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The Spanish You Don’t Learn in Textbooks — But See Everywhere

By Lucia Published:

32 min video

Textbook Spanish is a useful foundation, but everyday speech can sound very different. In this video, Lucía explores Spanish you may encounter in real life and helps you notice the gap between a lesson and a conversation.

Watch the lesson

Try it yourself

Keep a short list of unfamiliar expressions as you watch. Replay each one in context, say it aloud, and make your own sentence. Check when and with whom you would use it before adding it to your active vocabulary.

Watch the original lesson on YouTube.

Real-life Spanish signs: bilingual reading companion

This edited Spanish reading companion with English translations follows Lucía’s walk around Seville, from the bus station to the university, cathedral, museum and restaurant menus. It covers the substantive explanations and language examples throughout the video. Repetitions and filler have been shortened for reading; it is not a word-for-word transcript. Brief reading notes clarify contextual translations, objects and visitor information.

Read a chapter, then return to the matching timestamp in the video. The literal glosses help you see how the Spanish phrases work; the English translations also show how we would naturally express the meaning. Lucía’s jokes, preferences and descriptions of her visit remain personal impressions.

0:00 · A walk through real Spanish

  • Hola, soy Lucía de My Daily Spanish. Hoy vamos a pasear juntos por Sevilla, buscando y traduciendo los textos que veamos por la calle para aprender el español que se ve y se escucha en España. Venid conmigo.Hi, I’m Lucía from My Daily Spanish. Today we’ll walk around Seville together, finding and translating the texts we see in the street to learn the Spanish you see and hear in Spain. Come with me.
  • Vamos a intentar entrar en la catedral, visitar un museo y entrar en la Universidad de Sevilla. También miraremos los menús y los textos de bares y restaurantes. Luego tengo que trabajar en la radio, así que veremos si nos da tiempo a todo. Escuchad bien, prestad atención y concentraos para aprender todo lo posible.We’ll try to enter the cathedral, visit a museum and go into the University of Seville. We’ll also read menus and signs in bars and restaurants. I have to work at the radio station later, so we’ll see whether there’s time for everything. Listen carefully, pay attention and concentrate so you can learn as much as possible.
  • Estoy en la estación de autobuses; acabo de llegar desde mi pueblo. Vamos a ver qué textos encontramos aquí.I’m at the bus station; I’ve just arrived from my hometown. Let’s see what texts we find here.

1:02 · Bus bays, a drinks advert and a fire extinguisher

  • Dársena / andénBus bay / platform. Here the labels help you find the numbered place where the bus stops.
  • Máximo sabor, zero azúcarMaximum flavor, zero sugar. The advert writes zero with a z; the ordinary Spanish spelling is cero, with a c.
  • ExtintorFire extinguisher.
  • Rómpase en caso de incendioBreak [the protective glass/panel] in case of fire.

Reading note: Dársena and andén can serve a similar practical purpose in this station, but they are not interchangeable in every setting. A dársena can also be a sheltered dock or a loading area; an andén commonly means a railway platform. The fire notice refers to breaking the protective panel to reach the equipment, not damaging the fire extinguisher.

1:53 · Light shows, travel, ice cream and departures

  • Naturaleza encendida / Real Alcázar de Sevilla / Un tesoro iluminadoNature lit up / Royal Alcázar of Seville / An illuminated treasure. Encendida literally conveys something switched on or lit; this advert is about illumination.
  • El Real Alcázar es un sitio muy bonito de Sevilla. Sigamos: viajar es mi mejor terapia. Viajar es traveling; terapia es therapy.The Royal Alcázar is a very beautiful place in Seville. Let’s continue: “Traveling is my best therapy.” Viajar is “traveling”; terapia is “therapy.”
  • HeladosIce cream. “Lo que más me gusta del mundo”: what I love most in the world!
  • Salida / taquillas / llegadas / salidas / estación de autobusesExit / ticket offices / arrivals / departures / bus station. Estación de autobuses is literally “station of buses.”
  • Vamos en dirección a la catedral para ver si podemos entrar y buscaremos más textos por el camino.Let’s head toward the cathedral to see whether we can get in, finding more texts along the way.

