Skip to main content

A Fish in an Aquarium: Spanish A1

Read a short Spanish A1 observation of a fish. Learn present-tense actions and words for fins, scales and gills.

Un pez en el acuario

Practice reading
5 free word translations
Skip the article text

Tap any word to see its translation

. . . . . .
. , . , . . .
. . . , . , .
. : " ." : ", ." : , , . , .
.
¿ ?
¿ ?
¿ ?

Keep reading with translations

Create a free account: 7 days of Pro, then 20 word translations a day or a paid plan.

About this article

Level A1 Reading focus

What you'll learn

present-tense actions, questions with gustar, fish body-part vocabulary

A Spanish A1 classroom observation introduces how a fish moves and breathes in water. It practises present-tense actions, preference questions and words for fins, scales and gills.

After reading

Article learning block

Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.

16 items

Phrases for training

Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.

Un pez en el acuario

new

A fish in the aquarium

The title names the animal and the place where it is observed.

It gives you a simple way to introduce an observation.

Hoy miro un pez naranja

new

Today I look at an orange fish

Miro is the present form of mirar for yo. Hoy places the action in today.

It helps you describe what you are looking at now.

También nada junto a una planta verde

new

It also swims next to a green plant

También adds another action. Junto a means next to.

It helps you add a location to a simple description.

Mi amiga Ana mira el pez conmigo

new

My friend Ana looks at the fish with me

Conmigo means with me. It combines con and mí.

It is useful for saying who does an activity with you.

El pez no es una persona

new

The fish is not a person

No goes before es to make a negative sentence.

It shows a simple way to say what something is not.

Los peces usan branquias para respirar en el agua

new

Fish use gills to breathe in water

Usan is the present form of usar for ellos. Para plus an infinitive explains the purpose of an action.

It connects a fish fact with a useful present-tense pattern.

Key words

Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.

Fins

aletas

fins

Aletas are parts that help a fish move and keep balance in water.

It is a key body-part word for understanding the text.

Gills

branquias

gills

Branquias are the organs fish use to take oxygen from water.

It names the body part behind the main fish fact in the text.

Scales

escamas

scales

Escamas are small hard parts that cover and protect the bodies of many fish.

It adds a useful anatomy word to the fish topic.

Tail

cola

tail

Cola means tail. In this text, the fish moves it from side to side.

It helps you describe a visible part of an animal.

Lungs

pulmones

lungs

Pulmones are the organs people use to breathe air.

It helps you contrast how people and fish breathe.

To move

moverse

to move

Mover means to move something. Moverse means to move oneself, as the fish does in water.

It helps distinguish an action on an object from an action of the subject.

Grammar in context

Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.

Present tense: nada

El pez nada cerca de una piedra grande

The fish swims near a large stone

Nada is the present-tense form of nadar for él, ella or usted. It describes one action happening now or regularly.

It helps you describe what an animal does.

Questions with gustar

¿Te gustan los peces?

Do you like fish?

With gustar, the thing liked is the subject. Te gustan is used with a plural noun such as los peces.

It lets you ask about another person's preferences.

Colour adjective: naranja

El pez es pequeño y naranja

The fish is small and orange

Naranja is used as a colour adjective. It stays the same with a masculine or feminine noun: un pez naranja, una planta naranja.

It helps you describe colour simply.

Present tense: mueve

mueve la cola de un lado a otro

moves its tail from side to side

Mueve is the present-tense form of mover for él, ella or usted. The o changes to ue in this form.

It shows a common stem change in a useful action verb.

Read a book in Spanish

All A1 books

Comments

Log in to leave a comment

Login

No comments yet. Be the first!