What it's about

The song tells the story of a visit to a clothing store. The person singing looks at jackets, sweaters, and blouses, goes to the probador (fitting room), discovers that a blouse is too tight and a pair of pants is too short, asks for help, and finally finds the perfect clothes. They pay at the register and walk out onto the street very happy. The chorus repeats the most useful phrases for buying clothes.

Useful words and expressions

  • ¿Me lo puedo probar?: the key question to ask permission and try on an item of clothing in the store.
  • el probador / el cuarto de pruebas: the place where you try on clothes.
  • la talla: the clothing size. Necesito otra talla.
  • la prenda: any piece of clothing.
  • Items of clothing: la chaqueta, el suéter, la blusa, el pantalón.
  • Colors: rojo, azul, verde, negro, blanco, gris.
  • de algodón: made of that material (cotton).
  • el gancho: the hanger where clothes hang (in Spain they say percha).
  • la caja: the checkout where you pay.
  • Me queda apretada: it is too small/tight for me.
  • Me queda como anillo al dedo: a very common expression meaning "it fits me perfectly".
  • lucir genial: to look great. Deslumbrar: to dazzle or impress with how nice or bright something is.
  • muy cool: an informal anglicism for "very modern, very nice".
Some words are more typical of Latin America: lindo (bonito), gancho (percha), suéter (in Spain, jersey).

Grammar

  • Pronouns with the infinitive: ¿Me lo puedo probar? is the same as ¿Puedo probármelo? The pronouns go before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive.
  • Reflexive verbs: me miro, me siento, me pongo la ropa, probarse.
  • Quedar + adjective to talk about how clothes fit you: me queda apretada, me queda bien. The adjective agrees with the item of clothing (la blusa → apretada).
  • Present indicative in the first person to tell what is happening: entro, miro, busco, llevo, compro, salgo.

Watch out: changes for the rhyme

To make it rhyme, the lyrics sometimes say things in an unnatural way. Don't copy them:

  • Chaqueta de rojo → the normal way is una chaqueta roja.
  • Un suéter de blanco → the normal way is un suéter blanco.
  • Un pantalón de un negro color → the normal way is un pantalón negro or de color negro.
  • ¿Lo tienes pequeño, mediano o mayor? → sizes are pequeña, mediana o grande; mayor is not used for sizes.
  • Dime qué es lo que haré → in a conversation you say ¿qué hago? or ¿qué voy a hacer?
  • Las piernas son cortas (of the pants) → you would say el pantalón me queda corto.
  • Me miro al espejo is correct, but me miro en el espejo is more common.
  • ¿Lo tienes…? addresses the clerk informally (tú); in many stores it is more polite to say ¿Lo tiene en otra talla?