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Lesson Transcript

Mexican Restaurant, Part 2: Reserving a Table
In the last lesson, we learned how to get a table at a restaurant, but you have to know that sometimes it can be difficult to get a seat, especially on the weekends or in famous restaurants. The best thing to do, is to make a reservation for the time you want to eat.
In this lesson, we'll cover making a reservation at a restaurant.
Normally, you will make a phone call to reserve a table. You would say “I would like to make a reservation for tonight”.
Quiero hacer una reservación para esta noche.
Let’s break it down:
(slow) Qui-e-ro ha-cer una re-ser-va-ción pa-ra es-ta no-che.
Once more:
Quiero hacer una reservación para esta noche.
The first word, quiero is translated as “I would like”. Literally it means “would like.” In Spanish, the subject is not necessary in this sentence.
(slow) Qui-e-ro.
Quiero.
Next we have the word hacer, which is translated in English as “to make”.
(slow) Hacer.
Hacer.
Now the thing we want to make, una reservación, which clearly means “a reservation.”
(slow) Una reservación.
Una reservación.
Next we have para which means “for.”
(slow) Pa-ra.
Para.
The last phrase, esta noche, means "this night". This is how people say “tonight” in Mexico:
(slow) Esta noche.
Esta noche.
Once more:
Quiero hacer una reservación para esta noche.
Normally you’ll be asked “For how many people?” and “What time would you like a table?”
“For how many people?” in Spanish is: ¿Para cuántas personas?
Let’s break it down:
¿Pa-ra cuán-tas per-so-nas?
Once more:
¿Para cuántas personas?
Let’s say you want to reserve a table for three. You’ll answer - “For three people”
Para tres personas.
(slow) Pa-ra tres per-so-nas.
Para tres personas.
First we have para, which means “for”
(slow) Pa-ra.
Para.
Next we have tres, which means “three.”
(slow) Tres.
Tres.
Personas means “people” or “persons”.
Finally, they will ask you the time of your reservation: ¿A qué hora?
Let’s break it down:
(slow) ¿A qué ho-ra?
Once more:
¿A qué hora?
Let’s say you want to reserve a table at eight o’clock. You will say “At eight o’clock.” In Spanish, that is:
A las ocho.
Let’s break it down:
(slow) A las o-cho.
Once more:
A las ocho.
First we have A las, which means “at”.
(slow) A las.
A las.
Next we have ocho, which means “eight.”
(slow) O-cho.
Ocho.
Once more:
A las ocho.
When you want to be more specific with this sentence, you can add de la noche meaning “at night”, de la tarde meaning “in the afternoon”, or de la mañana meaning “in the morning”.
To close out today's lessons, we’d like you to practice what you have just learned. I’ll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you’re responsible for shouting it out loud. You’ll have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so !buena suerte! which means “Good luck!” in Spanish.
“I would like to make a reservation for tonight”
(3 sec) Quiero hacer una reservación para esta noche.
(slow) Qui-e-ro ha-cer una re-ser-va-ción pa-ra es-ta no-che.
Quiero hacer una reservación para esta noche.
“For how many people?”
( 3 sec) ¿Para cuántas personas?
(slow) ¿Pa-ra cuán-tas per-so-nas?
¿Para cuántas personas?
“For three people”
(3 sec) Para tres personas.
(slow) Pa-ra tres per-so-nas.
Para tres personas.
“For what time?”
(3 sec) ¿A qué hora?
(slow) ¿A qué ho-ra?
¿A qué hora?
“For eight o’clock.”
(3 sec) A las ocho.
(slow) A las o-cho.
A las ocho.
Alright! That's going to do it for this lesson. Hasta luego.

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