Two Kisses or a Handshake: A1 Spanish Reading
Read a simple Spanish story about two kisses, handshakes, and politely asking which greeting feels comfortable.
Dos besos o la mano: una visita a Madrid
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About this article
What you'll learn
Greeting vocabulary, dar la mano, Spain's two-kiss custom, poder with an infinitive, and questions with tú.
An A1 story about a fictional meeting in Madrid that explains common informal and formal greetings without treating them as fixed rules.
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.
dar dos besos
newto greet with two kisses
A set phrase for a common informal greeting in Spain.
It helps you talk about greetings.
dar la mano
newto shake hands
The phrase means to greet someone with a handshake.
Useful in formal and professional situations.
¿Cómo saludamos?
newHow shall we greet each other?
A direct question about a comfortable way to greet.
It helps respect another person's boundaries.
depende de la relación
newdepends on the relationship
«Depender de» says that an answer changes according to a factor.
Useful when there is no single rule for everyone.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
saludo
saludo
greeting
A word or gesture used when meeting another person.
A core word for social situations.
mejilla
mejilla
cheek
The side of the face below the eye.
Needed for describing this greeting.
apretón de manos
apretón de manos
handshake
A greeting in which two people clasp hands.
Useful for describing a formal greeting.
confianza
confianza
trust, familiarity
A feeling of safety and familiarity between people.
It helps describe relationships.
presenta
presenta
introduces
A form of «presentar» used with «él», «ella», or «usted».
Useful when introducing people.
incómodo
incómodo
awkward, uncomfortable
It describes a situation that makes someone feel uncomfortable.
It helps discuss social feelings.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
es común dar dos besos
es común dar dos besos
it is common to greet with two kisses
The impersonal pattern «es + adjective + infinitive» describes an action in general.
It helps describe customs without a general subject.
Este saludo es frecuente
Este saludo es frecuente
This greeting is common
«Este» is masculine singular to agree with «saludo».
It helps you use demonstratives correctly.
Marta le da la mano a Olena
Marta le da la mano a Olena
Marta shakes Olena's hand
The pronoun «le» identifies the person to whom Marta gives her hand.
It helps mark the recipient of an action.
Puedes mirar
Puedes mirar
You can watch
After «puedes», the next verb «mirar» stays in the infinitive.
It helps give simple advice.
¿Prefieres dos besos, un abrazo o la mano?
¿Prefieres dos besos, un abrazo o la mano?
Do you prefer two kisses, a hug, or a handshake?
«Prefieres» is the present-tense form of «preferir» for «tú».
Useful for asking directly about a choice.
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