2:55 · Gifts, household goods and word-by-word learning

  • Moni, regalos y hogar / regalos / juguetes / decoración / imanes a 1 €Moni, gifts and home / gifts / toys / decoration / magnets for €1. Moni is the shop’s name; Lucía points out how cheap the magnets are on the day she films.
  • Bodas / bautizos / comuniones / publicidad / todo lo que quieras inventar / y para tener un bonito recuerdoWeddings / baptisms / first communions / advertising / anything you want to invent / and to have a lovely keepsake.
  • Las comuniones y los bautizos son celebraciones católicas en este contexto. El anuncio ofrece recuerdos personalizados para estas ocasiones y otras ideas.The communions and baptisms are Catholic celebrations in this context. The advert offers personalized keepsakes for these occasions and other ideas.
  • Ir traduciéndolo todo me parece un ejercicio buenísimo para aprender qué significa cada cosa. Voy a intentar traduciros palabra por palabra para que lo entendáis bien.I think translating everything as we go is a very good exercise for learning what each thing means. I’ll try to translate word by word so you can understand it well.

Reading note: Recuerdo can mean a memory or a souvenir/keepsake. For a physical personalized gift, “keepsake” is the natural English meaning. Word-by-word glosses help you see the Spanish structure; the natural English sentence may use a different order.

4:10 · Clinics, research slogans and everyday shops

  • Clínica dental / oftalmólogo / se alquilaDental clinic / ophthalmologist (an eye doctor) / for rent.
  • Más investigación, más vidaMore research, more life.
  • Tenemos un gran camino por delanteWe have a long road ahead of us. Word by word: tenemos, “we have”; un gran camino, “a great/long path”; por delante, “ahead of us.”
  • Bebidas / chucherías / regalos / souvenirs / recuerdos / bazarDrinks / sweets or candy / gifts / souvenirs / souvenirs or keepsakes / bazaar or variety shop.
  • En este bazar tienen un poco de todo. Aquí aparece otra frase: alarma con aviso a policía.This bazaar sells a little of everything. Here’s another phrase: “alarm with notification to the police.”

Reading note: Alarma con aviso a policía describes notification to the police; the wording alone does not prove a direct automatic connection to a police station.

5:37 · Home delivery and construction advertising

  • Entrega a domicilio gratisFree home delivery. Entrega is delivery; a domicilio means to your home; gratis means free.
  • Está guay: te lo llevan a casa y no tienes que ir a la tienda. Pero a mí me gusta ir a supermercados y tiendas para ver lo que estoy comprando.That’s nice: they bring it to your home and you don’t have to go to the shop. But I like going to supermarkets and shops to see what I’m buying.
  • Construyendo Sevilla desde 1965Building Seville since 1965. Construyendo means building; desde means since.
  • Esta zona está de obras. Hoy nos viene muy bien mirar anuncios y publicidad. Que sepáis que no hay nadie que nos pague: no estamos haciendo publicidad, simplemente traducimos.This area is under construction. Looking at adverts is useful for today’s lesson. Just so you know, nobody is paying us: we’re simply translating, not making an advertisement.

6:32 · Pedestrian priority and the heat-stress timetable

  • Itinerario ciclista con prioridad de paso peatonalCycle route with pedestrians having right of way. Itinerario ciclista is cycle route; prioridad de paso peatonal means priority for pedestrians.
  • Horario especial por estrés térmicoSpecial timetable due to heat stress.
  • Recogida antes de las 13 y después de las 18 / Gracias por su colaboraciónCollection before 1 p.m. and after 6 p.m. / Thank you for your cooperation. The Spanish notice uses the 24-hour clock: 13:00 is 1 p.m.; 18:00 is 6 p.m.
  • En Sevilla hace muchísimo calor en verano. El aviso evita el período entre la una y las seis de la tarde. Si venís al sur de España en verano, tened cuidado con el calor y buscad sitios de interior o cubiertos.Seville gets very hot in summer. This notice avoids the period between one and six in the afternoon. If you visit southern Spain in summer, be careful in the heat and look for indoor or sheltered places.

Reading note: The 13:00–18:00 window belongs to this collection notice; it is not an exact universal definition of the hottest hours or the time when the sun is highest. Spain’s Ministry of Health recommends reducing physical activity and avoiding outdoor sport during the central hours of hot days.

