The cobbler's phone call (A1)
Andrés wants to phone Mrs. León and tell her that her black shoes are ready at his shop in Zaragoza. A short Spanish story for level A1.
El teléfono de la zapatería
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
What you'll learn
Present tense, the verb querer, and simple words for a phone call at work
Andrés, a cobbler in Zaragoza, wants Mrs. León to know her black shoes are ready on the shelf with her name. The first call does not connect. He dials again, she says she will come today, and he does not mention a price. He notes in the order book that she has been told.
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.
Buenos días, Empresa García, le habla María
newGood morning, Company García, this is María speaking
Standard professional phone greeting: greet, state the company name, then your name.
This phrase is the foundation of professional phone communication.
¿En qué puedo ayudarle?
newHow can I help you?
Polite offer to help after the greeting.
Use this phrase to offer your help to the caller.
Un momento, por favor
newOne moment, please
Polite request for the caller to wait on the line.
Use this when you need to put someone on hold or transfer the call.
Gracias por llamar, que tenga un buen día
newThank you for calling, have a nice day
Polite farewell after ending the call.
Use this phrase for a professional call closing.
Primero marcamos el número cuidadosamente
newFirst, we carefully dial the number
Phrase describing a sequence of actions for making a call.
Useful for describing any sequence of actions at work.
Le atiende [nombre]
new[Name] at your service
Polite phrase showing you are helping the customer.
Use to show the customer you are ready to help.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
receiver
el auricular
receiver / handset
Part of the phone held to the ear. In older phones, separate from the base.
Essential word for describing phone parts.
speakerphone
el altavoz
speakerphone / loudspeaker
Mode where voice is heard without the handset — useful for conference calls.
Useful for group communication or when your hands are busy.
to transfer
transferir
to transfer (a call)
To direct a call to another employee. Transitive verb.
Essential verb for office communication.
to press
presionar
to press
To push a button or key. Common in office settings.
Needed for describing how to use equipment.
message
el mensaje
message / note
A record of information passed to someone. Also "mensaje de voz" for voicemail.
Useful for describing communication.
tone of voice
el tono de voz
tone of voice
How the voice sounds — warm, cold, polite, aggressive.
Critical for professional communication.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
Es necesario — necessity
Es necesario saber usarlo correctamente
It is necessary to do something
Structure "es necesario + infinitive" expresses necessity. "Es necesario saber usarlo" = "It is necessary to know how to use it".
Use to express that something needs to be done.
Imperatives: conteste, marque, presione
conteste, marque, presione
Verb command form (commands)
Verbs "conteste" (answer), "marque" (dial), "presione" (press) are imperative forms for "usted". Standard office commands.
Use for polite commands at work: "Marque el número", "Presione el botón".
Le — polite pronoun
le habla, le atiende
Le = to you (formal)
Pronoun "le" is used for formal "you" in Spanish. "Le habla" = "speaking to you". This is different from "él/ella habla".
Use "le" for professional communication instead of "tú".
Read a book in Spanish
All A1 books
Comments
Log in to leave a comment
LoginNo comments yet. Be the first!