Things to Do (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Things to do
Learning to talk about activities and places you visit is essential for everyday Spanish conversation. This note covers key vocabulary for describing where you go and what you do, plus the grammar you need to talk about future plans.
Places to visit
When talking about where you're going in Spanish, you'll use the preposition "a" (to) plus the place. Here are the most important locations you should know:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| al centro comercial | to the shopping centre |
| al centro deportivo | to the sports centre |
| al cine | to the cinema |
| al museo | to the museum |
| al teatro | to the theatre |
| a la piscina | to the swimming pool |
| al parque | to the park |
| a los jardines | to the gardens |
| al café | to the café |
Example sentences:
- Voy al cine con mis amigos. (I'm going to the cinema with my friends.)
- ¿Vamos a la piscina mañana? (Shall we go to the swimming pool tomorrow?)
- Mi familia va al museo los domingos. (My family goes to the museum on Sundays.)
Grammar note: Notice that "al" is used with masculine nouns (el cine → al cine) and "a la" with feminine nouns (la piscina → a la piscina). "A los" is used with masculine plural nouns.
Activities vocabulary
These verbs will help you describe what you actually do in different places:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| cenar en un restaurante | to eat dinner in a restaurant |
| jugar al fútbol | to play football |
| dar un paseo | to go for a walk |
| tomar algo | to have something to drink/eat |
| de compras | shopping |
| ir de compras | to go shopping |
Example sentences:
- Vamos a cenar en un restaurante italiano. (We're going to eat dinner in an Italian restaurant.)
- ¿Te gusta jugar al fútbol en el parque? (Do you like playing football in the park?)
- Quiero tomar algo en el café. (I want to have something at the café.)
Future tense
The future tense in Spanish is straightforward to form. You take the infinitive verb and add these endings:
| Person | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | hablaré (I will speak) |
| tú | -ás | darás (you will give) |
| él/ella/usted | -á | verá (he/she will see) |
| nosotros/as | -emos | comeremos (we will eat) |
| vosotros/as | -éis | viviréis (you will live) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -án | irán (they will go) |
Example sentences:
- El próximo fin de semana iremos al centro comercial. (Next weekend we will go to the shopping centre.)
- ¿Qué harás mañana? (What will you do tomorrow?)
- Cenaremos en casa esta noche. (We will have dinner at home tonight.)
Important irregular verbs:
- tener (to have) → tendré, tendrás, tendrá...
- hacer (to do/make) → haré, harás, hará...
- poder (to be able) → podré, podrás, podrá...
- poner (to put) → pondré, pondrás, pondrá...
Shopping for clothes
When you go shopping, especially for clothes, you'll need this essential vocabulary:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la tienda | the shop |
| el centro comercial | the shopping centre |
| la ropa | clothes |
| la camiseta | the t-shirt |
| la camisa | the shirt |
| la falda | the skirt |
| el vestido | the dress |
| los pantalones | the trousers |
| los zapatos | the shoes |
| el tamaño | the size |
Size and colour vocabulary:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| grande | big |
| pequeño/a | small |
| largo/a | long |
| corto/a | short |
| de otro colour | in another colour |
Example sentences:
- Necesito una camiseta más pequeña. (I need a smaller t-shirt.)
- ¿Tienen este vestido en otro colour? (Do you have this dress in another colour?)
- Los zapatos son demasiado grandes. (The shoes are too big.)
Shopping phrases
These phrases are essential when you're out shopping:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ir de compras | to go shopping |
| comprar | to buy |
| costar | to cost |
| pagar | to pay |
| probarse | to try on |
| devolver | to return/take back |
| la cola | the queue |
Useful shopping questions:
- ¿Puedo probármelo? (Can I try it on?)
- ¿Tiene uno más grande? (Do you have a bigger one?)
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much does it cost?)
Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
When shopping or pointing things out, you'll need these words for "this," "that," "these," and "those":
| Masculine | Feminine | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | este | esta | this |
| Plural | estos | estas | these |
| Singular | ese | esa | that |
| Plural | esos | esas | those |
Example sentences:
- Compraré esta camiseta porque esa es demasiado grande. (I'll buy this t-shirt because that one is too big.)
- ¿Cuánto cuestan estos zapatos? (How much do these shoes cost?)
- Esos pantalones son muy caros. (Those trousers are very expensive.)
Grammar note: These words must agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe.
Phrase bank
Here are some practical phrases you'll actually use:
Making plans:
- ¿Qué vamos a hacer? (What are we going to do?)
- Vamos a... (Let's go to...)
- El próximo fin de semana iremos a... (Next weekend we'll go to...)
Shopping:
- ¿Puedo ayudarle? (Can I help you?) - shop assistant
- Sólo estoy mirando, gracias. (I'm just looking, thank you.)
- ¿Dónde están los probadores? (Where are the changing rooms?)
Translation exercises
Spanish to English:
- Mañana iremos al centro comercial para comprar ropa nueva.
- ¿Te gusta esta camisa o prefieres esa?
English to Spanish: 3. We will eat dinner in a restaurant tonight. 4. Can I try on these shoes?
Common errors and fixes
Common mistakes to avoid:
-
❌ Voy a el cine → Voy al cine (Remember: a + el = al)
-
❌ Compraré este falda → Compraré esta falda (Falda is feminine, so use esta)
-
❌ Ir a compras → Ir de compras (The correct phrase is "ir de compras")
-
❌ ¿Cuánto costa? → ¿Cuánto cuesta? (Costar is an irregular verb: cuesta in the present tense)
Translation exercise answers
Answers:
- Tomorrow we will go to the shopping centre to buy new clothes.
- Do you like this shirt or do you prefer that one?
- Cenaremos en un restaurante esta noche.
- ¿Puedo probarme estos zapatos?
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "al" with masculine places (al cine, al museo) and "a la" with feminine places (a la piscina)
- Form the future tense by adding -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the infinitive
- Learn the irregular future forms: tener → tendré, hacer → haré, poder → podré, poner → pondré
- Demonstratives must agree with the noun: este/esta (this), ese/esa (that)
- Essential shopping phrase: ¿Puedo probármelo/probármela? (Can I try it on?)