8:02 · Free entry and a Camino meeting

  • Ya estamos junto a la catedral. Es enorme y la entrada está al otro lado. A ver si podemos entrar y no hay mucha cola. Yo, como soy de Sevilla, puedo entrar gratis con mi DNI. ¡Deseadme suerte!We’re beside the cathedral now. It’s huge and the entrance is on the other side. Let’s see if we can get in without a long queue. As I’m from Seville, I can enter free with my identity card. Wish me luck!
  • Me he encontrado a un seguidor de My Daily Spanish que está haciendo el Camino de Santiago. Lleva ocho días caminando desde Cádiz hasta Sevilla. Ahora continúa hacia Santiago de Compostela; hablamos de que todavía le queda mucho camino, quizá un mes.I’ve met a My Daily Spanish follower who’s walking the Camino de Santiago. He has spent eight days walking from Cádiz to Seville. He’ll continue toward Santiago de Compostela; we talk about the long journey still ahead, perhaps a month.
  • ¡Buen camino!Have a good journey! Literally, “good path.” This is a familiar greeting and wish for pilgrims on the Camino. He thanks Lucy, and we say goodbye.

Reading note: Lucía describes her own successful free admission. The cathedral’s current conditions include people born in or resident in the diocese of Seville, with official proof; a Spanish DNI alone does not entitle every visitor to free entry. The pilgrim’s travel times are his reported experience and a conversational estimate, not a fixed itinerary.

9:17 · The Giralda and a change of plan

  • Parece que esta puerta está cerrada. Busquemos otra entrada. Mirad la Giralda, la torre de la catedral. La entrada está aquí… ¡Socorro, hay mucha cola!This door seems closed. Let’s look for another entrance. Look at the Giralda, the cathedral’s tower. The entrance is here… Help, there’s a long queue!
  • Visita cultural / Catedral de SevillaCultural visit / Seville Cathedral.
  • La chica de la entrada me ha dicho que abren a las once para los sevillanos que entran con DNI. Mientras esperamos, vamos a echar un vistazo a la Universidad de Sevilla y a los textos del camino. Es muy bonita; ahora os la enseño.The woman at the entrance told me they open at eleven for people from Seville entering with their ID. While we wait, we’ll look at the University of Seville and signs along the way. It’s very beautiful; I’ll show you shortly.

Reading note: Eleven o’clock is what Lucía was told on the filmed day. Entry points and times can change for worship, capacity and events; check the cathedral’s current information when planning a visit.

10:19 · Wax warnings, car insurance and a beach rhyme

  • Atención motorista: cera en el pavimentoMotorcyclists, beware: wax on the road surface.
  • Creo que lo ponen por la Semana Santa. Los penitentes llevan velas en las procesiones religiosas; la cera cae al suelo y puede cubrir las calles por las que pasan. ¡Ups!I think they put this up for Holy Week. Penitents carry candles in religious processions; the wax falls onto the ground and can cover the streets they pass through. Oops!
  • Tu coche en buenas manos / Asegúralo ahoraYour car in good hands / Insure it now.
  • El planazo del verano está en Burger KingA great summer outing awaits at Burger King. Literally, “the fantastic plan of the summer is at Burger King.” Planazo makes plan sound especially exciting or appealing.
  • Sevilla, tu playa está en MelillaSeville, your beach is in Melilla. The two city names rhyme in this tourism advert.
  • Melilla es una ciudad española en el norte de África, junto a Marruecos. Los sevillanos solemos ir a playas de Huelva o Cádiz porque están cerca; en el vídeo calculo alrededor de una hora para llegar a algunas de esas playas.Melilla is a Spanish city in North Africa, adjoining Morocco. People from Seville often go to beaches in Huelva or Cádiz because they’re nearby; in the video I estimate around an hour to reach some of those beaches.
  • Próxima salida con destino a…Next departure to… The display gives a destination and the minutes remaining, although the screen is hard to read on camera.

Reading note: In the car-insurance advert, asegurar means “to insure.” The video’s English “secure it” is too general for that context. The beach advert is a slogan; journey times depend on the beach, route and traffic. Melilla is on the North African coast and borders Morocco, rather than being a separate place geographically north of Morocco.

