Welcome to the final lesson of Unit 8! Today you'll bring together everything you've learned about hobbies, sports, weekend plans, weather, and scheduling. You'll learn vocabulary for celebrations and invitations, and practice combining 'ir + a + infinitive,' 'querer/poder + infinitive,' time expressions, and weather references in connected speech. Get ready to celebrate!
Learning tips
- 'Divertirse' is a reflexive stem-changing verb (e→ie): me divierto, te diviertes, se divierte. In the infinitive with 'ir + a': 'vamos a divertirnos.'
- 'Traer' has an irregular yo form: 'traigo.' Other forms are regular: traes, trae, traemos, traen.
- 'A tiempo' means 'on time' — an important concept for formal events in Colombia!
- This lesson reviews all the structures from the unit — try to use them all when doing the exercises.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| el plan | plan |
| hoy | today |
| esta tarde | this afternoon |
| esta noche | tonight |
| después | after/later |
| primero | first |
| luego | then/next |
| encontrarse | to meet up with |
| esperar | to hope/wait |
| llamar | to call |
Dialog
Andrés invites Valentina to a friend's birthday party. Notice how they combine multiple structures from the unit: 'voy a traer' (ir + a + infinitive), 'quiero celebrar' (querer + infinitive), and time expressions like 'a las siete' and 'el sábado.' The verb 'traer' (to bring) has an irregular yo form: 'traigo.' 'Divertirse' (to have fun) is reflexive: 'vamos a divertirnos' (we're going to have fun). All 10 active words are woven into this party-planning conversation.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la fiesta | /la ˈfjes.ta/ | party | 'Una fiesta de cumpleaños' = a birthday party. |
| la invitación | /la im.bi.taˈsjon/ | invitation | 'Tengo una invitación' = I have an invitation. |
| celebrar | /se.leˈbɾaɾ/ | to celebrate | Regular -ar verb. |
| el regalo | /el reˈɣa.lo/ | gift, present | 'Un regalo de cumpleaños' = a birthday gift. |
| la sorpresa | /la soɾˈpɾe.sa/ | surprise | 'Una fiesta sorpresa' = a surprise party. |
| traer | /tɾaˈeɾ/ | to bring | Irregular yo: traigo. 'Voy a traer' = I'm going to bring. |
| llegar | /ʝeˈɣaɾ/ | to arrive | Regular -ar verb. 'Llegar a tiempo' = to arrive on time. |
| a tiempo | /a ˈtjem.po/ | on time | 'Llegar a tiempo' = to arrive on time. Opposite: 'tarde' (late). |
| divertirse | /di.beɾˈtiɾ.se/ | to have fun, to enjoy oneself | Reflexive + stem-changing (e→ie): me divierto, te diviertes. |
| feliz | /feˈlis/ | happy | Same form for masculine and feminine. Plural: felices. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el anfitrión | /el an.fi.tɾiˈon/ | host | Feminine: 'la anfitriona.' |
| la decoración | /la de.ko.ɾaˈsjon/ | decoration | |
| el pastel | /el pasˈtel/ | cake | In Colombia, also called 'la torta' for birthday cakes. |
| brindar | /bɾinˈdaɾ/ | to toast, to make a toast | |
| el brindis | /el ˈbɾin.dis/ | toast (the act of toasting) | |
| la celebración | /la se.le.bɾaˈsjon/ | celebration |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| vamos a divertirnos | we're going to have fun |
| llegar a tiempo | to arrive on time |
Grammar: Review — combining 'ir + a + infinitive', 'querer/poder + infinitive', time expressions, and weather
| Structure | Example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ir + a + infinitive | Voy a celebrar. | near future plans |
| querer + infinitive | Quiero traer un regalo. | wants/wishes |
| poder + infinitive | Puedo llegar a tiempo. | ability |
| time expression + ir + a | Esta noche vamos a bailar. | future with time ref |
| weather + plan | Hace sol, voy a salir. | weather-based decisions |
This lesson reviews and combines the key structures from Unit 8:
1. ir + a + infinitive (near future):
- Voy a celebrar. = I'm going to celebrate.
- Vamos a divertirnos. = We're going to have fun.
2. querer + infinitive (wants):
- Quiero traer un regalo. = I want to bring a gift.
- ¿Quieres venir? = Do you want to come?
3. poder + infinitive (ability):
- Puedo llegar a tiempo. = I can arrive on time.
- No puedo ir. = I can't go.
4. Time expressions + ir + a:
- Esta noche vamos a bailar. = Tonight we're going to dance.
- El sábado voy a traer el regalo. = On Saturday I'll bring the gift.
5. Weather + plans:
- Hace sol, voy a salir. = It's sunny, I'm going out.
- Llueve, no voy a salir. = It's raining, I'm not going out.
Notice how 'divertirse' attaches the reflexive pronoun to the infinitive: 'vamos a divertirnos.' This happens whenever a reflexive verb follows another verb.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct word.
- Tengo una para la fiesta de mi amigo.(a formal request to attend an event)
- Voy a un regalo especial para él.(to carry something to a place)
- ¡Vamos a mucho en la fiesta!(to enjoy ourselves — reflexive, infinitive attached)
- Es importante a tiempo.(to reach a destination)
- Estoy muy con la invitación.(an emotion when something good happens)
Grammar Application
Form complete sentences using the given elements.
- yo / querer / celebrar → (querer + infinitive)
- nosotros / ir a / divertirse → (ir + a + reflexive infinitive)
- ella / poder / traer / un regalo → (poder + infinitive + object)
- It's sunny + plan to go out → (weather + plan with ir + a)
- tú / ir a / llegar / a tiempo → (ir + a + infinitive + time expression)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I have an invitation to the party.
- We're going to celebrate the birthday.
- I want to bring a surprise.
- I'm going to arrive on time to the party.
- We're very happy. We're going to have fun!
Creative Construction
Write 2-3 sentences describing a party or celebration you're planning or attending. Use vocabulary from this lesson and structures from the entire unit.
Takeaway
Congratulations on finishing Unit 8! You can now talk about hobbies, sports, weekend plans, weather, daily schedules, and invitations. Remember: 'ir + a + infinitive' for future plans, '¿quieres + infinitive?' for invitations, and sequencing words (primero, luego, después) to organize your speech.