DELE A2 phrases for writing and speaking
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Writing task 1 Reply to a message
- Format
- Read a short message of 35 to 45 words and reply with a note, email or short letter of 60 to 70 words.
- What it tests
- A note, postcard, message, email or short letter in reply to a text, about your own life and everyday matters: habits, wishes, likes, preferences, work or study, where you live and how things are going.
Thanking and reacting to news
- Muchas gracias por la invitación. Thank you very much for the invitation.
- ¡Qué buena noticia! What great news!
- ¡Enhorabuena! Congratulations!
- Me alegro mucho. I'm really pleased.
- ¡Qué pena! What a shame!
¡Enhorabuena por el trabajo nuevo! Me alegro mucho por ti.
Congratulations on the new job! I'm really pleased for you.
Accepting or turning down an invitation
- ¡Claro que voy! Of course I'll come!
- Me gustaría mucho ir, pero... I'd love to go, but...
- Lo siento, pero ese día no puedo porque... I'm sorry, but I can't that day because...
- ¿Qué tal otro día? How about another day?
Me gustaría mucho ir, pero el sábado trabajo hasta las ocho. ¿Qué tal el domingo?
I'd love to go, but on Saturday I'm working until eight. How about Sunday?
Fixing a day, a time and a place
- ¿Quedamos el viernes a las siete? Shall we meet on Friday at seven?
- ¿Te va bien el martes? Does Tuesday work for you?
- Te espero en la puerta de... I'll wait for you at the entrance to...
- Nos vemos a las... en... See you at... at / in...
¿Quedamos el viernes a las ocho en la puerta del teatro?
Shall we meet on Friday at eight at the entrance to the theatre?
Asking a friend for information
- ¿Sabes si...? Do you know if...?
- ¿A qué hora empieza...? What time does... start?
- ¿Cómo se llega a tu casa? How do I get to your place?
- ¿Hay que llevar algo? Do I need to bring anything?
¿A qué hora empieza la comida? ¿Hay que llevar algo?
What time does the lunch start? Do I need to bring anything?
Offering to help or to bring something
- Si quieres, llevo... If you like, I'll bring...
- ¿Te ayudo con...? Shall I help you with...?
- Puedo ir a buscarte a... I can come and pick you up at...
Si quieres, llevo una ensalada y algo de postre.
If you like, I'll bring a salad and something for dessert.
Telling a friend your news
- Te cuento que... I wanted to tell you that...
- Estos días estoy muy ocupado / ocupada con... I'm very busy with... these days.
- Este mes he empezado... This month I've started...
Te cuento que este mes he empezado un curso de cocina los martes por la tarde.
I wanted to tell you that this month I've started a cooking course on Tuesday afternoons.
Writing task 2 Composition
- Format
- Choose one of two options and write 70 to 80 words: an everyday topic, or a biography or story built from photos or data.
- What it tests
- Linked sentences about everyday things around you, such as people, places, study or work, with short descriptions of events, past activities and personal experiences. One option is an everyday topic; the other is the life of a person, or a story, told from photos or data.
Telling what happened
- El verano pasado fui a... Last summer I went to...
- Hace dos años... Two years ago...
- Cuando llegamos, ... When we arrived, ...
- Lo pasamos muy bien. We had a great time.
Hace tres años fui a Cantabria con mis primos y lo pasamos muy bien.
Three years ago I went to Cantabria with my cousins and we had a great time.
Describing a place or a person in the past
- Era un pueblo muy pequeño. It was a very small village.
- Había mucha gente. There were a lot of people.
- Hacía mucho calor. It was very hot.
- Mi abuela era muy alegre. My grandmother was very cheerful.
El hotel era pequeño, pero estaba muy cerca de la playa.
The hotel was small, but it was very close to the beach.
Writing a biography from photos or data
- Nació en... en... He / She was born in... in...
- A los... años empezó a... At the age of... he / she started to...
- Estudió... en... He / She studied... at...
- En... se casó con... In... he / she married...
- Hoy es famoso / famosa por... Today he / she is famous for...
Nació en Valencia en 1975 y a los dieciocho años empezó a trabajar en un periódico.
She was born in Valencia in 1975 and at the age of eighteen she started working for a newspaper.
Saying what you felt and what you think
- Me gustó mucho... I really liked...
- Me encantó... I loved...
- Fue un día muy especial. It was a very special day.
- Para mí, ... For me, ...
Para mí, fue un viaje muy especial porque conocí a mucha gente.
For me, it was a very special trip because I met a lot of people.
Speaking task 1 Presentation
- Format
- Talk for 2 to 3 minutes about one of two topics you prepared.
- What it tests
- A short prepared talk that describes, in simple terms, parts of your daily life and your experiences on a given topic.
Introducing your topic
- Voy a hablar de... I'm going to talk about...
- He elegido este tema porque... I chose this topic because...
- Primero voy a hablar de... y después de... First I'll talk about... and then about...
Voy a hablar de mi trabajo, porque es una parte muy importante de mi vida.
I'm going to talk about my job, because it's a very important part of my life.
Talking about your habits
- Suelo... I usually...
