What are your weekend plans? In this lesson, you'll learn how to describe typical weekend activities, make plans with friends, and respond to invitations. You'll practice making suggestions with '¿Quieres + infinitive?' and '¿Vamos a + infinitive?' — essential structures for social life in Spanish. Plus, you'll learn the Colombian way to say 'Sure!' — ¡Dale!
Learning tips
- '¡Dale!' is extremely common in Colombian Spanish — it's like saying 'Sure!', 'Let's do it!', or 'Okay!' Use it to accept invitations enthusiastically.
- To suggest doing something together, use '¿Vamos a + infinitive?' — it's like English 'Shall we...?' or 'Let's...'
- '¿Quieres + infinitive?' is a polite way to invite someone: '¿Quieres ir al cine?' (Do you want to go to the movies?)
- To decline politely, 'No puedo' (I can't) is simple and effective. Add 'Otro día' (Another day) to soften it.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| el fútbol | soccer |
| el ciclismo | cycling |
| el equipo | team |
| ganar | to win |
| perder | to lose |
| el partido | match/game |
| el jugador | player |
| la bicicleta | bicycle |
| montar | to ride |
| entrenar | to train |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés plan their weekend. Notice the different ways to make suggestions: Andrés uses '¿Quieres salir?' (Do you want to go out?) and Valentina replies with '¡Dale!' — the quintessential Colombian 'yes!' They also use '¿Vamos a + infinitive?' to suggest activities. When Andrés can't do something, he says 'No puedo' (I can't). The adjectives 'divertido' (fun) and 'aburrido' (boring) describe activities and experiences.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| salir | /saˈliɾ/ | to go out, to leave | Irregular yo form: salgo. 'Salir con amigos' = to go out with friends. |
| pasear | /pa.seˈaɾ/ | to stroll, to take a walk | Regular -ar verb. Very common for weekend leisure. |
| visitar | /bi.siˈtaɾ/ | to visit | Regular -ar verb. |
| el cine | /el ˈsi.ne/ | cinema, movies | 'Ir al cine' = to go to the movies. |
| el parque | /el ˈpaɾ.ke/ | park | Bogotá has many famous parks like Parque Simón Bolívar. |
| el fin de semana | /el ˈfin de seˈma.na/ | weekend | 'El fin de semana' literally means 'the end of week.' |
| divertido | /di.beɾˈti.ðo/ | fun, entertaining | Changes for gender: divertido/divertida. |
| aburrido | /a.buˈri.ðo/ | boring, bored | Changes for gender: aburrido/aburrida. Can describe an activity or a person. |
| ¿quieres? | /ˈkje.ɾes/ | do you want? | From 'querer' (e→ie). Used to make invitations. |
| ¡dale! | /ˈda.le/ | sure!, let's do it!, okay! | Very Colombian expression for enthusiastic agreement. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la exposición | /la ek.spo.siˈsjon/ | exhibition | |
| el concierto | /el konˈsjeɾ.to/ | concert | |
| el teatro | /el teˈa.tɾo/ | theater | |
| relajarse | /re.laˈxaɾ.se/ | to relax | Reflexive verb. |
| disfrutar | /dis.fɾuˈtaɾ/ | to enjoy | |
| el plan | /el ˈplan/ | plan |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ¿vamos a…? | shall we...? / let's...? |
| ¡buena idea! | good idea! |
Grammar: Making invitations and suggestions
| Function | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation (informal) | ¿Quieres + infinitive? | ¿Quieres salir? |
| Suggestion (let's) | ¿Vamos a + infinitive? | ¿Vamos a pasear? |
| Accepting | ¡Dale! / ¡Claro! / ¡Buena idea! | ¡Dale! Vamos. |
| Declining | No puedo. / Otro día. | No puedo, lo siento. |
Making invitations and suggestions is essential for social life. Here are the key patterns:
1. ¿Quieres + infinitive? (Do you want to...?)
- ¿Quieres salir esta noche? = Do you want to go out tonight?
- ¿Quieres ir al cine? = Do you want to go to the movies?
2. ¿Vamos a + infinitive? (Shall we...? / Let's...?)
- ¿Vamos a pasear? = Shall we take a walk?
- ¿Vamos al parque? = Shall we go to the park?
3. Accepting:
- ¡Dale! = Sure! Let's do it! (very Colombian)
- ¡Claro! = Of course!
- ¡Buena idea! = Good idea!
4. Declining:
- No puedo. = I can't.
- Otro día. = Another day.
- Lo siento, no puedo. = I'm sorry, I can't.
'¡Dale!' is the go-to acceptance word in Colombian Spanish. You'll hear it dozens of times a day in Bogotá.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct word.
- ¿ ir al cine el sábado?(do you want — from 'querer')
- ¡ ! Me encanta esa película.(Colombian way to say 'sure!')
- El fin de voy a pasear por el parque.(part of 'fin de ___' — weekend)
- La película no es . Es muy divertida.(opposite of 'divertida')
- ¿Vamos a el museo de arte?(to go see a place)
Grammar Application
Create the appropriate invitation, suggestion, acceptance, or declination.
- Invite a friend to the park (informal) → (¿Quieres + infinitive? pattern)
- Suggest going to the movies (let's) → (¿Vamos a + place? pattern)
- Accept an invitation enthusiastically → (enthusiastic Colombian acceptance)
- Decline politely → (polite refusal)
- Suggest visiting a museum together → (¿Vamos a + infinitive + place? pattern)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- Do you want to go out this weekend?
- Sure! Let's stroll through the park.
- The movie is very fun.
- I can't. I'm going to visit my family.
- Shall we go to the movies? Good idea!
Creative Construction
Write a short exchange (2-3 sentences) where you invite a friend to do something this weekend and they respond.
Takeaway
To invite someone, use '¿Quieres + infinitive?' or '¿Vamos a + infinitive?' Accept with '¡Dale!' (Sure!) or '¡Claro!' Decline politely with 'No puedo' (I can't).