12:42 · Welcome to the University of Seville

  • Esta es la Universidad de Sevilla, uno de sus edificios. Para mí es el más bonito: era la antigua fábrica de tabacos. Si no lo habéis visto, os recomiendo el vídeo en el que os hago un tour por Sevilla y explico la fábrica, la universidad y la catedral.This is one of the University of Seville’s buildings. For me it’s the most beautiful: it used to be the tobacco factory. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend my Seville tour video explaining the factory, university and cathedral.
  • La US te da la bienvenidaThe University of Seville welcomes you. US is Universidad de Sevilla here. Te da la bienvenida is literally “gives you the welcome.”
  • La universidad de los que sabenThe university of those who know. Los que saben means “those who know.” I joke that they know it’s cool here.
  • Ahora están terminando los exámenes y ya no hay clases, así que habrá poca gente. ¡Es preciosa! Imagina estudiar aquí. Venga, busquemos textos: me estoy distrayendo.Exams are finishing and classes have ended, so there probably won’t be many people. It’s beautiful! Imagine studying here. Come on, let’s look for texts: I’m getting distracted.
  • Patrimonio de la Universidad de SevillaHeritage of the University of Seville.

Reading note: The old Royal Tobacco Factory houses university offices and several faculties; it is not the university’s entire campus. The quiet courtyard and exam schedule describe the day of filming.

14:01 · A bank slogan and old factory doors

  • Aquí hay una oficina del banco Santander con un anuncio: querer es tener. Es una versión publicitaria de querer es poder.There’s a Santander bank office with the advert “wanting is having.” It plays on querer es poder, literally “wanting is being able to,” comparable to “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
  • Prohibido fumar en este centroNo smoking in this building/facility. Literally, “smoking is forbidden in this center.”
  • Todavía conservan puertas y carteles de la fábrica antigua. Aquí pone electricista, y sigue habiendo un aviso de alta tensión y peligro de muerte.They still have old factory doors and signs. This one says “electrician,” and there’s still a warning about high voltage and danger of death.
  • Electricista / Alta tensión. Peligro de muerte / Inspección de talleres / RetreteElectrician / High voltage. Danger of death / Workshop inspection / Toilet or WC.
  • La antigua inspección de talleres ahora son baños. Supongo que esos talleres eran las salas donde elaboraban cigarros a mano. Retrete significa váter o WC. Me llama la atención este cartel antiguo; hoy suelo ver aseos o servicios en los letreros.The old workshop-inspection area is now used for toilets. I suppose those workshops were rooms where cigars were made by hand. Retrete means toilet or WC. This old sign catches my attention; nowadays I tend to see aseos or servicios on signs.

Reading note: Retrete is still a valid Spanish word for a toilet; Lucía’s contrast concerns the old sign and the labels she commonly sees today. Alta tensión means high voltage in this electrical warning, rather than emotional “high tension.”

15:51 · Restricted access, steps and meeting points

  • Zona académica. Acceso solo para personas de la comunidad universitariaAcademic area. Access only for members of the university community.
  • Palabra por palabra: zona académica, academic area; acceso, access; solo, only; para personas, for people; de la comunidad universitaria, of the university community. Me gusta enseñar así porque ayuda a entender cómo funciona el idioma. Aquí no podemos entrar porque el acceso es solo para la comunidad universitaria.Word by word: zona académica, academic area; acceso, access; solo, only; para personas, for people; de la comunidad universitaria, of the university community. I like teaching this way because it helps you understand how the language works. We can’t enter this area because access is restricted to the university community.
  • Está guay sentarte en el patio con tus amigos y hablar tranquilamente de las clases. Mirad la paloma que tiene ese señor de la estatua en la cabeza: me hace mucha gracia.It’s nice to sit in the courtyard with friends and chat about classes. Look at the pigeon on that statue’s head: it makes me laugh.
  • Prohibido el pasoNo entry. Paso can mean a step: un paso, dos pasos, tres pasos. Here it refers to passing or entering, which is forbidden.
  • Punto de encuentroMeeting point / assembly point, depending on the sign’s safety context. Literally, “point of meeting.”
  • Volvamos a la catedral. Veo que la puerta está abierta, aunque ya se está formando una cola.Let’s return to the cathedral. I can see the door is open, although a queue is already forming.

