MICHEL THOMAS SPANISH (ADVANCED) COURSE, 4 CDs TRANSCRIPT This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often

changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too. Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying the recordings. Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Version 2, Aug 16th 2006 Transcribed by JK CD 1 (74.10) (1) 6.43 to buy I am buying it I don't buy it because it is very expensive why don't you buy it? why aren't you buying it? to understand I understand I understand it you understand why don't you understand me? why don't you understand me? (friend) why don't you understand me? (plural) they don't understand me he is preparing it for me (2) 2.39 he is right now preparing it for me why don't you do it? why aren't you doing it? (friend) why don't you do it? (plural) he is right now in the process of doing it he is leaving right now he is leaving tomorrow (3) 6.05 I don't understand what you are saying to say, to tell they are telling me you are telling me

why don't you tell me? (plural) why don't you tell me? (friend) we are telling you to understand why don't you understand me? why don't you understand me? to start, to commence why don't you start? why don't you start? (plural) I am starting now why don't you start? (friend) why don't you start? (friend) to buy I don't buy it why don't you buy it? (friend) why don't you buy it? (plural) we are buying it (4) 8.08 you are not buying the house, he is not buying the house buy the house! don't buy it! don't buy it! (friend) don't buy it! (plural) buy it! don't buy it! buy it! (plural) don't buy them! (plural) don't buy them! (friend) (for a positive command, talking to a friend, you don't switch tracks and you drop the -s) buy it! (friend) to call I am calling you I am calling you (friend) he is calling me why don't you call me? (friend) why don't you call me? (plural) we are calling you we are calling you (friend) call me tomorrow! don't call me today! don't call me today! (friend) call me! (friend) call me! (5) 4.37 to have you have

why don't you have it for me? we don't have it I have I have it I don't have it I have to see it to say, to tell you say, you tell I tell I am telling you I am telling you (friend) why don't you tell me? (friend) why don't you tell me? (plural) I have I am telling, I am saying to have to come he is coming with us we are coming I am coming to do, to make what are you doing? (6) 2.28 to know do you know it? do you know it? (friend) why don't you know it? (plural) we know it I know it I don't know it to know (general knowledge) to know, be acquainted with (somebody, somewhere) I know I don't know him I don't know her (7) 1.19 do you know Pedro? do you know my friend? do you know Madrid? I don't know him I don't know it (8) 3.53 I have I am saying, I am telling I am doing, I am making I am doing it

I have it I am telling you (friend) I am coming to leave I am leaving I am leaving tomorrow at what time are you leaving? I have I come I am doing I am telling I am leaving to put I am putting I am putting it here where are you putting it? why don't you put it here? (friend) to compose to oppose to suppose I suppose to bring I am bringing it to hear I hear (9) 12.18 come with me! don't leave! don't leave! (friend) don't leave! (plural) tell me! don't tell me! tell it to me! don't tell it to me! tell it to him! tell it to her! tell it to them! don't tell it to him, tell it to me! don't do it! don't do it! don't do it! (friend) don't do it! (plural) do it! (plural) to put I am putting it here I want to do it

I can do it I cannot do it I am right now in the process of doing it do it! don't do it! I am doing it I am not doing it why don't you do it? why don't you do it? (friend) why don't you do it? (plural) do it! (plural) don't do it now! (plural) put it here! don't put it there! bring it! bring me something! bring it to me! don't bring it to me today because I don't need it today I hear it hear it! tell it to me, don't tell it to him! tell it to him! but don't tell it to him today! (10) 4.14 (for positive commands to a friend, you drop the -go ending completely) tell me! (friend) tell it to me! (friend) don't tell it to me! (friend) don't tell it to me! (plural) tell it to me! (friend) come with me! (friend) have it! (friend) put it here! (friend) don't put it there, put it here! (friend) leave! (friend) don't leave! (friend) don't leave! (plural) (11) 5.34 (we'll now turn the imperative into a command tense, namely the subjunctive. In English, we hardly use the subjunctive; e.g. "I want you to be here" means "I want that you be here", and not "I want that you are here". "at what time do you want me to be there?" means "at what time do you want that I be there?"; this is the equivalent to giving a command of "be there!") (12) 5.15 (in Spanish, the subjunctive is used quite a lot. It expresses an element of doubt and uncertainty, e.g. "it is necessary that you be here" expresses some doubt that you will be