- Una vez a la semana... Once a week...
- Casi siempre... Almost always...
- Casi nunca... Hardly ever...
Suelo comer en casa, pero los viernes salgo a comer con mis compañeros.
I usually have lunch at home, but on Fridays I go out for lunch with my colleagues.
Comparing then and now
- Antes..., pero ahora... Before, I used to..., but now...
- Cuando era pequeño / pequeña, ... When I was little, ...
- Ahora es más / menos... que antes. Now it's more / less... than before.
Antes vivía en un pueblo, pero ahora vivo en el centro de la ciudad.
I used to live in a village, but now I live in the city centre.
Saying what you like and prefer
- Me gusta más... que... I like... more than...
- Prefiero... porque... I prefer... because...
- Me interesa mucho... I'm very interested in...
- Lo mejor es que... The best thing is that...
- Lo peor es... The worst thing is...
Lo mejor de mi barrio es que todo está cerca.
The best thing about my neighbourhood is that everything is close.
Speaking task 2 Photo description
- Format
- Describe one of two everyday photos for 2 to 3 minutes.
- What it tests
- A short, simple description of an everyday scene with a practical side, such as shopping or using transport.
Saying what the photo shows
- En la foto hay... In the photo there is / there are...
- Es una tienda / una calle / una estación. It's a shop / a street / a station.
- Parece un mercado. It looks like a market.
En la foto hay una panadería pequeña con mucha gente.
In the photo there's a small bakery with a lot of people.
Saying where things are
- A la derecha / A la izquierda... On the right / On the left...
- En el centro... In the middle...
- Al fondo... In the background...
- Delante de / Detrás de... In front of / Behind...
- Al lado de... Next to...
Al fondo hay una mujer mayor y, delante de ella, un niño con una mochila.
In the background there's an older woman and, in front of her, a boy with a rucksack.
Describing the people and what they are doing
- Es un hombre de unos cuarenta años. He's a man of about forty.
- Lleva una chaqueta azul. He / She's wearing a blue jacket.
- Está hablando con... He / She's talking to...
- Están esperando... They're waiting for...
La chica lleva un vestido rojo y está pagando con el móvil.
The girl is wearing a red dress and she's paying with her phone.
Guessing about the people
- Creo que son... I think they're...
- Parece contento / cansado. He looks happy / tired.
- Seguramente... Probably...
- Me imagino que después van a... I imagine that afterwards they're going to...
Creo que son compañeros de trabajo y me imagino que después van a comer juntos.
I think they're colleagues and I imagine that afterwards they're going to have lunch together.
Speaking task 3 Role play
- Format
- Hold a simulated conversation with the examiner, linked to the photo you described, for 3 to 4 minutes.
- What it tests
- Short conversations to get everyday things done, such as buying, asking and paying, or informal chat about daily activities, free time, work, likes and interests.
Asking for something in a shop or a bar
- Quería... I'd like... (polite)
- ¿Me pone...? Could I have...?
- ¿Tiene... en otro color? Do you have... in another colour?
- ¿Me lo puedo probar? Can I try it on?
Buenas tardes. ¿Me pone un café con leche y un zumo de naranja, por favor?
Good afternoon. Could I have a white coffee and an orange juice, please?
Asking about prices and paying
- ¿Cuánto cuesta / cuestan...? How much is / are...?
- ¿Cuánto es? How much is that?
- ¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta? Can I pay by card?
- Es un poco caro. ¿Tiene algo más barato? It's a bit expensive. Do you have anything cheaper?
¿Cuánto cuestan estas gafas de sol? Son un poco caras para mí.
How much are these sunglasses? They're a bit expensive for me.
Asking about times and places
- Perdone, ¿dónde está...? Excuse me, where is...?
- ¿A qué hora sale / llega...? What time does... leave / arrive?
- ¿Está lejos de aquí? Is it far from here?
- ¿Cómo puedo ir a...? How can I get to...?
Perdone, ¿a qué hora sale el próximo autobús al aeropuerto?
Excuse me, what time does the next bus to the airport leave?
Reacting and finishing the conversation
- Vale, me lo llevo. OK, I'll take it.
- Me parece perfecto. That's perfect.
- Es usted muy amable. That's very kind of you.
- Hasta luego. Goodbye. (literally 'see you later')
Vale, me lo llevo. Muchas gracias, es usted muy amable.
OK, I'll take it. Thank you very much, that's very kind of you.
Letters, emails and messages
Opening a message to a friend
- Hola, Marta: Hi Marta, (Spanish puts a colon after the greeting) Writing task 1
- ¡Hola, Javier! Hi Javier! (an exclamation mark, no colon) Writing task 1
- Querida Ana: Dear Ana, Writing task 1
- ¿Qué tal todo? How's everything? Writing task 1
- Gracias por tu correo. Thanks for your email. Writing task 1
¡Hola, Javier! ¿Qué tal todo? Gracias por tu correo y por las fotos.
Hi Javier! How's everything? Thanks for your email and for the photos. Writing task 1
Closing a message to a friend
- Bueno, te dejo. Anyway, I'll stop there. