How to give advice in Spanish
Yo que tú me lo pensaría dos veces antes de dimitir.
“If I were you, I'd think twice before quitting.”
When: Giving your honest opinion to a friend
The moment
Over coffee in a café near Malasaña, a friend tells you they are about to quit their job with nothing else lined up. You hear them out and give your honest advice.
B1 · Unit 2 · Stories & feelings
The lines
If I were you
Spaniards say "yo que tú" plus the conditional where English needs a whole si clause: "Yo que tú me lo pensaría dos veces antes de dimitir." Pensárselo dos veces is to think twice.
Yo que tú me lo pensaría dos veces antes de dimitir.
“If I were you, I'd think twice before quitting.”
When to use it: Giving your honest opinion to a friend
What you’ll hear back: Ya, si lo sé, pero es que no aguanto más. (I know, but I just can't take it any more.)
Have you tried...?
"¿Has probado a...?" plus an infinitive floats an idea without implying they hadn't thought of it: "¿Has probado a hablarlo con tu jefa?" The little a after probado is obligatory.
¿Has probado a hablarlo con tu jefa?
“Have you tried talking to your boss about it?”
When to use it: Suggesting something they may not have considered
What you’ll hear back: No, la verdad es que no me atrevo. (No, honestly I don't dare.)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| A lo mejor deberías esperar | ah loh meh-HOR deh-beh-REE-ahs es-peh-RAR | Maybe you should wait |
A lo mejor deberías esperar a cobrar la paga extra de julio. Maybe you should wait until you get the July bonus. Tip: A lo mejor takes the indicative, unlike quizás or tal vez. | ||
| No vayas a arrepentirte | noh BAH-yahs ah ah-rreh-pen-TEER-teh | Don't go regretting it |
Piénsatelo bien, no vayas a arrepentirte luego. Think it over properly, don't end up regretting it later. Tip: Softens a warning so it sounds caring rather than bossy. | ||
| Consúltalo con la almohada | kon-SOOL-tah-loh kon lah al-moh-AH-dah | Sleep on it |
No decidas nada hoy, consúltalo con la almohada. Don't decide anything today, sleep on it. Tip: The standard Spanish way to say don't decide tonight. | ||
Your objective
Ask a question to understand the problem, suggest one thing they could try, and gently warn them about one risk.
- a question about the problem
- a suggestion
- a gentle warning
Lines that get it done
- ¿Has probado a hablarlo con tu jefa?
- Yo que tú me lo pensaría dos veces antes de dimitir.
- Piénsatelo bien, no vayas a arrepentirte luego. · Think it over properly, don't end up regretting it later.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. Your friend is about to quit on impulse. How do you say you'd think twice?
- Yo que tú me lo pensaría dos veces.
- Yo que ti me lo pensaría dos veces.
- Yo que tú me lo pienso dos veces.
- Si yo era tú me lo pensaría dos veces.
Show the answer
Yo que tú me lo pensaría dos veces.
Yo que tú is followed by the conditional pensaría, and ti never appears in this formula.
2. How do you suggest they try talking it over with their boss?
- ¿Has probado a hablarlo con tu jefa?
- ¿Has probado de hablarlo con tu jefa?
- ¿Has probado hablándolo con tu jefa?
- ¿Has probado que hables con tu jefa?
Show the answer
¿Has probado a hablarlo con tu jefa?
Probar takes a plus an infinitive when you suggest trying something.
3. You want to say "maybe you should wait a bit".
- A lo mejor deberías esperar un poco.
- A lo mejor debas esperar un poco.
- A lo mejor deberías esperando un poco.
- A lo mejor tendrías esperar un poco.
Show the answer
A lo mejor deberías esperar un poco.
A lo mejor keeps the indicative, and deberías is followed by a bare infinitive.