17:35 · Identity-card words and the cathedral entrance

  • Mientras entramos, ¿queréis ver mi foto del DNI? Aquí pone Reino de España y Documento Nacional de Identidad. Miro mi foto y pienso: ¿quién es esta?While we’re going in, do you want to see my ID photo? It says “Kingdom of Spain” and “National Identity Document.” I look at my photo and think: who is this?
  • Reino de España / Documento Nacional de IdentidadKingdom of Spain / National Identity Document (national ID card).
  • Ya estamos dentro de la catedral. Busquemos textos interesantes, aunque está un poco oscuro.We’re inside the cathedral. Let’s look for interesting texts, although it’s a little dark.
  • Solo entrada / Salida en el Patio de los Naranjos / PrivadoEntrance only / Exit through the Orange Tree Courtyard / Private.
  • Solo entrada significa que no se sale por esta puerta. La salida está en el patio de los naranjos. ¿Qué creéis que significa privado? ¡Private, muy bien!Entrance only means you can’t leave through this door. The exit is through the orange-tree courtyard. What do you think privado means? Private, very good!

18:40 · Circumnavigation, alarms and cathedral vocabulary

  • La primera vuelta al mundoThe first circumnavigation of the world. Literally, the first journey around the world.
  • La primera vuelta al mundo la completó un barco de una expedición española. ¡Cómo os quedáis!A ship from a Spanish expedition completed the first circumnavigation. What do you think of that!
  • Pulsador de alarma / No tocar / Altar mayor / CoroAlarm pushbutton / Do not touch / High altar or main altar / Choir area.
  • Un pulsador es aquí un botón que se pulsa. Todo es precioso, pero sigamos buscando textos. Aquí está el sepulcro de Cristóbal Colón.A pulsador is a button you press here. Everything is beautiful, but let’s keep finding texts. Here is Christopher Columbus’s tomb.
  • Sepulcro de Cristóbal ColónTomb of Christopher Columbus. Tumba is another word for a tomb; sepulcro sounds more formal.

Reading note: The ship was the Victoria, which returned in 1522 from the expedition supported by the Spanish Crown. Coro can mean the singers, but the cathedral sign identifies the physical choir area. Pulsador and botón overlap for this pushbutton, not for every possible meaning of either word.

19:40 · Treasure, crowns, crosses and an urn

  • Tesoro / Espacio de oración y silencioTreasury or treasure / Space for prayer and silence.
  • Vamos a buscar el tesoro, que el cartel decía que había uno. ¿Será esta pieza? Spoiler: no es esta, pero es preciosa y me recuerda a la parte de arriba de la Giralda.Let’s find the treasure, since the sign said there was some. Could it be this object? Spoiler: it isn’t this one, but it’s beautiful and reminds me of the top of the Giralda.
  • Ayúdanos a proteger el arte / No utilice flashHelp us protect the art / Do not use flash.
  • Creo que aquí está el tesoro. ¡Cuánto dorado! Intentemos aprender por lo menos tres palabras: este vocabulario puede resultar difícil incluso para algunos españoles.I think this is the treasury. So much gold color! Let’s try to learn at least three words: this vocabulary can be difficult even for some Spaniards.
  • Donado por Alfonso X el Sabio / donación / corona / cruz / urnaDonated by Alfonso X the Wise / donation / crown / cross / urn or casket.
  • Alfonso X era un rey. Una corona es a crown. Esta forma es una cruz, aunque esta tiene dos travesaños. Ya hemos encontrado nuestras tres palabras, y otra más: urna.Alfonso X was a king. A corona is a crown. This shape is a cross, although this one has two crossbars. We’ve found our three words and one more: urna.
  • En el vídeo explico urna pensando en un recipiente para las cenizas de una persona fallecida; también digo que tiene otros significados.In the video I explain urna by thinking of a container for the ashes of someone who has died; I also mention that it has other meanings.

