Congratulations — you've reached the final lesson of Unit 5! Today we bring everything together: you'll navigate a complete shopping trip at a 'centro comercial' (shopping mall), from trying on clothes to paying at the register. This lesson reviews all the stem-changing verbs from this unit and introduces 'quedar' for talking about how clothes fit. Time for a shopping day!
Learning tips
- 'Probarse' (to try on) is reflexive — 'me pruebo,' 'te pruebas.' It's also a stem-changing verb (o→ue). Two patterns in one!
- 'Quedar' is a game-changer for clothes shopping: 'me queda bien' (it fits me well), 'me queda grande' (it's too big on me).
- At the register, useful phrases: '¿Dónde está la caja?' (Where is the register?), 'El recibo, por favor' (The receipt, please).
- Review all the stem-changing verbs from this unit: querer, poder, preferir, costar, probar — they all follow the same stress-based pattern.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| la camisa | the shirt |
| el pantalón | the pants |
| los zapatos | the shoes |
| la chaqueta | the jacket |
| la falda | the skirt |
| la camiseta | the t-shirt |
| la ropa | the clothing |
| usar | to wear |
| el color | the color |
| blanco | white |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés are at a 'centro comercial' (shopping mall) in Bogotá. Valentina tries on a jacket using 'probarse' (to try on, reflexive) and checks the fit with 'quedar' — 'me queda perfecta' means 'it fits me perfectly.' They find a discount ('descuento') and head to the 'caja' (cash register) to pay. This dialog reviews stem-changing verbs and shopping vocabulary from the entire unit.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el centro comercial | /el ˈsen.tɾo ko.meɾˈsjal/ | the shopping mall / shopping center | 'Centro comercial' — the most popular shopping destination in Colombian cities |
| la talla | /la ˈta.ʝa/ | the size (clothing) | '¿Cuál es tu talla?' — What's your size? |
| probar | /pɾoˈβaɾ/ | to try, to taste | Stem-changing o→ue: pruebo, pruebas, prueba... |
| probarse | /pɾoˈβaɾ.se/ | to try on (reflexive) | Reflexive form of probar — 'me pruebo la chaqueta' (I try on the jacket) |
| la caja | /la ˈka.xa/ | the cash register, the checkout | 'La caja' — where you pay in a store |
| el recibo | /el reˈsi.βo/ | the receipt | Always ask for 'el recibo' after paying |
| el descuento | /el desˈkwen.to/ | the discount | 'Un descuento del 20%' — a 20% discount |
| caber | /kaˈβeɾ/ | to fit (inside) | Irregular first person: 'quepo.' 'No cabe en la bolsa' = It doesn't fit in the bag |
| quedar | /keˈðaɾ/ | to fit (clothing), to suit | Used with indirect pronouns: 'me queda bien' (it fits me well) |
| perfecto | /peɾˈfek.to/ | perfect | Adjective — perfecto/perfecta |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la vitrina | /la biˈtɾi.na/ | the display window, shop window | |
| el probador | /el pɾo.βaˈðoɾ/ | the fitting room | |
| devolver | /de.βolˈβeɾ/ | to return (an item) | |
| cambiar | /kamˈbjaɾ/ | to exchange, to change | |
| la garantía | /la ɡa.ɾanˈti.a/ | the warranty | |
| la factura | /la fakˈtu.ɾa/ | the invoice, bill |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| me queda bien | it fits me well |
| ¿dónde está la caja? | where is the cash register? |
Grammar: Review of stem-changing verbs; 'quedar' for fit
| Pronoun | querer | poder | preferir | costar | probar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | quiero | puedo | prefiero | — | pruebo |
| tú | quieres | puedes | prefieres | — | pruebas |
| él/ella/usted | quiere | puede | prefiere | cuesta | prueba |
| nosotros | queremos | podemos | preferimos | — | probamos |
| ellos/ustedes | quieren | pueden | prefieren | cuestan | prueban |
| quedar + | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me queda bien | it fits me well |
| me queda grande | it's too big for me |
| me queda pequeño | it's too small for me |
Review of stem-changing verbs — Unit 5 has introduced several. They all follow the same pattern: the stem vowel changes when stressed (all forms except nosotros).
o→ue verbs: poder (puedo), costar (cuesta), probar (pruebo)
e→ie verbs: querer (quiero), preferir (prefiero)
Notice the pattern: the change happens in yo, tú, él/ella, and ellos forms — but NOT in nosotros, where the stress shifts to a different syllable.
'Quedar' is a special verb for clothes fitting. It works like 'gustar' — using indirect object pronouns:
- me queda bien = it fits me well
- me queda grande = it's too big for me
- me queda pequeño = it's too small for me
- te queda perfecto = it fits you perfectly
For plural items: 'Los zapatos me quedan bien.' (The shoes fit me well.)
'Probarse' (to try on) is reflexive AND stem-changing:
- yo me pruebo, tú te pruebas, él se prueba, nosotros nos probamos, ellos se prueban
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word(s).
- Vamos al a comprar ropa. (shopping center)(two words: shopping center)
- ¿Cuál es tu ? ¿Mediana o grande? (size)(noun: clothing size)
- Quiero esta camisa. ¿Dónde está el probador? (to try on)(reflexive verb: to try on, infinitive)
- La chaqueta me bien. (to fit)(verb: to fit/suit, third person singular)
- Hay un del treinta por ciento. (discount)(noun: discount)
Grammar Application
Conjugate the stem-changing verb in parentheses.
- Yo ir de compras. (querer)(first person singular of 'querer': e→ie)
- ¿Tú probar esa camisa? (poder)(second person singular of 'poder': o→ue)
- Ella la talla pequeña. (preferir)(third person singular of 'preferir': e→ie)
- Los zapatos cincuenta mil pesos. (costar)(third person plural of 'costar': o→ue)
- Yo la chaqueta en la tienda. (probar)(first person singular of 'probar': o→ue)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I want to try on this shirt.
- Where is the cash register?
- The jacket fits me well.
- There is a twenty percent discount.
- I need the receipt, please.
Creative Construction
Write a complete shopping scenario at a mall (2-3 sentences) using vocabulary from the entire unit: food, prices, wants/needs, and/or clothing.
Takeaway
Stem-changing verbs follow a predictable pattern: the vowel changes in all forms except nosotros. Use 'quedar' + indirect pronoun for clothes fitting (me queda bien/grande/pequeño). 'Probarse' is both reflexive and stem-changing.