Spanish · C2 · Family moment
Making Space Without Erasing Memories in Spanish
When reorganizing a child's space, balancing practical needs with emotional attachments is key. This guide focuses on using Spanish to validate a child's feelings about their belongings while suggesting ways to make room for new growth.
What you'll learn
- Master conversational right dislocation to emphasize specific objects.
- Learn vocabulary related to keepsakes and sentimental value.
- Understand how to use anticipatory pronouns to mirror natural Spanish speech patterns.
Spanish phrases for making space without erasing memories
Todavía lo usas para tus dibujos, ese escritorio viejo.
You still use it for your drawings, that old desk.
Uses 'lo' as the anticipatory pronoun for 'escritorio'.
Preferiría preguntar antes de moverlas, tus maquetas a medio terminar.
I'd rather ask before moving them, your half-finished models.
Uses 'las' to refer to the feminine 'maquetas'.
Claramente significa más para ti de lo que creía, esa insignia de torneo toda gastada.
It clearly means more to you than I realised, that battered tournament badge.
Matches the feminine singular 'insignia'.
Podemos buscarle un sitio más seguro, al bloc con tus primeros cómics.
We can find a safer place for it, the sketchbook with your earliest comics.
The indirect object 'le' anticipates 'al bloc'.
No los regalaría sin tu consentimiento, esos libros que leías con el abuelo.
I wouldn't give them away without your agreement, those books you used to read with Grandpa.
Uses 'los' as the direct object pronoun.
Le has dedicado una paciencia increíble, a esa maqueta de tren.
You've put a remarkable amount of patience into it, that model railway.
Uses 'le' to anticipate the target of the effort.
No tienen por qué ganarse su sitio en el estante siendo útiles, tus recuerdos favoritos.
They don't have to earn their shelf space by being useful, your favourite keepsakes.
Uses the plural 'no tienen' and 'tus recuerdos' at the end for clarification.
Podemos dejar esa decisión para el fin de semana, la de si conservar el viejo armario de manualidades.
We can leave that decision until the weekend, whether to keep the old craft cupboard.
Clarifies 'la decisión' with a detached phrase.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
maqueta
scale model
Commonly used for hobby projects like planes or trains.
recuerdos
keepsakes / memories
Refers to both the mental memory and the physical object.
bloc
sketchbook / pad
Often used for drawing or writing pads.
gastada
battered / worn out
Literally 'spent' or 'worn'.
Right Dislocation (Dislocación a la Derecha)
In Spanish, speakers often use a pronoun (lo, la, le, etc.) first and then add the specific noun phrase at the end of the sentence for clarification or as an afterthought. The pronoun and the noun must match in gender and number.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Object | Lo [verbo]..., [sustantivo masculino] | Lo guardaremos, el juguete. |
| Indirect Object | Le [verbo]..., [a + sustantivo] | Le tengo cariño, a la vieja manta. |
More examples
La vamos a cuidar bien, esta colección de cromos.
We are going to look after it well, this sticker collection.
A typical comforting phrase using right dislocation.
¿Los quieres conservar, estos dibujos?
Do you want to keep them, these drawings?
Using the structure in a question.