Reading note: The video says “todo de oro” (“all gold”), but the cathedral collection includes silver, gilded silver and other materials. A gold-colored surface does not establish solid gold. Urna has several meanings, including a container for ashes or precious objects. This particular exhibit is labelled Urna del Jueves Santo: the cathedral identifies it as a liturgical Holy Thursday casket, rather than a container for human ashes. Here “casket” or “liturgical urn” fits the object.

21:51 · Giralda rules, a receipt and the free guide

  • Acceso / Normas específicas de seguridad para la visita a la GiraldaAccess / Specific safety rules for visiting the Giralda. Normas means rules here; seguridad means safety.
  • La Giralda es la torre: se entra y se sube andando, sube que te sube. Ya subí en el vídeo del tour de Sevilla, así que hoy no subiré. ¡No, gracias! Hay muchas excursiones de niños de colegios.The Giralda is the tower: you enter and walk up, up and up. I already climbed it in the Seville tour video, so I’m not going up today. No, thank you! There are lots of school groups.
  • Todavía tengo la entrada en la mano. Vamos a utilizarla para aprender palabras que veréis a menudo.I still have the ticket in my hand. Let’s use it to learn words you’ll see frequently.
  • Visita turística / Factura simplificada / IVA / Total / Forma de pago / EfectivoTourist visit / Simplified invoice or receipt / VAT (value-added tax) / Total / Method of payment / Cash.
  • La entrada me salió gratis: le di cero euros en efectivo. ¡Toma! No hay nada. Aprovecho este paisaje bonito para recordaros nuestra guía gratuita de My Daily Spanish, desde principiante hasta avanzado. Podéis descargarla desde la descripción del vídeo o escanear el código QR que aparece.My admission was free: I gave them zero euros in cash. Here you are! There’s nothing. I’ll use this beautiful setting to remind you about the free My Daily Spanish guide, from beginner to advanced. Download it through the video description or scan the QR code shown.
  • Nos queda el museo y mirar los bares y restaurantes. Vamos al museo primero. ¡Qué ruido por aquí!We still have the museum and the bars and restaurants to see. Let’s head to the museum first. It’s noisy here!

Reading note: IVA stands for Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido, value-added tax. Efectivo means cash, not “effective,” in the payment field. The free ticket is Lucía’s personal admission on the filmed visit.

23:47 · A secret advert and the Fine Arts Museum

  • El mejor secreto de Sevilla está más cerca de lo que creesSeville’s best secret is closer than you think. Word by word: el mejor secreto, the best secret; está más cerca, is closer; de lo que crees, than you think.
  • Estamos en la plaza del Museo; ahí está el museo y su entrada. La fachada es preciosa. Entremos a ver qué encontramos.We’re in Museum Square; there’s the museum and its entrance. The facade is beautiful. Let’s go inside and see what we find.
  • Horario de aperturaOpening hours.
  • El museo es precioso. Me recuerda a una casa antigua enorme, con patios, como una casa andaluza tradicional. Os recomiendo mucho visitarlo.The museum is beautiful. It reminds me of a huge old house with courtyards, like a traditional Andalusian home. I highly recommend visiting.

Reading note: The house comparison is Lucía’s impression of its architecture. The Museo de Bellas Artes occupies the former Convento de la Merced Calzada, rather than an ordinary private house.

24:58 · Museum directions and painting titles

  • Exposición permanente / Ascensores / Escalera / Biblioteca / ItinerarioPermanent exhibition / Lifts or elevators / Stairs or staircase / Library / Route or itinerary.
  • Niño Jesús dormido / El vendedor de bebidas / Cristo atado a la columna / El milagro de las abejasSleeping Infant Jesus / The Drinks Seller / Christ Tied to the Column / The Miracle of the Bees.
  • En El vendedor de bebidas vemos al vendedor trabajando. En El milagro de las abejas señalo las abejas cerca de la boca del niño.In The Drinks Seller we see the seller at work. In The Miracle of the Bees I point out the bees near the child’s mouth.
  • Santa Lucía: ¡santa yo! Es la patrona de las personas ciegas y de la vista; por eso se representa con ojos en una bandeja.Saint Lucy: Saint Me! She is a patron saint of blind people and eyesight; that is why she is depicted with eyes on a tray.
  • Pintura medieval / Retrato / Retrato de su hijo Jorge Manuel / AutorretratoMedieval painting / Portrait / Portrait of his son Jorge Manuel / Self-portrait.
  • Retrato es una palabra que veréis mucho en un museo. Señalo el retrato de Jorge Manuel, el hijo de El Greco. Autorretrato es el retrato que un artista hace de sí mismo.Retrato is a word you’ll see often in a museum. I point out the portrait of Jorge Manuel, El Greco’s son. An autorretrato is a self-portrait made by the artist.

