Spanish · C2 · Family moment
Keepsakes and Their Stories in Spanish
This guide focuses on high-level conversational Spanish for parents discussing meaningful belongings with their children. It emphasizes the use of 'left dislocation,' a stylistic choice where a topic is introduced first, followed by a pronoun that repeats or refers back to it, helping to emphasize the emotional importance of the object.
What you'll learn
- Master conversational left dislocation to emphasize specific objects.
- Express sentimental value and attachment using nuanced Spanish.
- Practice discussing personal boundaries and shared memories regarding keepsakes.
- Navigate case matching between the dislocated topic and the resumptive pronoun.
Spanish phrases for keepsakes and their stories
El cuaderno de dibujos de la abuela—eso me gustaría que lo guardáramos.
Grandma's sketchbook—that's something I'd like us to keep.
Uses 'eso' and the object pronoun 'lo' to refer back to the sketchbook for emphasis.
Esas fotos antiguas del equipo—esas me importan más que las medallas.
Those old team photos—they mean more to me than the medals.
'Importar' functions like 'gustar'; the dislocated 'fotos' is resumed by 'esas'.
Tu primer cómic—ese no lo tiraría nunca sin preguntarte.
Your first comic—that I'd never throw away without asking you.
Uses the conditional 'tiraría' and the redundant 'lo' required by Spanish syntax in this structure.
Esa pulsera de la amistad—¿aún significa algo para ti?
That friendship bracelet—does it still mean something to you?
A simple topic introduction before the question.
La maqueta que hiciste con el abuelo—esa merece el lugar que tú elijas.
The model you built with Grandpa—that deserves a place you choose.
Formalizing the choice with the subjunctive 'elijas' to show it's the child's decision.
Tu colección—¿qué te gustaría hacer con ella ahora?
Your collection—what would you like to do with it now?
Resumes the topic with 'ella' (prepositional pronoun).
Esa caja de cartas—podemos mirarla juntos cuando tú estés listo.
That box of letters—we can look through it together whenever you're ready.
'Estés' is in the subjunctive because the time is undetermined.
Las cosas que ya se te han quedado pequeñas—esas las podemos pasar a otros sin perder los recuerdos.
The things you've outgrown—those we can pass on without losing the memories.
'Quedarse pequeño' is the natural way to say 'outgrown' in Spanish.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Cuaderno de dibujos
Sketchbook
Literally 'notebook of drawings'.
Medallas
Medals
Often used for sports or academic achievements.
Maqueta
Scale model
Used for things like model airplanes or architectural miniatures.
Quedarse pequeño
To outgrow
Commonly used for clothes or toys that a child is now too big for.
Conversational Left Dislocation
In Spanish, to emphasize a topic, we place it at the start of the sentence, separated by a slight pause. If the topic is an object, a resumptive pronoun (lo, la, los, las) or a demonstrative (ese, esa) must be used in the main clause to maintain grammatical flow.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Object | [Noun], [Pronoun] + Verb | La pulsera, la tengo aquí. |
| Demonstrative Link | [Noun]—[Demonstrative]... | Tus dibujos—esos son especiales. |
| Prepositional Resume | [Noun]—[Preposition] + [Pronoun] | La caja—cuenta conmigo para moverla. |
More examples
El álbum de fotos, ese lo quiero poner en la estantería.
The photo album, that one I want to put on the shelf.
Notice how 'ese' and 'lo' both refer back to 'álbum'.
Los juguetes viejos, a esos les tenemos que buscar un nuevo hogar.
The old toys, those we need to find a new home for.
Using 'a esos' and 'les' because the toys are the indirect object of the action.