here) (Verbs in the subjunctive, like the imperative, switch tracks. For -go verbs, the -ga ending is used with everyone, including "you friend") it is important that you be here (in the subjunctive, there is no -o ending for "I") it is important that you call me it is important that you all call me it is very important for you to call me later (friend) it is not necessary for you to wait from me to write (13) 2.32 (in Spanish, no words begin with st-, sc-, sp-. Spanish speakers have to insert an ebefore those letters) to study student school to write Spain why don't you write to me? write to me! because it's very important that you write to me (14) 1.23 (in Spanish, you cannot say literally "I want you to write to me". In Spanish, "I want you" means "I love you") I love you (I want you - friend) (15) 6.54 what do you want me to write to him? I want you to do it, I want that you do it I want you to do it (friend) I want you to do it (plural) what do you want me to do? why don't you want me to tell it to him? I think that he can do it (that sentence is not subjunctive, but the next one is because there is an element of uncertainty) I don't think that he can do it I want you to call me later I want you to write to me he wants me to send it to him (end of recording) CD 2 (74.44) (1) 5.09 I will buy it we will buy it

he will buy it they will buy it you will buy it (friend) I will write to you he will write to you we will write to you you will write to me you will write to me (friend) they won't write to me to take I won't take it we will take it they won't take it (2) 2.34 I have I will have I leave I will leave we will leave they will leave you will leave (friend) I come I will come we will come you will come (friend) to sell I will sell it I will come I put I will put I won't put it here (3) 4.30 I will call you tomorrow I am going to call you tomorrow I call you tomorrow I call you tomorrow (friend) to stay I am staying we are staying he is staying they are staying you are staying (friend) I am going to stay I want to know how long you are going to stay I will stay here a few days (4) 2.32

I am telling I am doing I will tell I will do I won't do it I will tell you later why we won't do it he won't tell me he won't tell me why he won't do it (5) 2.11 tell me! tell me! (friend) put it here! (friend) make a reservation! (the imperative of "make, do" to a friend is haz) make a reservation! (friend) do it! (friend) don't do it! (friend) (6) 6.52 river I will leave I would leave we would leave he would do it he will do it I wouldn't do it they wouldn't do it we wouldn't do it I wouldn't tell you why we wouldn't do it to wait he won't wait he will wait he wouldn't wait to prepare I will prepare it he wouldn't prepare it I like I like to see it I don't like to do it I would like to see it, it would please me I would like to see you (7) 3.19 I have spoken I have bought I have bought it we have bought it they have bought it

he has sold it we have eaten he has left (8) 5.44 (now here is a simple past tense, called the "past historic") I spoke to take I took it I called I accepted I didn't accept it I bought it I will buy I bought to wait I waited I will wait I spoke he spoke, she spoke, you spoke I speak I am buying it he bought it, she bought it, you bought it (that is the -ar track. On the other track, you use the ending - for "I", and the ending -i for "you, he, she") I sold I left he left, you left I understood he understood, you understood (9) 10.45 he sold it I didn't sell it I bought it why didn't you buy it? why did you sell it? I didn't sell it why did you sell it? why didn't you sell it? to lose I lost it when did you lose it? at what time did you leave? when did you arrive? yesterday last night I called you yesterday

he called me last night I call myself..., my name is... I call you tomorrow he called you I spoke did you speak? to start I started at what time did you start? I left I am leaving he is leaving at what time are you leaving? (plural) at what time did you leave? I didn't eat why didn't you eat? I called you this morning at what time did you call me? I call you tomorrow he is calling you he called me why didn't you call me? I wrote to you he wrote to me why didn't you write to me? to see I saw it I didn't see it did you see it? I didn't understand it (10) 1.32 (for "they", on the -ar track you use the ending -aron) they spoke they called me at what time did you call me? (plural) they arrived at what time did you arrive? (plural) (11) 1.41 I arrived here two hours ago at what time? two hours ago (12) 3.23 they didn't arrive yet, they still didn't arrive they left at what time did you leave? (plural) they didn't eat

they wrote to me they talked to me, they spoke to me I am staying I am not staying I stayed he stayed he didn't stay they stayed (the ending for the other track is -ieron) (13) 4.45 (for "you friend", the ending is -aste on the -ar track) you spoke (friend) at what time did you call me? (friend) why didn't you call me? (friend) at what time did you leave? (friend) why didn't you sell it? (friend) why didn't you sell it? why didn't you sell it? (plural) they sold it I didn't sell it I bought it he didn't buy it they bought it they sold it (on the other track, the ending is -iste) why didn't you sell it? (friend) why didn't you call me? (friend) (14) 3.47 I spoke they spoke you spoke (friend) (for "we", the ending in the present and the past historic is the same) we spoke we speak we spoke we are arriving, we arrive we arrived we arrived yesterday we arrive tomorrow he left they left you left (friend) I left we left we leave, we are leaving to sell

