Part-time jobs and money (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Part-time jobs and money
Core vocabulary
Understanding vocabulary related to work and money is essential for discussing part-time employment in Spanish. This section covers the most important terms you'll need when talking about student jobs, earning money, and workplace situations.
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| el trabajo | work | el dinero | money |
| la hora | hour, time | el euro | euro |
| el restaurante | restaurant | el café | café |
| la comida rápida | fast food | la tienda | shop |
| la caja | till, checkout | el supermercado | supermarket |
| el/la compañero/a | colleague | el/la jefe/a | boss |
| ahorrar | to save | comprar | to buy |
| empezar | to start | ganar | to earn |
| gastar | to spend | pagar | to pay |
| terminar | to finish | trabajar | to work |
Focus on memorising the workplace-related nouns (trabajo, restaurante, tienda, supermercado) and money verbs (ahorrar, ganar, gastar, pagar) first, as these appear most frequently in conversations about part-time employment.
Essential numbers for work discussions
When discussing part-time work, you'll frequently need to mention hours worked, wages earned, and ages. Here are the key numbers you should know:
Basic numbers (1-30):
- uno (1), dos (2), tres (3), cuatro (4), cinco (5)
- seis (6), siete (7), ocho (8), nueve (9), diez (10)
- once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15)
- dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19), veinte (20)
- veintiuno (21), veintidós (22), veintitrés (23), veinticuatro (24), veinticinco (25)
- veintiséis (26), veintisiete (27), veintiocho (28), veintinueve (29), treinta (30)
Higher numbers:
- cuarenta (40), cincuenta (50), sesenta (60), setenta (70)
- ochenta (80), noventa (90), cien (100)
- mil (1000), un millón (1 million)
Hundreds: For multiples of hundreds, add -cientos to the number (doscientos = 200, trescientos = 300). However, watch out for these irregular forms:
Critical irregular hundreds to memorise:
- quinientos (500)
- setecientos (700)
- novecientos (900)
These do NOT follow the regular -cientos pattern and must be learned by heart.
Example sentences with translations
Learning vocabulary in context helps with retention and understanding. Here are practical examples organised by tense that you'll encounter in real conversations about part-time work.
Present Tense Examples:
- "Trabajo los fines de semana en un café." (I work weekends in a café.)
- "Gano ocho euros por hora." (I earn eight euros per hour.)
- "Mi jefe es muy simpático." (My boss is very nice.)
- "Ahorro dinero para las vacaciones." (I save money for holidays.)
Past Tense Examples:
- "Trabajé en un restaurante el año pasado." (I worked in a restaurant last year.)
- "Gané suficiente dinero para mis estudios." (I earned enough money for my studies.)
Future/Conditional Examples:
- "Trabajaré en el supermercado este verano." (I will work in the supermarket this summer.)
- "Me gustaría ganar más dinero." (I would like to earn more money.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Mastering the grammatical and pronunciation aspects of work-related vocabulary will help you communicate more effectively and avoid common mistakes.
Gender Agreements: Remember that job titles change depending on who is doing them:
- el camarero (male waiter) / la camarera (female waitress)
- el dependiente (male shop assistant) / la dependienta (female shop assistant)
Pronunciation Guide:
- 'j' in "trabajo" sounds like the 'h' in "help"
- 'rr' in "ahorrar" is a rolled 'r' sound
- 'ñ' in "compañero" sounds like 'ny' in "canyon"
Useful phrases: When discussing work schedules, use "los fines de semana" (weekends) and "entre semana" (during the week).
Reading comprehension strategy
When reading texts about student employment, developing a systematic approach will help you extract key information efficiently.
Look for key information such as:
- Type of work (¿qué trabajo?)
- Working hours (¿cuántas horas?)
- Pay rate (¿cuánto gana?)
- Work location (¿dónde trabaja?)
- Personal opinions about the job (¿le gusta el trabajo?)
Translation practice
Testing your understanding through translation exercises helps consolidate your learning and identifies areas that need more practice.
Spanish to English:
- "Tengo un nuevo trabajo en el supermercado los sábados."
- "Trabajo ocho horas y gano suficiente dinero para mis estudios."
English to Spanish: 3. "I work as a waitress in a fast food restaurant." 4. "My colleagues are friendly and my boss pays well."
Answers:
- "I have a new job at the supermarket on Saturdays."
- "I work eight hours and earn enough money for my studies."
- "Trabajo como camarera en un restaurante de comida rápida."
- "Mis compañeros son simpáticos y mi jefe paga bien."
Key Points to Remember:
- Master the core vocabulary for jobs, money, and workplace relationships
- Learn numbers thoroughly as they're essential for discussing wages and working hours
- Practice using different tenses when talking about work experiences
- Pay attention to gender agreements with job titles and colleagues
- Use specific time expressions like "los fines de semana" to discuss work schedules