Welcome to The Spanish Intermediate Plateau Podcast!
When you run into someone you haven’t seen for years, the conversation naturally turns to work, career paths, and how life has changed over time. You talk about what you’ve done, where you’ve worked, the decisions you’ve made, and where you are now.
In this dialogue, Luis and María meet again in Madrid after several years and catch up by talking about their careers, job changes, periods of unemployment, and important life decisions. The conversation includes natural time expressions and structures commonly used to talk about real-life experiences.
Want to study this conversation further?
Download the transcript here: [Download Script – Google Doc]
Or listen to the full audio on YouTube: [Listen on YouTube]
Alright, let’s jump into the conversation.
Script
María:
¡Luis! ¡Madre mía, cuánto tiempo sin vernos! ¡Qué casualidad encontrarte por aquí!
Luis! Oh my God, it’s been so long! What a coincidence running into you here!
was that like?
Luis:
¡María! Ya te digo, al final Madrid es un pañuelo. ¿Qué tal te van las cosas últimamente?
María! Totally, in the end Madrid is a handkerchief (small world). How have things been going for you lately?
María:
Pues bastante bien, la verdad. Hace unos cuantos años que no nos veíamos desde que llegué a Madrid.
Pretty well, honestly. It’s been quite a few years since we last saw each other, since I arrived in Madrid.
Luis:
Es verdad, tú llegaste en 2022, ¿no? Desde entonces sabía poco de ti.
That’s right, you arrived in 2022, right? Since then I didn’t really know much about you.
María:
Sí. Cuando me mudé aquí, ya había hecho la carrera y había dejado todo atrás para empezar desde cero.
Yeah. When I moved here, I had already finished my degree and left everything behind to start from scratch.
Luis:
Me acuerdo. Al principio querías hacer un máster, ¿no? Eso decías siempre.
I remember. At first you wanted to do a master’s, right? You used to say that all the time.
María:
Sí, esa era la idea. Tenía dinero para hacerlo, pero al final cambié de opinión y busqué trabajo.
Yeah, that was the idea. I had enough money to do it, but in the end I changed my mind and looked for a job.
Luis:
¿Y encontraste algo rápido o estuviste en paro un tiempo?
And did you find something quickly or were you unemployed for a while?
María:
Estuve buscando trabajo unos dos meses. No te voy a mentir, fue bastante pesado.
I was looking for a job for about two months. Not gonna lie, it was pretty exhausting.
Luis:
Normal. Aquí encontrar trabajo no es moco de pavo.
That’s normal. Finding a job here is no easy task.
María:
Al final encontré algo y firmé un contrato, pero estaba a una hora de casa.
In the end I found something and signed a contract, but it was an hour away from home.
Luis:
Uf… eso es duro. Si pierdes el bus, se te va el santo al cielo.
Ugh… that’s tough. If you miss the bus, everything goes wrong.
María:
Tal cual. Si no pillaba el bus, tenía que esperar otros veinte minutos y llegaba tarde siempre; un marrón.
Exactly. If I didn’t catch the bus, I had to wait another twenty minutes and I always arrived late — a real pain.
Luis:
Ya… y eso, con el tiempo, quema mucho.
Yeah… and that, over time, really wears you down.
María:
Por eso dejé el trabajo al año. Era físicamente agotador y la jefa no hacía caso a nuestras quejas.
That’s why I left the job after a year. It was physically exhausting and the manager ignored our complaints.
Luis:
Vaya tela… así es normal que uno se canse.
That’s rough… it’s normal to get fed up in that situation.
María:
Luego probé con el freelance durante cuatro meses, pero no funcionó para mí, qué le vamos a hacer.
Then I tried freelancing for four months, but it didn’t work for me—what can you do.
Luis:
Bueno, ni tan mal, al menos lo intentaste.
Well, not too bad—you at least gave it a try.
María:
Claro. Volví a buscar trabajo y en 2023 encontré este, donde sigo desde entonces.
Of course. I started looking for a job again and in 2023 I found this one, where I’ve been ever since.
Luis:
¿Y ahora qué tal? ¿Estás a gusto con tu trabajo?
So how is it now? Are you happy with your job?
María:
Sí, bastante. Hay buen rollo con los compañeros, no hago horas extra y cobro un sueldo decente.
Yeah, pretty happy. I get along well with my coworkers, I don’t do overtime, and I earn a decent salary.
Luis:
Eso hoy en día vale oro.
That nowadays is worth its weight in gold.
María:
Totalmente. Desde hace un tiempo tengo más tiempo para mí y mis proyectos personales.
Totally. For a while now I’ve had more time for myself and my personal projects.
Luis:
Se te nota, la verdad.
You can tell, honestly.
María:
Dentro de unos meses quiero centrarme aún más en mis cosas y ver qué sale.
In a few months I want to focus even more on my own things and see what comes up.
Luis:
Tiene sentido. Un amigo mío, por ejemplo, se casó a los cuatro años de terminar la carrera.
That makes sense. A friend of mine, for example, got married four years after finishing university.
María:
Sí, al final cada uno va a su ritmo. Yo llegué sin plan, improvisando un poco.
Yeah, in the end everyone goes at their own pace. I arrived without a plan, just improvising a bit.
Luis:
Y mira ahora, no te ha ido tan mal.
And look at you now, things haven’t gone too badly for you.
María:
La verdad es que no. Sigo soltera, pero tengo amigos, aficiones y estoy más tranquila.
Honestly, no. I’m still single, but I have friends, hobbies, and I’m much more at peace.
Luis:
Eso también es crecer, aunque no lo parezca.