(with -er verbs, they a distinction between "we" past and "we" present) we sold we are selling we sold we eat, we are eating we ate (15) 8.37 (the -go on verbs are a little different. However, they all follow the same pattern, on both tracks) I am doing I am doing it I am not doing it I did, I made he did, he made I did it he did it he didn't do it why didn't you do it? I didn't do it he made a reservation for us why say I said I told I told you he told me to do I did he told me that he didn't do it I told you he told me he told me that he didn't do it why didn't you tell me? why didn't you tell it to me? why didn't you tell it to him? I did, I made I told, I said he told me to put I am putting I put (past) he put (past) where did you put (past) it? (16) 7.16 to be able ("to be able" in the past is pud-) I couldn't do it

he couldn't do it I did I said, I told I put (past) I could to want I wanted I wanted it he wanted it I did I said, I told I put (past) I could I wanted wine he came he came with wine I came I have I had he had I was he was (for "they", the ending for all these verbs is -ieron, and for "we", the ending for all these verbs is -imos) I put (past) he put (past) they put (past) you put (friend, past) we put (past) I did, I made he did, he made, you made they did, they made, you all made you did (friend) we did he came they came you came (friend) we came (end of recording) CD 3 (76.12) (1) 3.21 I could they could

we could you could (friend) he couldn't he told me they told me why didn't you tell me? (plural) they didn't tell me they came with me they didn't have it I wanted it he didn't want it they wanted it you wanted it (friend) we didn't want it (2) 3.53 (now back to the "diving" past) I have bought it I have not bought it we have bought it they have bought it where have you bought it? (friend) where did you buy it? he has sold it he sold it why didn't you sell it? why didn't you sell it? (friend) he has not sold it (3) 2.04 he would buy it I wouldn't buy it they wouldn't buy it you wouldn't buy it (friend) we wouldn't buy it (4) 4.07 (for "will" and "would", there are some contractions in the stem, but never in the endings) I will leave he won't leave he wouldn't leave we won't leave we wouldn't leave I would put it here I won't put it here we will put it here we wouldn't put it here he wouldn't come with us

he wouldn't sell it he would come here with us and he would sell it (5) 2.44 I will do it I won't do it I wouldn't do it we wouldn't do it we won't do it I will tell you later he wouldn't tell me we wouldn't tell you I will have it for you (6) 2.02 to go I am going to do it he is going to do it they are going to do it we are going to do it to go I will go I will go to see it I wouldn't go we wouldn't go (7) 0.57 to be able I will be able to do it he won't be able to do it he wouldn't be able to it (8) 2.40 (in English, "could you" means "would you be able to") can you tell me, will you tell me can you tell me where it is, will you tell me where it is could you tell me where it is, would you be able to tell me where it is? could you come with me? can you wait for me, will you wait for me could you wait for me? (9) 4.54 (dever can mean "must", "have to", "shall/should", "to owe") I must have it I speak I understand I am eating I must I must do it now you must do it I have to do it

how much is it? how much does it cost? how much do I owe? I will have to do it I will have to do it I would have to do it I would have to do it (devera is also used in the sense of "I should do something", meaning "I ought to do something") you should tell me (friend) (10) 1.37 I have sold it (after any form of haber, there is nowhere to go but to dive) I would have sold it I wouldn't have sold it (11) 5.19 made in Spain I have done it I haven't done it I wouldn't have done it I have told you he has told me I would have told you to see I haven't seen it we would have seen it I would have gone (in diving, estar becomes estado, and ser becomes sido) it is possible it would have been possible it wouldn't have been possible that way (12) 4.08 (for the English -ing tenses, in Spanish use the endings -ando and -iendo) I am right now doing it I am doing it every day (the English past -ing is expressed in Spanish with -aba on the -ar track, and -a on the other track) I was speaking he was speaking she was speaking you were speaking they were speaking they were calling they were buying they were selling they were doing it

they were telling me we were telling you we were doing it (13) 3.57 (there are only two or three exceptions in Spanish language) I was going I was going to I was going to do it I was not going to tell you that I was going to do it he was going to be here you haven't told me that you were going to arrive today I would have waited for you (14) 3.39 I told you told me me you didn't tell me you didn't tell me (friend) you didn't tell me (plural) I did, I made I said, I told I came I put (past) I wanted I had (15) 0.55 I was (in the past historic, haber is hub- and "could" is pud-) (16) 4.08 I made, I did he did they did you did (friend) we did I put they put you put (friend) we put they had you had (friend) we had I said, I told he said, he told they said they told me you didn't tell me (plural) we told you

you didn't tell me that you were going to arrive today you didn't tell me that you were going to arrive today (friend) I would have waited for you I would have waited for you (friend) (17) 7.23 I was waiting I was waiting for you I was waiting for you (friend) he is waiting from me (the "was -ing" and "were -ing" could be called the "wing" tenses; in Spanish, -aba and -a) he was doing it I was telling you (in Spanish, the wing tense expresses a straight line in the past, maybe a short line or maybe a long line, but a straight line. On the other hand, "I did it" is not a straight line.) (In Spanish, the wing tense can also express a broken line: "I did it very often", "I did it all the time", "I used to do it". In English, you don't make a distinction) he did it every day he is speaking he was speaking he spoke (this morning) he spoke (every day) (18) 5.22 to do, to make I did it (it is done) he did it (this morning) he did it (every day, very often) he told me he told me (every day) he put it here he put it here (every day) and I cannot see it I don't know where it is he put it here (this morning) he put it here (every day) he told me he was telling me he told me (all the time) (19) 4.08 ("I knew" is rarely used, except in the context of finding something out) I knew I knew it, I found out he knew they knew you knew (friend) we knew

