A song about doing official errands at the post office, bank, library, and passport office. Practice counter vocabulary, the present tense, «ir a» and «tener que» + infinitive.
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Tengo un paquete y una postal
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I have a package and a postcard
Mandar una caja es un gesto genial
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To send a box is a great gesture (more naturally: Sending a box is a great gesture)
Yo hago la cola, tomo un papel
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I make the line, I take a paper (idiom: 'hacer la cola' literally means 'to make the tail', which means to wait in line or queue; here 'papel' refers to a ticket number)
Compro unos sellos, lo envío con él
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I buy some stamps, I send it with him
En el mostrador, yo me quedo aquí
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At the counter, I stay here
Hablo con el chico que me atiende a mí
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I speak with the guy who attends to me (more naturally: I talk to the guy who is helping me)
Dame el papel, yo lo voy a firmar
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Give me the paper, I am going to sign it
Todos los trámites quiero acabar
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All the procedures I want to finish (more naturally: I want to finish all the paperwork)
Yo voy al banco, quiero una tarjeta
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I go to the bank, I want a card
Abrir una cuenta es mi gran meta
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To open an account is my big goal (more naturally: Opening an account is my big goal)
Muestro mi carné y un poco de dinero
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I show my ID card and a little bit of money
El hombre trabaja y es muy sincero
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The man works and is very sincere
En el mostrador, yo me quedo aquí
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At the counter, I stay here
Hablo con el chico que me atiende a mí
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I speak with the guy who attends to me (more naturally: I talk to the guy who is helping me)
Dame el papel, yo lo voy a firmar
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Give me the paper, I am going to sign it
Todos los trámites quiero acabar
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All the procedures I want to finish (more naturally: I want to finish all the paperwork)
Voy a la biblioteca a dejar un libro
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I go to the library to leave a book (more naturally: I go to the library to return a book)
Busco una historia y me siento vivo
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I look for a story and I feel alive
Le doy mi tarjeta a la bibliotecaria
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I give my card to the librarian
Es un lugar de lectura diaria
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It is a place of daily reading
La línea es larga, hay mucha gente
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The line is long, there are many people
Yo tengo que ser un chico paciente
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I have to be a patient guy
Tengo mis datos, lo veo muy claro
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I have my information, I see it very clearly
Pero hoy tengo que pasar por el aro
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But today I have to pass through the hoop (idiom: 'pasar por el aro' means to jump through hoops or give in and follow rules you don't want to)
Necesito un pasaporte, lleno el formulario
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I need a passport, I fill out the form
La sala está llena, no es extraordinario
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The room is full, it is not extraordinary (more naturally: The room is full, it's nothing unusual)
Contesto preguntas y pago la cuota
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I answer questions and pay the fee
Me dan el recibo y toman la nota
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They give me the receipt and take the note (more naturally: They give me the receipt and make a note of it)
En el mostrador, yo me quedo aquí
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At the counter, I stay here
Hablo con el chico que me atiende a mí
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I speak with the guy who attends to me (more naturally: I talk to the guy who is helping me)
Dame el papel, yo lo voy a firmar
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Give me the paper, I am going to sign it
Todos los trámites quiero acabar
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All the procedures I want to finish (more naturally: I want to finish all the paperwork)
To send a box is a great gesture (more naturally: Sending a box is a great gesture)
Yohagolacola, tomounpapel
I make the line, I take a paper (idiom: 'hacer la cola' literally means 'to make the tail', which means to wait in line or queue; here 'papel' refers to a ticket number)
Comprounossellos, loenvíoconél
I buy some stamps, I send it with him
Enelmostrador, yomequedoaquí
At the counter, I stay here
Habloconelchicoquemeatiendeamí
I speak with the guy who attends to me (more naturally: I talk to the guy who is helping me)
Dameelpapel, yolovoyafirmar
Give me the paper, I am going to sign it
Todoslostrámitesquieroacabar
All the procedures I want to finish (more naturally: I want to finish all the paperwork)
Yovoyalbanco, quierounatarjeta
I go to the bank, I want a card
Abrirunacuentaesmigranmeta
To open an account is my big goal (more naturally: Opening an account is my big goal)
Muestromicarnéyunpocodedinero
I show my ID card and a little bit of money
Elhombretrabajayesmuysincero
The man works and is very sincere
Enelmostrador, yomequedoaquí
At the counter, I stay here
Habloconelchicoquemeatiendeamí
I speak with the guy who attends to me (more naturally: I talk to the guy who is helping me)
Dameelpapel, yolovoyafirmar
Give me the paper, I am going to sign it
Todoslostrámitesquieroacabar
All the procedures I want to finish (more naturally: I want to finish all the paperwork)
Voyalabibliotecaadejarunlibro
I go to the library to leave a book (more naturally: I go to the library to return a book)
Buscounahistoriaymesientovivo
I look for a story and I feel alive
Ledoymitarjetaalabibliotecaria
I give my card to the librarian
Esunlugardelecturadiaria
It is a place of daily reading
Lalíneaeslarga, haymuchagente
The line is long, there are many people
Yotengoqueserunchicopaciente
I have to be a patient guy
Tengomisdatos, loveomuyclaro
I have my information, I see it very clearly
Perohoytengoquepasarporelaro
But today I have to pass through the hoop (idiom: 'pasar por el aro' means to jump through hoops or give in and follow rules you don't want to)
Necesitounpasaporte, llenoelformulario
I need a passport, I fill out the form
Lasalaestállena, noesextraordinario
The room is full, it is not extraordinary (more naturally: The room is full, it's nothing unusual)
Contestopreguntasypagolacuota
I answer questions and pay the fee
Medanelreciboytomanlanota
They give me the receipt and take the note (more naturally: They give me the receipt and make a note of it)
Enelmostrador, yomequedoaquí
At the counter, I stay here
Habloconelchicoquemeatiendeamí
I speak with the guy who attends to me (more naturally: I talk to the guy who is helping me)
Dameelpapel, yolovoyafirmar
Give me the paper, I am going to sign it
Todoslostrámitesquieroacabar
All the procedures I want to finish (more naturally: I want to finish all the paperwork)
Firmaaquí
Sign here
Tomaunnúmero
Take a number
Enelmostrador
At the counter
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What is the song about?
The person singing spends the day doing trámites (official errands and paperwork). They send a package at the post office, open an account at the bank, go to the library, and apply for a passport. Everywhere they go, they wait in line, talk to the person serving them en el mostrador (at the counter), and sign papers. They just want to finish everything, although they have to be patient.
Useful words and expressions
el mostrador: the high desk or counter where you are served in an office or shop.
hacer la cola: to wait in line for your turn.
el paquete, la postal, la caja, los sellos: post office vocabulary (the package, the postcard, the box, the stamps).
la cuenta, la tarjeta, el carné: bank vocabulary (the account, the card, the ID card—a carné is an identity document).
la bibliotecaria: the person who works in the library (female librarian).
el formulario, la cuota, el recibo: what you fill out (form), what you pay (fee), and the paper that proves you have paid (receipt).
los trámites: official or administrative errands and paperwork.
atender a alguien: to serve or help a customer (el chico que me atiende).
mis datos: your personal information (name, address…).
pasar por el aro: to jump through hoops; to accept something you do not like because there is no other option.
Toma un número: a typical phrase in offices with a ticketed turn system (
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