That’s also growing up, even if it doesn’t seem like it.
María:
Sí, aquí encontré mi sitio y aprendí a cuidar mi paz mental.
Yeah, I found my place here and learned how to protect my mental peace.
Luis:
Me alegro un montón, de verdad. Oye, voy pillado ahora mismo… ¿quedamos un día y lo hablamos con calma?
I’m really happy for you, honestly. Hey, I’m a bit rushed right now… shall we meet one day and talk about it properly?
María:
Claro que sí. Quedamos para un café cuando quieras.
Of course. Let’s meet for a coffee whenever you want.
Luis:
Perfecto. Hablamos y quedamos seguro.
Perfect. We’ll talk and definitely meet up.
Important Note (from one learner to another):
Just a quick reminder before we jump in — everything you’ll see in the grammar rules and vocabulary list comes from my own learning process. These explanations are short on purpose because I’m not trying to teach Spanish formally. I’m simply highlighting the structures I’m practicing myself and the phrases I’m trying to get familiar with.
So please read them with that in mind: if something isn’t fully clear or you need more detail, feel free to look it up and go deeper. I leave these notes here so you can see what I’m focusing on as an intermediate learner, and maybe they’ll help you notice the same things.
Also, keep in mind that many of the words and expressions I include—especially the slang and colloquialisms—can change depending on the context. I pick them up from real conversations with locals here in Madrid, not from textbooks or apps, because those usually stay very formal to sound “academic” or “professional.”
This whole project is just my way of learning and a way to share the process with anyone who feels stuck in the intermediate plateau, as I do. Hope this helps.
Grammar Rules
1. Ya había + participio (pretérito pluscuamperfecto)
Grammar Objective: Express an action that happened before another action in the past, usually mentioned after a past moment has already been introduced. Structure: había + participio→ “had + past participle” Example from script: Cuando empecé a trabajar aquí, ya había terminado la carrera y también un máster.
→ “When I started working here, I had already finished my degree and a master’s.”
2. Hace + cantidad de tiempo (tiempo transcurrido)
Grammar Objective: Talk about how long ago something happened. Structure: hace + número + años / meses / días→ “X years/months/days ago” Example from script: Hace unos cuantos años que no sabíamos nada el uno del otro.
→ “It’s been quite a few years since we last heard from each other.”
3. Desde hace (duración hasta el presente)
Grammar Objective: Express the starting point of an action that continues. Structure: Desde hace + [duration] + action in El Presente→ “for + [duration] + (an action that started in the past and continues now)” Example from script: Yo, desde hace dos años, sigo en la misma empresa.
→ “I’ve been in the same company for two years.”
4. A los + cantidad de tiempo + de + infinitivo (tiempo transcurrido desde un evento)
Grammar Objective: Express that something happened X time after another specific event. This is more precise and natural than always using después. Structure: a los / al + cantidad de tiempo + de + infinitivo→ “had + past participle” Example from script: Me casé a los cuatro años de terminar la carrera.
→ “I got married four years after finishing university.”
5. Dentro de + cantidad de tiempo (futuro relativo)
Grammar Objective: Talk about something that will happen in a specific amount of time from now. Structure: dentro de + cantidad de tiempo→ “in + X time” Example from script: Tengo ganas de cambiar de trabajo dentro de seis meses.
→ “I feel like changing jobs in six months.”
6. Tener ganas de + infinitivo (expresar deseo)
Grammar Objective: Express desire or motivation in a natural, conversational way. Much more common than querer in spoken Spanish. Structure: tener ganas de + infinitivo→ “to feel like doing something” Example from script: Tengo ganas de cambiar de trabajo dentro de seis meses.
→ “I feel like changing jobs in six months.”
Vocabulary Highlights
- — Estuve en paro unos meses antes de encontrar trabajo.
→ “I was unemployed for a few months before finding a job.”
Explanation: Used to strongly agree with what the other person just said. Very common in spoken Spanish and often used to show shared understanding.
Example:
- — El curro era duro, ¿eh.
→ “The job was tough, right?”
- — Ya te digo.
→ “Tell me about it.”
Explanation: Used to emphasize that something is important, serious, or harder than it seems. Informal but very common in Spain. Literally, “it’s not turkey snot” — the image suggests it’s not something insignificant or ridiculous, even if it sounds funny..
Example:
- — Sacarse ese examen no es moco de pavo.
→ “Passing that exam is no small thing.”
Explanation: Used when you forget something suddenly, especially due to stress, distraction, or pressure. Literally, “the saint goes up to heaven on you” — as if the thought you needed suddenly disappears.
Example:
- — En la entrevista se me fue el santo al cielo.
→ “In the interview, my mind completely went blank.”
Explanation: Used to describe an unpleasant situation, responsibility, or problem you don’t want to deal with.
Example:
- — Llegar tarde otra vez sería un marrón.
→ “Arriving late again would be a real pain.”
Explanation: A very flexible expression used to show surprise, disbelief, annoyance, or frustration, depending on tone.
Example:
- — Cambiaron todo a última hora. Vaya tela.
→ “They changed everything at the last minute. Unbelievable.”
Explanation: Pesado can mean different things depending on context. In this script, it’s used to describe a person or situation that feels mentally exhausting, repetitive, or overly demanding, not physically heavy.
Example:
- — El jefe era muy pesado con los horarios.
→ “The boss was really annoying about schedules.”
- Pro tip (real-life usage): You can call someone pesado if you find them annoying or if they keep insisting on something.
- Example:
- — Es muy pesado.
- → “He/She is really annoying.”
- Example:
