Taking a taxi in Mexico
Listen in on a real conversation and then test your comprehension by answering the questions below.
Thank you to ‘Ofcourse Languages for posting this video on ‘You Tube’!
How did the lady stop the taxi?
She waved it down.
What was the name of the hotel where the lady wanted to go?
San Miguel
What is the phrase that means ‘Can you take me (there)?
¿Me puedes llevar?
If there was more than one person wanting a lift how would you change ‘¿Me puede llevar? (Can you take me?) to Can you take us?
¿Nos puede llevar?
What did the driver reply, meaning – ‘of course!’?
¡Claro que sí!
How did the driver say ‘come in!’ or ‘hop in!’?
¡Pásele!
Translate the following: ¿Es el que está cerca de la iglesia de San Miguel?
Is it the one that is close to the San Miguel church?
What do you think, “sí, creo que está a dos calles” means?
Yes I think that it’s two streets away.
Which way is the driver turning? (Aquí damos vuelta a la derecha.)
To the right.
Is the hotel far away and how long will it take to get there?
(Ahorita llegamos, está cerca)
Ahorita = right now, llegamos = we are arriving, está cerca = it is close
How does the taxi driver ask the lady if she’s on holiday?
¿Anda de vacaciones? Andar literally means ‘to walk’ but can sometimes be used like the verb ‘to be’ as it is in this case. Are you on holiday/vacation?
How does the lady say that she has just arrived?
Acabo de llegar. i have just arrived.
NB:
Acabo de + any infinitive is a useful way to say that you’ve just don
e something.
Acabo de comer, I’ve just eaten, acabo de leerlo, I’ve just read it etc.
How does the taxi driver ask where she comes from?
¿De dónde viene? Where are you from? (or literally ‘from where do you come?’.
Where does the lady come from?
Canada
What does ¡Qué bueno que nos visita! mean?
That’s great that you’re visiting us! or literally … How good that to us you visit!
When the driver wants to know how much time it takes to travel from Canada to Mexico, how does he ask this?
¿Cuánto tiempo hace de Canadá a México?
How long does it take? (Casi seis horas)
Nearly six hours.
How many stops on the way, or is that a direct flight?
It’s a direct flight, un vuelo directo.
How long is the lady going to be in Mexico? (Voy a estar como doce días.)
Around 12 days.
Where does the lady’s Mum live?
She lives in Mexico. (Vive aquí. She lives here.)
What two changes In Mexico does the taxi driver mention?
Traffic (tráfico) and pollution (contaminación).
What do you think ¿qué le parece? means?
What do you think? or How does it seem to you?
What is ‘el clima’?
The weather or climate.
Why does the lady like it?
Because she said that it’s not very hot. (no hace mucho calor).
What does ‘no ha llovido’ mean?
It hasn’t rained.
How does the lady say that ‘there was a lot of rain?
Hubo mucha lluvia. She could have also said ‘había mucha lluvia’ but ‘hubo’ is more specific so she is not talking generally but maybe about some specific days that have just gone by.
What does ‘a la izquierda’ mean?
On the left.
What is opposite the hotel?
The hospital. (El hotel está en frente el hospital.)
What does ‘aquí me puede dejar’ mean?
You can drop (leave) me here.
How does the lady ask how much she owes the taxi driver?
¿Cuánto le debo? How much do I owe you?
How does she say ‘here you go’?
Aquí tiene. Here you go. (or literally ‘here you have’)
What common farewell does the taxi driver use?
¡Qué le vaya bien! May it go well with you!
And what about the lady, what was her farewell phrase?
¡Hasta luego! Laters!