To be retired
Ser retirado
- Talk about activities and lifestyle changes after you retire.
- Talk about ongoing actions in the future.
- The verbs "Llevar/Seguir" + gerund
Explore how to express ongoing activities after retirement using the verbs "llevar" and "seguir" + gerundio, with phrases like "llevar disfrutando" (I've been enjoying) and "seguir aprendiendo" (continuing to learn). This lesson helps describe life changes and daily routines in Spanish at A2 level.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
A2.34.1 Cultura
España: uno de los países con mayor esperanza de vida
Spain: one of the countries with the highest life expectancy
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
Tener tiempo libre
To have free time
2
Decidir
To decide
3
Pasar tiempo con los nietos
To spend time with the grandchildren
4
Estar jubilado
To be retired
5
Crecer
To grow
Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- How long have you been working and when will you retire? (How long have you been working and when will you retire?)
- What activities will you keep doing when you are retired? (What activities will you keep doing when you are retired? )
- What changes will you be making when you retire? How will you use your free time? (What changes will you be making when you retire? How will you use your free time?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
He estado trabajando durante 10 años. Quiero jubilarme cuando tenga 60. I have been working for 10 years. I want to retire when I am 60. |
|
Empecé mi trabajo hace 5 años. No sé cuándo me jubilaré. I started my job 5 years ago. I don’t know when I will retire. |
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Quiero seguir aprendiendo inglés y practicando todos los días. I want to keep learning English and practicing every day. |
|
Quiero seguir quedando con mis amigos y hacer ejercicio. I want to keep meeting my friends and do exercise. |
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Quiero viajar a nuevos lugares y relajarme más. I want to travel to new places and relax more. |
|
Voy a tomar algunas clases de arte y visitar a mi familia a menudo. I will take some art classes and visit my family often. |
| ... |
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. Llevo tiempo _______ en cómo será mi vida después de estar jubilado.
(I have been _______ about how my life will be after retiring.)2. Sigo _______ del ocio y pasando tiempo con los amigos ahora que tengo tiempo libre.
(I continue _______ leisure and spending time with friends now that I have free time.)3. Si me mudara al campo, _______ más posibilidades de cuidar el jardín todos los días.
(If I moved to the countryside, _______ more chances to take care of the garden every day.)4. Querría viajar por España, pero primero _______ planear bien el viaje para evitar riesgos.
(I would like to travel around Spain, but first _______ to plan the trip well to avoid risks.)Exercise 5: Being retired and enjoying life
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Ser - To be
Futuro simple
- yo seré
- tú serás
- él/ella/Ud. será
- nosotros/as seremos
- vosotros/as seréis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. serán
Dejar - To leave
Futuro simple
- yo dejaré
- tú dejarás
- él/ella/Ud. dejará
- nosotros/as dejaremos
- vosotros/as dejaréis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. dejarán
Seguir - To keep
Presente
- yo sigo
- tú sigues
- él/ella/Ud. sigue
- nosotros/as seguimos
- vosotros/as seguís
- ellos/ellas/Uds. siguen
Llevar - To carry
Presente
- yo llevo
- tú llevas
- él/ella/Ud. lleva
- nosotros/as llevamos
- vosotros/as lleváis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. llevan
Descansar - To rest
Futuro simple
- yo descansaré
- tú descansarás
- él/ella/Ud. descansará
- nosotros/as descansaremos
- vosotros/as descansaréis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. descansarán
Exercise 6: Los verbos "Llevar/Seguir" + Gerundio
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The verbs "Llevar/Seguir" + gerund
Show translation Show answersllevo corriendo, aprendiendo, Llevo, lleváis disfrutando, llevo trabajando, soñando, lleva, Sigo haciendo, seguimos buscando, seguimos viajando
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ser to be Share Copied!
Futuro simple
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) seré | I will be |
| (tú) serás | you will be |
| (él/ella) será | he/she will be |
| (nosotros/nosotras) seremos | we will be |
| (vosotros/vosotras) seréis | you will be |
| (ellos/ellas) serán | they will be |
Descansar to rest Share Copied!
Futuro simple
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) descansaré | I will rest |
| (tú) descansarás | You will rest |
| (él/ella) descansará | he/she will rest |
| (nosotros/nosotras) descansaremos | we will rest |
| (vosotros/vosotras) descansaréis | You will rest |
| (ellos/ellas) descansarán | they will rest |
Dejar to leave Share Copied!
Futuro simple
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) dejaré | I will leave |
| (tú) dejarás | You will leave |
| (él/ella) dejará | he/she will leave |
| (nosotros/nosotras) dejaremos | we will leave |
| (vosotros/vosotras) dejaréis | you will leave |
| (ellos/ellas) dejarán | they will leave |
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Lesson Overview: Using "Llevar" and "Seguir" with Gerund in Spanish
This lesson focuses on expressing ongoing activities or states using the verbs llevar and seguir combined with a gerund (the -ing form in English, e.g., "disfrutando" meaning "enjoying"). The context is daily life changes and routines after retirement in Spain, a country known for its high life expectancy.
Key Verbs and Grammar Structures
- Llevar + gerund: Used to indicate how long someone has been doing something. Example: "Yo llevo meses aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra." (I have been learning to play guitar for months.)
- Seguir + gerund: Expresses the continuation of an action. Example: "Sigo haciendo ejercicio cada día." (I continue exercising every day.)
Topic Context
The lesson includes dialogues simulating conversations between retirees discussing their activities, hobbies, and lifestyle changes after retirement. For example, phrases like:
- "Llevo tiempo leyendo novelas y sigo aprovechando para viajar." (I have been reading novels for some time and still take advantage of traveling.)
- "Llevo varios meses asistiendo a clases de baile y sigo aprendiendo mucho." (I have been attending dance classes for several months and am still learning a lot.)
Additional Grammar Highlights
The lesson also covers some related verb conjugations in different tenses to enrich your understanding and usage, including the future tense (e.g., "seré", "dejaré") and present tense conjugations of seguir and llevar.
Useful Vocabulary for Everyday Conversation
- Jubilación: retirement
- Disfrutar: to enjoy
- Continuar/Seguir: to continue
- Tiempo libre: free time
- Actividades diarias: daily activities
- Planear: to plan
- Aprender: to learn
Differences between English and Spanish Expression
In English, continuous actions are typically formed with the verb "to be" + gerund (e.g., "I have been learning"). Spanish can use llevar with a gerund to express the duration of ongoing actions, which does not have a direct equivalent verb in English but translates conceptually as "to have been doing something". Similarly, seguir + gerund indicates continuation or persistence of an action, similar to "to keep on doing" in English.
Helpful phrases to remember include:
- "Llevo tres años estudiando español." (I have been studying Spanish for three years.)
- "Sigo trabajando en el proyecto." (I am still working on the project.)
This lesson is ideal for A2 Spanish learners who want to express ongoing activities and durations with natural, everyday vocabulary especially useful for talking about life changes and personal routines.
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