Welcome to The Spanish Intermediate Plateau Podcast, a European Spanish podcast with transcript.
Sometimes a simple conversation with a friend turns into talking about past relationships, emotions, and everything that’s been going on lately. You end up explaining what happened, how it made you feel, and why you decided to move on.
In this dialogue, Iván and Lucía talk about a recent relationship, the breakup, and the mix of emotions that came after it. They touch on feelings like sadness, anger, relief, and satisfaction, using everyday Spanish and expressions you’d actually hear in real conversations.
Target Audience: Intermediate Spanish Learners (B1-B2) Grammar Rule Highlights:- Verbs and expressions with prepositions (more examples)
- Alegrarse de + infinitivo / sustantivo
- Estar harto de + sustantivo / infinitivo
- Tener ganas de + infinitivo
- Estar encantado de + infinitivo
- Acordarse de + sustantivo / infinitivo
- react in real time to other people’s stories
- talking about other people’s experiences
- express emotions like sadness, surprise, and happiness…
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.
European Spanish Podcast with Transcript
Script
Lucía:
¡Iván! ¡Hombre, tú… por aquí! ¡Qué sorpresa verte! ¡No me esperaba encontrarte así!
Iván! Wow, you… here! What a surprise to see you! I really didn’t expect to run into you like this.
Iván:
Lucía, ¡qué alegría! Encantado de verte, la verdad. Hacía muchísimo que no sabía nada de ti.
Lucía, so good to see you! I’m really glad to see you. It’s been ages since I last heard from you.
Lucía:
Cuánto tiempo… ¿qué es de tu vida? ¿Qué tal te van las cosas últimamente, en general?
It’s been so long… what’s been going on with your life? How have things been lately, overall?
Iván:
Pues… regular, tirando a mal. He pasado por una etapa personal bastante chunga, de esas que te remueven todo.
Well… so-so, leaning bad. I’ve been going through a pretty rough personal phase, the kind that really shakes you.
Lucía:
Vaya… qué pena. ¿Tiene que ver con alguien o con algo que te haya pasado recientemente?
Oh… what a shame. Does it have to do with someone or something that happened recently?
Iván:
Sí. Estaba saliendo con alguien y pensé que teníamos una relación seria, de esas que van para largo.
Yes. I was seeing someone, and I thought we had a serious relationship, the kind you think will last.
Lucía:
¿En serio? ¿Y qué pasó al final? Porque no suena nada bien…
Really? And what happened in the end? Because it doesn’t sound good at all…
Iván:
Me enteré de que estaba liándose con otro tío a mis espaldas, sin decirme nada.
I found out she was hooking up with another guy behind my back, without telling me anything.
Lucía:
¿De verdad? No me lo puedo creer… cuánto lo siento.
Really? I can’t believe it… I’m so sorry.
Iván:
Gracias. Al principio pensaba que me estaba rallando, que igual era cosa mía, pero luego ya no había dudas.
Thanks. At first, I thought I was overthinking it, that maybe it was just in my head, but later, there was no doubt.
Lucía:
Normal… eso es durísimo. Qué lástima, la verdad, sobre todo cuando confías en alguien así.
That’s understandable… that’s really hard. What a shame, honestly, especially when you trust someone like that.
Iván:
Sí. Estaba muy enamorado, incluso locamente, y convivíamos, así que imagínate el golpe.
Yeah. I was really in love, almost crazily, and we were living together, so imagine the blow.
Lucía:
Ufff… convivir con la pareja y descubrir algo así es un golpe duro, tanto emocional como mentalmente.
Ugh… living with your partner and discovering something like that is a hard blow, emotionally and mentally.
Iván:
Totalmente. Me cabreé muchísimo, discutimos un montón y acabé harto de todo, de la situación en general.
Totally. I got really angry, we argued a lot, and I ended up fed up with everything, the whole situation.
Lucía:
Es normal. En una situación así cualquiera se cabrea y pierde un poco los nervios.
That’s normal. In a situation like that, anyone would get angry and lose their cool a bit.
Iván:
Al final rompimos; o sea, la dejé y corté con ella sin pensarlo mucho, porque ya no podía más.
In the end, we broke up; I mean, I left her and ended things without overthinking it, because I couldn’t take it anymore.
Lucía:
Pues hiciste bien. Hay cosas que no se perdonan ni de coña, y eso es una de ellas.
You did the right thing. Some things just can’t be forgiven, no way, and that’s one of them.
Iván:
Eso pensé. Al principio estaba muy triste, con mucha pena y bastante descolocado.
That’s what I thought. At first, I was really sad, with a lot of pain and pretty shaken.
Lucía:
Claro… es normal quedarse tocado después de algo así, no se pasa de un día para otro.
Of course… It’s normal to be emotionally shaken after something like that; it doesn’t pass overnight.
Iván:
Sí, pero últimamente también me siento más tranquilo, como más centrado conmigo mismo.
Yeah, but lately I also feel calmer, more focused on myself.
Lucía:
Qué bien. Me alegro mucho de oír eso, porque se te nota un poco mejor.
That’s great. I’m really glad to hear that, because you seem a bit better.
Iván:
Yo también me alegro de haber salido de ahí, aunque fuera duro y me costara tomar la decisión.
