Making Weekend Plans
Making weekend plans · a free Spanish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
¿Qué planes tienes para el fin de semana?
What plans do you have for the weekend?
Literal What plans do you have for the end of the week?
A common, casual way to ask about someone's weekend plans. 'Fin de semana' literally means 'end of week.'
- 'Tienes' is the tú form of tener (to have)
- 'Para' here means 'for' indicating purpose or time
Podríamos ir al parque si hace buen tiempo.
We could go to the park if the weather is nice.
Literal We could go to the park if it makes good weather.
Uses the conditional tense 'podríamos' to make a gentle suggestion that depends on the weather.
- 'Podríamos' is the conditional nosotros form of poder
- 'Hace buen tiempo' is the standard phrase for good weather
Me gustaría reservar una mesa en ese restaurante nuevo.
I would like to reserve a table at that new restaurant.
Literal To me would please to reserve a table at that new restaurant.
'Me gustaría' is a polite way to express desire, equivalent to 'I would like.' It's used for suggestions or requests.
- 'Me gustaría' uses the conditional of gustar
- 'Reservar' is the infinitive meaning to reserve/book
¿Te gustaría venir con nosotros al museo?
Would you like to come with us to the museum?
Literal To you would it please to come with us to the museum?
A friendly invitation using 'te gustaría' to ask someone's preference about joining an activity.
- 'Te gustaría' uses the indirect object pronoun 'te' for you
- 'Venir' is an irregular verb meaning to come
Prefiero quedarme en casa este sábado.
I prefer to stay home this Saturday.
Literal I prefer to stay myself at home this Saturday.
'Prefiero' expresses a clear personal preference. The reflexive 'quedarme' means to stay (in place).
- 'Prefiero' is the yo form of preferir (an e→ie stem-changer)
- 'Quedarme' is the reflexive form of quedar
Lo siento, ya tengo planes para el domingo.
I'm sorry, I already have plans for Sunday.
Literal I feel it, already I have plans for the Sunday.
A polite way to decline an invitation by explaining you already have commitments.
- 'Lo siento' literally means 'I feel it' and expresses apology
- 'Ya' means already and is placed before the verb
¡Claro que sí! Me encantaría ir con ustedes.
Of course! I would love to go with you all.
Literal Clear that yes! To me it would enchant to go with you all.
'Me encantaría' is stronger than 'me gustaría,' expressing genuine enthusiasm when accepting an invitation.
- 'Me encantaría' is the conditional of encantar, meaning to love (something)
- 'Ustedes' is the plural you, used for a group
¿A qué hora quedamos el sábado por la tarde?
What time shall we meet on Saturday afternoon?
Literal At what hour do we stay/meet Saturday in the afternoon?
'Quedar' used to arrange a meet-up is characteristic of Peninsular Spanish. In Latin America, speakers more commonly use 'encontrarse' or 'verse' to express the same idea.
- 'Quedamos' is the nosotros form of quedar used in Spain to arrange plans
- 'Por la tarde' means in the afternoon or evening
Haremos una barbacoa en el jardín si no llueve.
We will have a barbecue in the garden if it doesn't rain.
Literal We will make a barbecue in the garden if it doesn't rain.
Uses the future tense 'haremos' for a confirmed plan with a conditional clause about the weather.
- 'Haremos' is the future nosotros form of hacer (irregular)
- 'Si no llueve' is a conditional weather clause
Nos vemos el sábado a las tres de la tarde.
We'll see each other Saturday at three in the afternoon.
Literal We see ourselves Saturday at the threes of the afternoon.
A casual, common way to confirm a meeting time. 'Nos vemos' uses the reciprocal reflexive.
- 'Nos vemos' is the reflexive/reciprocal form of ver (to see)
- 'A las tres' means at three o'clock
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
el fin de semana
the weekend
Tengo muchos planes para el fin de semana.
I have many plans for the weekend.
Literally 'end of week'; always used with the definite article
quedar
to meet up / to arrange to meet
¿Quedamos a las cinco?
Shall we meet at five?
In social contexts, quedar means to arrange a meetup, not just 'to stay'
el tiempo
the weather / time
¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?
What's the weather like today?
Context determines whether it means weather or time
reservar
to reserve / to book
Quiero reservar una mesa para dos personas.
I want to book a table for two people.
la propuesta
the suggestion / proposal
Es una buena propuesta para el fin de semana.
That's a good suggestion for the weekend.
preferir
to prefer
Prefiero el cine al teatro.
I prefer the cinema to the theater.
Stem-changing verb: e → ie in most present-tense forms
el plan
the plan
¿Tienes algún plan para mañana?
Do you have any plans for tomorrow?
llover
to rain
Mañana va a llover todo el día.
Tomorrow it's going to rain all day.
Impersonal verb — only used in third-person singular
encantaría
would love (to)
Me encantaría visitar ese museo contigo.
I would love to visit that museum with you.
Conditional of encantar; stronger and more enthusiastic than gustaría
la barbacoa
the barbecue
El domingo haremos una barbacoa en casa.
On Sunday we'll have a barbecue at home.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Elena llama a su amiga Carmen el viernes por la tarde. Le pregunta si tiene planes para el fin de semana y le propone que vayan juntas al mercado de artesanías del barrio. Si hace buen tiempo, podríamos comer algo en la plaza después, dice Elena con entusiasmo. Carmen acepta encantada y le dice que se verán el sábado a las once de la mañana. Las dos amigas están emocionadas porque hace semanas que no se ven.
Sentence by sentence
Le pregunta si tiene planes
She asks her if she has plans
'Le' is an indirect object pronoun referring to Carmen. 'Si' here means 'if/whether,' introducing an indirect question.
le propone que vayan juntas
suggests to her that they go together
'Le propone que' triggers the subjunctive 'vayan.' This is a key structure for suggestions and recommendations.
podríamos comer algo
we could eat something
'Podríamos' is the conditional nosotros form of poder, used here for a casual, non-committal suggestion.
Carmen acepta encantada
Carmen happily agrees
'Encantada' is an adjective meaning delighted/thrilled, agreeing with Carmen (feminine). It adds warmth to the acceptance.
hace semanas que no se ven
they haven't seen each other in weeks
The 'hace + time + que + no + verb' structure expresses how long something hasn't happened.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Conditional Tense for Suggestions (Podríamos / Sería bueno)
Use the conditional tense to make polite suggestions or propose ideas without sounding too direct. 'Podríamos' (we could) and 'sería' (it would be) are the most common forms for group suggestions among friends.
Podríamos + infinitive | Sería + adjective + infinitive | ¿Te/Les gustaría + infinitive?
Podríamos ir a la playa este domingo.
We could go to the beach this Sunday.
Sería bueno reservar con anticipación.
It would be good to book in advance.
¿Te gustaría probar ese restaurante nuevo?
Would you like to try that new restaurant?
Podríamos quedar en el café de siempre.
We could meet at the usual café.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Spanish: What are your plans for the weekend?
Hint Start with '¿Qué' and think about how to say 'plans' and 'weekend'
Translate to English: Me gustaría reservar una mesa en ese restaurante nuevo.
Hint 'Me gustaría' is a polite conditional form
Complete the sentence: ¿Te gustaría venir con nosotros al ___? (museum)
Hint It's a cultural place you visit on weekends
Which sentence best uses the conditional tense for a suggestion?
Rewrite this as a polite suggestion using the conditional tense: Preferimos quedar en casa.
Hint Change the present tense to conditional: preferiríamos
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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