A Sunflower in My Window: Spanish A1
A simple A1 Spanish text about planting a seed, caring for a sunflower, and discovering its many small flowers.
Un girasol en mi ventana
Reading for practice
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The reader plants a sunflower step by step and learns that its yellow head is made of many small flowers.
Pongo tierra en la maceta. Hago un pequeño agujero en el centro. Pongo una semilla dentro y la cubro con tierra.
Ahora riego con poca agua. La tierra queda húmeda, pero no está llena de agua. La semilla necesita agua para empezar a crecer.
Dejo la maceta en un lugar con sol. El girasol necesita mucha luz. Cada día miro la tierra y riego cuando está seca.
Después de unos días, la semilla se abre. Primero aparece una raíz. La raíz crece hacia abajo. Luego sale un tallo verde de la tierra.
Con el tiempo, salen más hojas. El girasol puede crecer mucho. Cuando el tallo es alto, pongo un palo junto al tallo. El palo ayuda a la planta.
Más tarde aparece una cabeza amarilla. Parece una sola flor, pero en realidad tiene muchas flores pequeñas. Las flores del centro pueden formar semillas.
Las semillas de girasol sirven de alimento. También usamos estas semillas para hacer aceite de girasol. Así, una planta del jardín también puede estar en la cocina.
¿Tienes una planta en casa? ¿Qué planta quieres cultivar? ¿Dónde puedes poner una maceta con sol?
About this article
What you'll learn
plant and gardening vocabulary, a sequence of simple actions, the present tense, time links, and contrast
The reader plants a sunflower step by step and learns that its yellow head is made of many small flowers.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
Uso una maceta grande
newI use a large pot
"Usar" means to use something for a purpose.
The phrase helps name the object needed for a task.
Hago un pequeño agujero
newI make a small hole
The simple pattern "hago + object" describes an action and its result.
It is useful in basic instructions.
riego cuando está seca
newI water it when it is dry
"Cuando" gives the time condition: watering happens when the soil is dry.
The phrase describes regular care without unnecessary watering.
pongo un palo junto al tallo
newI place a stick beside the stem
"Junto a" means close beside something.
The phrase combines a practical action with a location.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
Semilla
semilla
seed
The part of a plant from which a new plant can grow.
It is a basic word for planting and growth.
Maceta
maceta
plant pot
A container filled with soil for growing a plant.
It is essential for talking about plants at home or on a balcony.
Tierra
tierra
soil
The material in which a plant's roots grow.
In gardening, "tierra" often means soil.
Húmeda
húmeda
moist
Containing some water, but not completely wet.
The word describes the condition of soil precisely.
Raíz
raíz
root
The part of a plant that usually grows in soil and takes in water.
It is important for describing early plant growth.
Tallo
tallo
stem
The part of a plant that supports its leaves and flowers.
It is a key word for describing plant structure.
Aceite de girasol
aceite de girasol
sunflower oil
Cooking oil made from sunflower seeds.
It connects plant vocabulary with a familiar food product.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
First person present
Hoy planto una semilla de girasol.
Today I plant a sunflower seed.
"Planto" means "I plant". The ending "-o" often marks the speaker's action.
The pattern lets you describe your own actions.
A relative clause with "que"
el agua que sobra
the water that is left over
"Que sobra" identifies the water: it is the extra water.
"Que" adds a short description to a noun.
The time expression "después de"
Después de unos días
after a few days
"Después de" is followed by a noun or a time phrase.
It helps show the order of events.
Contrast with "pero"
Parece una sola flor, pero en realidad tiene muchas flores pequeñas.
It looks like one flower, but it actually has many small flowers.
"Pero" links an appearance to a contrasting fact.
Use it when reality differs from a first impression.
"Querer" plus an infinitive
¿Qué planta quieres cultivar?
What plant do you want to grow?
After "quieres", the next verb stays in the infinitive: "cultivar".
The pattern asks about wishes and plans.
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