AdultLingoSpanish course › Section 1 › Unit 5
🌙 Escaping the Crowd in Spanish
Suggest stepping away from noisy public places. Getting fresh air, finding a quieter spot, calling a cab to leave together.
“Oh, isn't Seville wonderful? And terribly loud. Tonight I'll show you how to slip away from the crowd, perfectly politely, of course. Well, mostly.” — Anya, your host for this unit
Practise this unit free ➔Key Spanish words and phrases
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| oír | to hear |
| el ruido | noise |
| salir | to go out, step outside |
| el momento | moment |
| la gente | people (singular in Spanish) |
| el aire | air |
| aire fresco | fresh air |
| fuera | outside |
| ¡qué agobio! | this is suffocating! (crowds, heat) |
| necesitar | to need |
| tomar el aire | to get some fresh air |
| ¿te importaría…? | would you mind…? |
| el río | river |
| la orilla del río | the riverbank |
| la azotea | rooftop (terrace) |
| el banco | bench |
| el puente | bridge |
| la plaza | square (town) |
| conocer | to know (a place, a person) |
| junto a | beside, along |
| se está bien | it's nice (to be) here |
| aquí | here |
| solo | alone; neat (of a drink) |
| por fin solos | alone at last |
| quedarse | to stay |
| el rato | a while |
| me apetece | I feel like (it) |
| a solas | alone together, in private |
| preferir | to prefer, would rather |
| pedir | to ask for, order; to call (a taxi) |
| el taxi | taxi |
| la parada de taxis | taxi rank |
| libre | free, available |
| la dirección | address |
| acompañar | to accompany, see (someone) home |
| avisar | to let (someone) know |
| tomar el fresco | to enjoy the cool evening air outside (Andalusia, summer) |
| acabar | to end, finish |
Example sentences
Shall we step outside for a moment?
Would you mind stepping out with me for a moment?
Let's go somewhere else.
It's much nicer here
Alone at last.
I'd like to be alone with you.
I'll see you home.
Let me know when you get home.
A conversation from this unit
Friday night on the Alameda de Hércules, Seville. Anya and Malèna are squeezed against the bar of a packed bar.
Anya: ¡Qué agobio! ¿Qué tal estás, Malèna?This is suffocating! How are you doing, Malèna?
Malèna: No te oigo. Hay demasiada gente.I can't hear you. There are too many people.
Anya: ¿Salimos a tomar el aire?Shall we go out and get some fresh air?
Malèna: Sí. Conozco una azotea aquí al lado.Yes. I know a rooftop right next door.
Anya: Ay… aquí se está mucho mejor. ¡Qué aire tan fresco!Oh… it's much nicer up here. Such fresh air!
Malèna: Y sin gente. Solo tú, yo y la luna.And no people. Just you, me and the moon.
Culture notes
A tapas bar in Seville. At the next table, six friends are shouting over each other, laughing and banging the table. What's going on?
Nothing unusual: loud, lively conversation is normal in a Spanish bar.
Spaniards talk loudly and over each other, and a buzzing, noisy bar is read as a good sign: hay ambiente, "there's a good atmosphere". Loud doesn't mean angry. It does mean that if you want a real conversation, you'll probably have to suggest somewhere quieter.
Say it like a local: ¡Aquí hay muy buen ambiente! — There's a great atmosphere in here!
Your date finishes one tapa and one drink, smiles, and says: "¿Nos vamos a otro sitio?" What does that mean?
Nothing bad: in Spain you often move from bar to bar, a drink and a tapa in each.
Ir de tapas, or ir de bares, means hopping between bars: a drink and a tapa or two in one, then on to the next. Moving on is the plan, not a brush-off. It's also the easiest way to escape a bar that has got too crowded.
Say it like a local: ¿Nos vamos a otro sitio? — Shall we go somewhere else?
July in Seville, eleven at night. The riverbank is full: couples, families, grandparents with folding chairs. Why is everyone out so late?
After a scorching day, the night is finally cool enough to be outside.
Seville is one of the hottest cities in Europe: July afternoons average about 36 °C and often climb past 40 °C in a heatwave. So people stay indoors through the worst of it and come out when the sun goes down. Sitting or strolling outside in the cooler night air has a name: tomar el fresco, a very Andalusian habit.
Say it like a local: ¿Salimos a tomar el fresco? — Shall we go out and enjoy the cool night air?
The bar is packed, so you and your date carry your drinks out to the terrace. The bill comes to a bit more than the prices on the board inside. What happened?
Many bars charge a little more for terrace service; it's legal if the prices are shown.
Many Spanish bars have two prices: one at the bar (la barra) and a slightly higher one on the terrace (la terraza). It's legal as long as it's on the menu or price list, so check before you sit down. Tipping isn't compulsory in Spain either: rounding up or leaving a few coins is a kind extra, not an obligation.
Say it like a local: ¿Nos sentamos fuera, en la terraza? — Shall we sit outside, on the terrace?
One in the morning at a friend's birthday drinks. You're tired and tempted to slip out without a word. What's expected in Spain?
Say goodbye to the group, or at least the host: vanishing unseen looks rude.
Leaving without a word is called irse (or despedirse) a la francesa, "leaving the French way", and in Spain it can come across as rude. Spanish goodbyes take a while, so start early: a quick me voy to the group, a word with the host, and you're free.
Say it like a local: Bueno, chicos, me voy a casa. ¡Hasta pronto! — Right, guys, I'm heading home. See you soon!
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