Spanish A1.13 Listening Practice: Make And Can
Spanish A1 listening practice with audio, transcript, key phrases, and a speaking challenge for make and can.
Podcast listening is in beta while creation and discussion tools are refined. This published chapter includes its complete segmented audio and transcript.
Level
A1.13
Audio
Segmented audio
Transcript
23 segments
What to notice while you listen
What you'll understand
Build short guided Spanish sentences from one new pattern at a time.
Use hacer and poder as early high-use verbs to build an original spoken Spanish answer.
New pattern
hacer and poder as early high-use verbs
Practice aloud after listening
Puedo hacerlo manana.
A short Spanish listening chapter with transcript.
Unit 2: add hacer and poder as early high-use verbs to what you already control, then say one short answer that reuses earlier Spanish instead of starting from a memorized phrase.
Read while you listen.
1. Carmen · Teacher
Welcome back! I'm Carmen, your teacher. Today, we are learning two high-frequency verbs: hacer, meaning to do or make, and poder, meaning to be able to or can.
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2. Carmen · Teacher
Listen to this short conversation between Álvaro and Lucía.
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3. Álvaro · Native Speaker 1
¿Qué haces hoy?
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4. Lucía · Native Speaker 2
Hago la comida.
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5. Álvaro · Native Speaker 1
¿Puedes ayudarme hoy?
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6. Lucía · Native Speaker 2
No puedo hoy.
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7. Lucía · Native Speaker 2
Puedo hacerlo mañana.
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8. Carmen · Teacher
Let's look at the first line. Álvaro said: ¿Qué haces hoy? This means 'What are you doing today?' Here, 'haces' means 'you do'.
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9. Diego · Student
So 'haces' is used when asking 'you do' directly?
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10. Carmen · Teacher
Exactly, Diego! 'Haces' is the 'you' form of hacer.
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11. Carmen · Teacher
Next, Lucía answered: Hago la comida. That means 'I make the food.' 'Hago' means 'I do' or 'I make.'
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12. Diego · Student
Is 'hago' always the 'I' form for hacer?
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13. Carmen · Teacher
Yes, 'hago' always means 'I do' or 'I make.'
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14. Carmen · Teacher
Then Álvaro asked: ¿Puedes ayudarme hoy? This means 'Can you help me today?' The word 'puedes' means 'you can.'
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15. Diego · Student
Does 'puedes' come from the verb poder?
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16. Carmen · Teacher
Correct! 'Puedes' is the 'you' form of poder.
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17. Carmen · Teacher
Lucía replied: No puedo hoy. This means 'I cannot today.' 'Puedo' means 'I can.'
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18. Diego · Student
Does putting 'no' right before 'puedo' make it negative?
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19. Carmen · Teacher
Precisely. Put 'no' before 'puedo' to say 'I cannot.'
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20. Carmen · Teacher
Finally, Lucía said our challenge phrase: Puedo hacerlo mañana. This means 'I can do it tomorrow.'
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21. Diego · Student
Why is '-lo' attached to the end of 'hacer' in 'hacerlo'?
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22. Carmen · Teacher
The '-lo' stands for 'it', so 'hacerlo' means 'to do it.'
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23. Carmen · Teacher
Great work today! Keep practicing 'hago', 'haces', and 'puedo' in your daily listening.
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