Spanish · 0:57 · Part 3 of 4

The Open Window: Drying the floor

Drying the floor. Listen to part 3 of The Open Window, a short Spanish story with English translations and a reply to practice.

By Fabling · A shared lesson, free to watch

Read along below

Play when you’re ready. Subtitles are available in the player.

Read and understand

Spanish from the video

Read the Spanish, then check its English meaning. Listen again when you want to hear the phrasing.

0:03

Carlos busca un paño blanco en la cocina para limpiar el agua.

Carlos looks for a white cloth in the kitchen to clean the water.

0:12

Ahora él está secando el suelo mojado con mucho cuidado.

Now he is drying the wet floor very carefully.

0:20

Mientras trabaja con las manos, Carlos está escuchando los sonidos de la calle.

While he works with his hands, Carlos is listening to the sounds of the street.

0:29

Varios coches están pasando frente al edificio con las luces encendidas.

Several cars are passing in front of the building with their lights on.

0:38

Todo parece moverse con un ritmo diferente bajo este cielo oscuro.

Everything seems to move at a different rhythm under this dark sky.

0:46

Carlos termina su trabajo y siente un gran alivio.

Carlos finishes his work and feels a great relief.

A closer look

Listen for estar followed by a gerund, such as está descansando. This combination describes an action in progress.

Listen once before reading the English. Then play the passage again and choose one sentence to say aloud.

Your turn

Try one reply.

What is Carlos doing to the floor? Use estar and a gerund.

Show an example

Carlos está secando el suelo. — Carlos is drying the floor.

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