Potted plants: basil on a windowsill (A1)
Lucía has no garden, only a window. She pots basil and mint, learns not to overwater, and keeps a cactus in a dry corner.
Plantas en macetas
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 and plant words: maceta, tierra, raíces, regar, cactus and fotosíntesis.
Lucía wants basil for cooking and only has a window. She buys clay, ceramic and plastic pots, plants basil and mint in dark soil, and puts a cactus in a dry corner. She learns not to overwater, because too much water rots the roots, and she keeps the herbs in the morning sun for photosynthesis.
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.
Plantas en macetas
newPlants in pots
Main title of the article about growing plants in pots.
Opens the article topic and teaches a basic phrase.
Es importante regarlas regularmente
newIt is important to water them regularly
Uses «es importante + infinitive» to express importance of an action.
Useful structure for giving care advice.
No hay que poner mucha agua
newYou should not put too much water
«No hay que + infinitive» means one must not or you should not.
Teaches how to express prohibitions and advice.
El sol es muy importante
newThe sun is very important for plants
The adjective «importante» agrees with the noun in gender and number.
Teaches new vocabulary and adjective agreement.
Se pueden plantar albahaca
newYou can plant basil
«Se pueden + infinitive» is a passive construction meaning can be done.
Teaches a useful passive construction.
Cuidar plantas es un hobby relajante
newCaring for plants is a relaxing hobby
«Es + adjective + noun» — simple structure for describing activities.
Teaches how to describe hobbies with a simple structure.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
maceta — pot
maceta
A container for plants
«Maceta» is a pot for flowers or plants. Used for indoor plants.
Central word of the article about potted plants.
tierra — soil
tierra
Earth/soil for plants
«Tierra» in the plant context means soil. «Buena y negra» means good and black.
Important word for understanding plant care.
regar — to water
regar
Watering plants
«Regar» means to water plants. An essential verb for plant care.
Essential word for the plant care topic.
raíces — roots
raíces
Underground part of a plant
«Raíces» are the underground part. Too much water causes root rot.
Teaches plant anatomy and danger of overwatering.
fotosíntesis — photosynthesis
fotosíntesis
Process of converting light to energy
«Fotosíntesis» is the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.
A scientific word worth knowing at A1 level.
hierbas aromáticas — aromatic herbs
hierbas aromáticas
Herbs with strong scent for cooking
«Hierbas aromáticas» are herbs like basil, parsley, mint. Used in cooking.
Useful for food and cooking vocabulary.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
Present tense: regular actions
Las plantas necesitan agua
Plants need water
The verb «necesitar» in present tense. Asserts existence of a need.
Teaches basic present tense structure.
Present tense: processes
Las plantas hacen fotosíntesis
Plants do photosynthesis
The verb «hacer» in present tense to describe processes.
Teaches how to describe processes in present tense.
Se puede construction
Se pueden plantar albahaca
You can plant basil
«Se pueden plantar» is a passive construction. «Se» + verb in third person plural.
Teaches how to express possibility of an action.
Modal verb poder
Pueden vivir en lugares secos
Can live in dry places
«Pueden vivir» uses the modal verb «poder» + infinitive. Expresses ability.
Teaches the modal verb for expressing ability.
Read a book in Spanish
All A1 books
Comments
Log in to leave a comment
LoginNo comments yet. Be the first!