Reading note: Exposición is “exhibition” in this museum context. Medieval painting is the heading for one section; it does not classify all the artworks shown later as medieval. The bees depict a religious story associated with Saint Ambrose.

26:35 · Please do not lean on the tiles

  • Se ruega no tocar ni apoyarse en los azulejos. Gracias.Please do not touch or lean on the tiles. Thank you.
  • Se ruega es una fórmula formal para pedir algo con educación. No tocar es don’t touch; ni apoyarse, or lean; en los azulejos, on the tiles.Se ruega is a formal, polite request. No tocar means don’t touch; ni apoyarse means or lean; en los azulejos means on the tiles.
  • Ya hemos visitado el museo. Ahora veremos bares y restaurantes para aprender unas palabritas más. Después me voy a la radio: tengo que trabajar.We’ve visited the museum. Now we’ll look at bars and restaurants to learn a few more words. Afterward I’m off to the radio station: I have to work.

Reading note: The video breaks the phrase into literal pieces, including “we beg you.” The natural English notice is “please do not…”; se ruega does not literally identify a “we” subject.

27:10 · A terrace menu and its highlights

  • Aquí hay una terraza junto a la calle. Ya hace mucho calor para sentarse fuera, pero un sistema lanza una neblina de agua que parece humito y refresca a quienes pasan por debajo.Here’s a terrace beside the street. It’s already very hot to sit outside, but a system releases a fine water mist that looks like a little smoke and cools people passing underneath.
  • Destacados del menú / Ensaladas / Tomate con burrata / Pimientos asados / Ensalada CésarMenu highlights / Salads / Tomato with burrata / Roasted peppers / Caesar salad.
  • La burrata es un queso. ¡Los pimientos asados están buenísimos! Hay distintos tipos de ensalada.Burrata is a cheese. Roasted peppers are delicious! There are several kinds of salad.
  • Platos calientes / Tortilla de patatas / Albóndigas caseras / Espinacas con garbanzos / CervezaHot dishes / Potato omelette / Homemade meatballs / Spinach with chickpeas / Beer.
  • ¡Qué buena la tortilla! Cerveza es una palabra muy importante para mucha gente. Busquemos más bares.Potato omelette is so good! Cerveza is a very important word for many people. Let’s find more bars.

Reading note: The visible spray is a mist of small liquid-water droplets; the video calls it vapor de agua conversationally. Pimientos asados naturally translates as roasted peppers.

28:14 · Snails, reserved tables and takeaway

  • CaracolesSnails. I feel sorry for them, but people eat snails here; the drawing helps you work out the meaning.
  • Son las doce y muchos bares todavía no han abierto. Aquí solemos comer alrededor de las dos.It’s noon and many of the bars we pass haven’t opened yet. We tend to have lunch around two here.
  • Nuestra carta / Reservado / Desayunos / Cervezas, vinos y tapasOur menu / Reserved or booked / Breakfasts / Beers, wines and tapas.
  • Una mesa que pone reservado está guardada para otras personas: no os sentéis allí.A table marked reservado is being kept for other people: don’t sit there.
  • Para llevar / Productos ibéricosTo go or takeaway / Iberian products. On this shop’s sign, the products are items such as ham and chorizo.

Reading note: Carta means menu here, rather than a letter. Productos ibéricos refers to Iberian cured meats in this shop’s sign.

