Holiday disaster?
¿Desastre en las vacaciones?
- Report stolen or lost items at the police station.
- Asking for help with documents at the embassy or consulate.
- Contact emergency services.
- "Lo" + adjective
Learn essential Spanish vocabulary and phrases for handling emergencies abroad, including reporting theft at the police station and requesting help at the embassy, with key expressions like "denunciar un robo" and "lo malo".
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (17) 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
Perderse
To get lost
2
La página web
The website
3
Útil
Useful
4
La dirección
The address
5
Denunciar
To report
Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- What bad things can happen on a trip? (What bad things can happen on a trip? )
- What can you do when it happens to you? (What can you do when it happens to you?)
- Has one of those situations ever happened to you? (Has one of those situations ever happened to you?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Tu dinero puede ser robado. Your money can get stolen. |
|
Alguien puede robarte la bolsa. Somebody can steal your bag. |
|
Puedes perderte en una caminata. You can get lost on a hike. |
|
Siempre puedes pedir ayuda a las personas. You can always ask people for help. |
|
Es importante tener un seguro de viaje. It is important to have a travel insurance. |
|
Ya he perdido mi teléfono una vez. I have already lost my phone once. |
| ... |
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. Yo ___ a la embajada para pedir ayuda con los documentos perdidos.
(I ___ the embassy to ask for help with the lost documents.)2. ¿Tú ___ perdido tu paraguas durante la visita a la ciudad?
(Have you ___ lost your umbrella during the city visit?)3. La policía ___ rápido después de denunciar el robo en la comisaría.
(The police ___ quickly after reporting the robbery at the station.)4. Nosotros ___ al seguro de viaje para confirmar la cobertura después del problema.
(We ___ the travel insurance to confirm the coverage after the problem.)Exercise 5: A vacation disaster?
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Perder - Lose
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he perdido
- tú has perdido
- él/ella/usted ha perdido
- nosotros/nosotras hemos perdido
- vosotros/vosotras habéis perdido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han perdido
Llamar - Call
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he llamado
- tú has llamado
- él/ella/usted ha llamado
- nosotros/nosotras hemos llamado
- vosotros/vosotras habéis llamado
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han llamado
Gastar - Spend
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he gastado
- tú has gastado
- él/ella/usted ha gastado
- nosotros/nosotras hemos gastado
- vosotros/vosotras habéis gastado
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han gastado
Ser - Be
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he sido
- tú has sido
- él/ella/usted ha sido
- nosotros/nosotras hemos sido
- vosotros/vosotras habéis sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han sido
Exercise 6: "Lo" + adjectivo
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: "Lo" + adjective
Show translation Show answerslo complicado, Lo único, Lo malo, lo rápido, lo mejor, lo caro, lo tranquilo, Lo bonito
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ir to go Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he ido | I have gone |
| (tú) has ido | You have gone |
| (él/ella) ha ido | he/she has gone |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos ido | we have gone |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis ido | You have gone |
| (ellos/ellas) han ido | they have gone |
Perder to lose Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he perdido | I have lost |
| (tú) has perdido | You have lost |
| (él/ella) ha perdido | he has lost/she has lost |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos perdido | we have lost |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis perdido | You have lost |
| (ellos/ellas) han perdido | they have lost |
Llamar to call Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he llamado | I have called |
| (tú) has llamado | You have called |
| (él/ella) ha llamado | He/she has called |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos llamado | we have called |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis llamado | You have called |
| (ellos/ellas) han llamado | they have called |
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Lesson Overview: Dealing with Problems on Holiday in Spanish
This lesson focuses on practical vocabulary and expressions you can use when faced with emergencies such as theft, losing documents, or medical emergencies while abroad. It is designed for A2-level learners who want to expand their ability to communicate in real-life situations related to travel difficulties.
Key Themes and Language Points
- Reporting thefts at the police station using phrases like "Quiero denunciar que me han robado..." (I want to report that I have been robbed...)
- Asking for help at embassies or consulates when important documents like passports or visas are lost.
- Calling emergency services to describe urgent medical situations clearly and calmly.
- The common use of the phrase structure "Lo + adjective" (e.g., "Lo malo es que..." meaning "The bad thing is that...") to express feelings and situations related to these problems.
Examples of Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
- denunciar un robo - to report a theft
- llevar documentos importantes - to carry important documents
- pasaporte temporal - temporary passport
- ayuda urgente - urgent help
- esperar la ambulancia - to wait for the ambulance
- Lo triste es que... - The sad thing is that...
- Lo bueno es que... - The good thing is that...
Verb Tense Focus
The lesson emphasizes the use of the pretérito perfecto (present perfect tense) to talk about recent actions or events, such as losing something or calling for help. Examples include:
- He llamado (I have called)
- Hemos perdido (We have lost)
- Ha sido (It has been)
Understanding and practicing this tense will help you describe recent events clearly and express past actions relevant to the present situation.
Contextual Story Highlight
A short narrative illustrates a typical holiday mishap: losing an umbrella and important documents, reporting the theft, and receiving help. This story models natural language and reinforces vocabulary and grammar points within a real-world situation.
Comparison: English vs. Spanish Instruction and Usage
Unlike English, where auxiliary verbs are used with past participles to create the present perfect, Spanish uses the verb "haber" + past participle (e.g., "he perdido" for "I have lost"). The phrase structure "Lo + adjective" is a common way in Spanish to comment on a situation impersonally or to emphasize an aspect (e.g., "Lo malo," "Lo bueno"), which does not have a direct one-word equivalent in English but can be translated as "The bad thing..." or "The good thing...". This structure adds emotional or evaluative nuance.
Here are some useful phrases and their equivalents:
- Lo malo es que... — "The bad thing is that..."
- Lo bueno es que... — "The good thing is that..."
- ¿Recuerda cómo ocurrió el robo? — "Do you remember how the theft happened?"
- Necesito ayuda urgente. — "I need urgent help."
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