I’m also glad I got out of that situation, even though it was hard and difficult to decide.
Lucía:
¿Y ahora qué? ¿Te apetece ligar o prefieres estar tranquilo?
So what now? Do you feel like dating or do you prefer to take it easy?
Iván:
Ahora mismo, tengo ganas de cambiar de vida y centrarme en mí, sin prisas ni presión.
Right now, I feel like changing my life and focusing on myself, without rushing or pressure.
Lucía:
Eso suena bastante sano, la verdad, sobre todo después de lo que has vivido.
That sounds pretty healthy, honestly, especially after what you’ve been through.
Iván:
Sí. Estoy encantado de tener tiempo para mí y no estar rayado todo el día.
Yeah. I’m delighted to have time for myself and not be stressed all day.
Lucía:
Normal. Cuando alguien te cae mal después de algo así, ya no hay vuelta atrás.
That’s normal. When someone rubs you the wrong way after something like that, there’s no going back.
Iván:
Tal cual. Antes me caía genial y ahora no quiero saber nada.
Exactly. I used to really like her, and now I want nothing to do with her.
Lucía:
Bueno, Iván… siento no poder hacer nada más, pero aquí estoy.
Well, Iván… I’m sorry I can’t do more, but I’m here.
Iván:
Gracias, de verdad. Me acuerdo de lo importante que es tener una relación de amistad así.
Thank you, really. I’m reminded of how important it is to have a friendship like this.
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
In this script, I chose to focus on verbs and expressions with prepositions (more examples here) because, in my experience, they’re used constantly in everyday conversations and are a useful addition to my active vocabulary.
1. Alegrarse de + infinitivo / sustantivo
Grammar Objective: Used to express happiness or relief about something — similar to saying “I’m glad…” in English (e.g. “I’m glad you came” / “I’m glad about it”). Example from script: Me alegro mucho de oír eso.→ “I’m really glad to hear that.”
2. Estar harto de + sustantivo / infinitivo
Grammar Objective: Used to say you’re emotionally or mentally fed up with something — similar to saying “I’m fed up with…” in English (e.g. “I’m fed up with this” / “I’m tired of dealing with her”). Example from script: Acabé harto de todo.→ “I ended up fed up with everything.”
3. Tener ganas de + infinitivo
Grammar Objective: Used to express desire, motivation, or mood — similar to saying “I feel like…” in English (e.g. “I feel like doing something”). Example from script: Tengo ganas de cambiar de vida.→ “I feel like changing my life.”
4. Estar encantado de + infinitivo
Grammar Objective: Used to express strong satisfaction or happiness — similar to saying “I’m delighted…” in English (e.g. “I’m delighted to see you” / “I’m really happy to be here”). Example from script: Estoy encantado de tener tiempo para mí.→ “I’m delighted to have time for myself.”
5. Acordarse de + sustantivo / infinitivo
Grammar Objective: Used to talk about remembering something — similar to saying “to remember…” in English (e.g. “I remember that” / “I remember doing that”). Example from script: Me acuerdo de lo importante que es tener una relación de amistad así.→ “I’m reminded of how important it is to have a friendship like this.”
Vocabulary Highlights
- — ¿Qué tal el día?
→ “How was your day?”
- — Tirando a mal.
→ “Not great.”
Explanation: Used to describe a situation that feels unpleasant, complicated, or worrying.
Example:
- — La situación en el curro está chunga.
→ “The situation at work is pretty bad.”
Explanation: Used when someone obsesses, worries too much, or keeps going over the same thoughts. From rallar (“to grate”) — your thoughts keep grinding in your head.
Example:
- — No te rayes tanto con eso.
→ “Don’t overthink it so much.”
Explanation: A strong, informal way to completely reject an idea or possibility.
Example:
- — ¿Volverías con ella?
→ “Would you get back with her?”
- — Ni de coña.
→ “No way.”
Explanation: Used when someone is emotionally impacted by a situation and doesn’t feel quite right afterward. Literally, “to be left touched.”
Example:
- — Después de lo que pasó, se quedó bastante tocado.
→ “After what happened, he was pretty shaken.”
Explanation: Used to express sympathy or sadness about a situation.
Example:
- — Suspendió el examen.
→ “She failed the exam.”
- — Qué pena.
→ “What a shame.”
Explanation: Tener que ver means that something is related or connected to something else. When you turn it into a question, it becomes “Does it have anything to do with…?”.
Example:
- — ¿Tiene que ver con lo que pasó en el trabajo?
→ “Does it have anything to do with what happened at work?”
Explanation: Used to talk about a casual or non-serious romantic or sexual relationship.
Example:
- — Está liándose con otra persona.
→ “He’s hooking up with someone else.”
Explanation: Very common informal verb in Spain to express getting angry.
Example:
- — Me cabreé cuando me dejó colgado.
→ “I got really pissed off when he left me hanging.”
Explanation: Used to say that you like or don’t like someone as a person, based on the feeling or impression they give you. You don’t use gustar here because this isn’t about romantic attraction, but about how someone makes you feel. Literally, “to fall well / badly to someone” — as if a person “lands” on you with a good or bad feeling..
Example (bien):
- — Me cae muy bien.
→ “I really like him/her.”
- — Me caes mal.
→ “I don’t like you.”