(fui- is the past of two separate verbs) to go I went I went to see it he went to see it they went you went (friend) we went I went he went they went you went (friend) we went we went to see it I went he went she went you went they went you went (friend) we went (20) 2.21 (fui- is also the past of ser) I went I was it was possible ("was" as a straight line is era) I was going I was going to it was important (straight line) (21) 4.11 (it is in the nature of some verbs to express a straight line in the past, for example "to know") I knew, I found out I knew, I used to know I didn't know I didn't know you were going to arrive today I didn't know that they were going to arrive today I didn't know that you were going to arrive today (friend) (the same for "to have the time") I didn't have the time I was very busy (22) 2.11 I wanted (dot) I wanted (line) I wanted to do it

("I would want" contracted from querera to querra) I wanted I would want (end of recording) CD 4 (76.04) (1) 1.13 I would want, I would like me gustara, quisiera I wanted they wanted I wanted to do it he wanted to do it they wanted to do it (2) 4.03 (the "they - past" ending, -ron, when changed to -ran is the past subjunctive, meaning "I might...") they wanted I might want I might want, I would like I want to do it I wanted to do it I would like to do it I would like to do it I would want to do it I may want they wanted I would like to do it (3) 4.38 I can do it I could do it I will tell you I will do it I will tell you will you please tell me where it is (4) 5.19 you have to wait here you have to wait for me you don't have to wait (in English, "you have to wait" means "you must wait", but "you don't have to wait" means not "you must not wait", but "you don't need to wait") it's not necessary that you wait I need you don't need to wait (5) 6.56 (it is in the nature of some verbs to express a line, not a dot, in the past)

I knew it I found out I didn't know I wanted ("I could" can be in the past, meaning "I was able"; or it might not be in the past, meaning "I would be able") I would be able, I could could you tell me? could you wait? can you wait, will you wait can you tell me could you tell me? I couldn't find it, I was not able to find it I couldn't see it I couldn't (line in past) I couldn't do it I couldn't (at that moment in the past) (6) 5.31 I wanted he wanted they wanted it I would like (after "if", you use the subjunctive in both Spanish and English, e.g. "if I were" not "if I was") I knew they knew if I knew (the form of "they knew" gives you the subjunctive) if I had the time I would do it if I were there I would tell you I had (straight line, broken line) to have I was having, I used to have, I had I had (dot) they had if I had (7) 6.30 I have sold it I would have sold it I had sold it I would have sold it I have sold it I had sold it I would have sold it they had if I had sold it

if I had seen it I would have bought it if I had known it if I had bought it if I had known it I would have told you (8) 2.14 if I told you I said, I told they said, they told they did, they made I might do it I knew they knew if I knew if I knew it I would tell you (9) 3.50 (we must distinguish in English between "would" and "would have") I would I would have I would do it I would buy it I would have bought it (10) 7.57 I was buying it he was selling it he sold it they sold it he was selling it he used to sell he sold it he has sold it we have sold it they have sold it they were selling it they sold it (all the time) he sold it (dot) they sold it if I sold it I have sold it I had sold it if I had sold it (you could use hubiera for "I might have") I might have sold it I would have sold it if I had been there last night I would have seen it and I would have bought it I might have bought it (11) 2.09

I don't know that you will come I don't think that he may come I know that he will come (if you are in the past, you must use the past subjunctive) I didn't know that he might come (12) 1.25 (after the expression ojal, meaning "I hope that", "hopefully that" you use the subjunctive) (13) 6.41 to look for I was looking for it to lose I lost it and I was looking for it but I couldn't find it I couldn't do it (14) 2.52 if you had called me last night I have bought it I would have bought it if you had called me last night and if you had told me that you were going to arrive today (15) 2.30 if you had told me that you were going to arrive today I would have waited for you I would have made a reservation we would have had dinner (would have dined) at the restaurant we would have gone to see it and it would have been very interesting (16) 3.43 if I had known it I would have done it I might have done it ("I could have" means "I would have been able") I could have done it, I wouldn't have been able to do it (17) 5.12 could you come with me? should could have, would have been able should have you should have told me you could have told me he would have told me you should have done it you could have told me he would tell me he would have told me (18) 3.14

(end of recording)