29:16 · Dutch food, off-menu dishes and stews

  • Disfruta del sabor de Holanda / Nuestra carta holandesaEnjoy the taste of Holland / Our Dutch menu.
  • Entrantes / Pregunte por los fueras de cartaStarters / Ask about the off-menu dishes or specials.
  • Muchos bares y restaurantes tienen platos fuera de carta, que cambian según la temporada. Podéis preguntar si tienen algo fuera de carta. Es útil saberlo.Many bars and restaurants offer dishes that aren’t on the regular menu, and may change with the season. You can ask whether they have anything off the menu. That’s useful to know.
  • Taberna / Guisos caseros / PescadosTavern / Homemade or home-style stews / Fish dishes.
  • Los guisos son muy tradicionales. A mí me recuerdan a la comida que te prepara tu madre o tu abuela; en este cartel también los ofrece una taberna.Stews are very traditional. They remind me of meals your mother or grandmother makes; this tavern’s sign offers them too.

Reading note: The sign uses the shortened noun phrase los fueras de carta; a clear learner phrase is los platos fuera de carta. Holandesa means Dutch, not Polish. The video associates guisos with home cooking and says they are often not served in restaurants; that is a personal contrast, not a restriction—restaurants and taverns also serve stews.

30:26 · App offers, coming soon and a napkin slogan

  • Ofertas exclusivas / Solo para ti / Pide a tu ritmo / Ahorra tiempo / Desde la app / Acumula puntos con cada pedidoExclusive offers / Just for you / Order at your own pace / Save time / From the app / Earn points with every order.
  • Pide a tu ritmo: palabra por palabra es como order at your rhythm; en inglés natural decimos order at your own pace. Acumula puntos significa ir reuniendo puntos por cada pedido.Pide a tu ritmo is like “order at your rhythm” word by word; natural English is “order at your own pace.” Acumula puntos means accumulating points for each order.
  • Tengo que irme, pero busquemos otro bar. Ahí pone próximamente. Incluso las servilletas dicen algo: creciendo contigo.I have to leave, but let’s find another bar. That sign says próximamente. Even the napkins have something to say: creciendo contigo.
  • Próximamente / Creciendo contigoComing soon / Growing with you.

Reading note: Creciendo contigo is growing with you, which can describe a business growing alongside customers, rather than necessarily a child growing up.

31:18 · Fresh food, a cold caña and the house specialty

  • Fresco / De temporadaFresh / Seasonal or in season.
  • Nos gusta que lo que consumimos sea fresco y de temporada. ¡Eso está muy bien!We like the things we consume to be fresh and in season. That’s great!
  • La caña más fríaThe coldest glass of beer. La más fría is the superlative “the coldest,” rather than just “colder.”
  • Cruzcampo es una marca de cerveza de Sevilla. Una caña es un vaso de cerveza, más o menos de este tamaño. Una tapa es una porción pequeña de comida; plato puede significar dish o plate, según el contexto.Cruzcampo is a beer brand from Seville. A caña is a glass of beer, about the size I show. A tapa is a small portion of food; plato can mean a dish or a plate, depending on the context.
  • ¿Cuál es la especialidad de la casa?What’s the house specialty? In a bar or restaurant, la casa refers to that establishment.
  • La especialidad de la casa sería la especialidad del bar o del restaurante, pero usan casa en esta expresión. Ya me tengo que ir: no da tiempo a visitar más bares. Si queréis seguir aprendiendo, al final del vídeo recomiendo otra historia de Sevilla con subtítulos en inglés y español. ¡Nos vemos, chao!The house specialty is the specialty of the bar or restaurant, but casa is used in this expression. I have to go now: there’s no time for more bars. If you want to keep learning, at the end of the video I recommend another Seville story with English and Spanish subtitles. See you, bye!

Reading note: A caña commonly means a glass of draught beer in Spain; its size varies, so the gesture is not a universal volume measure. A tapa is the food portion, not simply the physical plate.

Sources for the reading notes

Language, collection and visitor details checked in October 2026: RAE: dársena; RAE: andén; RAE: asegurar; RAE: urna; RAE: coro; RAE: retrete; RAE: caña; Seville Cathedral admission; the cathedral’s metalwork collection; the Treasury and Holy Thursday casket; the Victoria’s circumnavigation; University of Seville building history; the museum’s former convent and courtyards; the Valdés Leal painting cycle; Saint Lucy and eyesight; Ministry of Health heat recommendations; the tax agency’s IVA explanation.

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