, he comprado, usaste
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.13.2 Gramática
Expresiones temporales: "Hace un rato", "Esta semana", "Este mes",etc...
Temporal expressions: "Hace un rato", "Esta semana", "Este mes", etc...
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Hacer to do Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) hice | I did |
| (tú) hiciste | You did |
| (él/ella) hizo | he/she did |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hicimos | we did |
| (vosotros/vosotras) hicisteis | You did |
| (ellos/ellas) hicieron | they did |
Usar to use Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) usé | I used |
| (tú) usaste | You used |
| (él/ella) usó | he/she used |
| (nosotros/nosotras) usamos | we used |
| (vosotros/vosotras) usasteis | You used |
| (ellos/ellas) usaron | they used |
Añadir to add Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) añadí | I added |
| (tú) añadiste | You added |
| (él/ella) añadió | he/she added |
| (nosotros/nosotras) añadimos | we added |
| (vosotros/vosotras) añadisteis | you added |
| (ellos/ellas) añadieron | they added |
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Lesson Overview: At the Bank
This lesson is designed for A2-level Spanish learners focusing on typical situations and vocabulary you might encounter when dealing with banks in Spain. The content includes dialogues about opening bank accounts, online shopping and payment methods, and information about major Spanish banks.
Key Topics Covered
- Opening a bank account: Learn useful phrases to communicate with bank employees, such as "Quiero abrir una cuenta bancaria" (I want to open a bank account) and questions about types of accounts.
- Temporal expressions for recent activities: Phrases like "Hace un rato" (a short while ago), "Esta semana" (this week), and "Este mes" (this month) are used to talk about recent and ongoing actions.
- Shopping online and payment methods: Practice conversations explaining how to add products to a shopping cart and choose payment options such as credit card, PayPal, or bank transfer.
- Spanish banking institutions: Discussions about major banks like Banco Santander, BBVA, and CaixaBank including user experiences and preferences.
Highlighted Vocabulary and Expressions
- Cuenta corriente and cuenta de ahorro: Checking and savings accounts.
- DNI: Spanish national identity card, important for banking.
- Pago electrónico and cajero automático: Electronic payment and ATM.
- Verbs commonly used in banking context in the past tense, such as abrir (to open), hacer (to do/make), permitir (to allow), usar (to use), and añadir (to add).
Grammar Focus: Past Tense Usage
The lesson emphasizes the pretérito indefinido tense, which Spanish uses to narrate completed actions in the past, for example:
- Esta semana he abierto una cuenta bancaria.
- Hace un rato hice un pago electrónico.
This tense differs somewhat from English simple past and present perfect usage but often translates similarly to the simple past in English.
Useful Phrases and Language Differences
In Spanish, temporal markers like "Hace un rato" (a little while ago) and "Esta semana" (this week) help specify when an action happened, often combined with the pretérito indefinido or present perfect tense. For example:
- Hace un rato hice un pago electrónico. (I made an electronic payment a short while ago.)
- Esta semana he usado el cajero automático. (I have used the ATM this week.)
Regarding vocabulary, Spanish banking terms may differ from English in usage and formality. For instance, DNI is a specific Spanish identity document required for official processes, unlike some countries where passports may suffice.
When discussing payment methods, Spanish speakers often refer simply to tarjeta (card), whereas in English specifying credit or debit card is common.
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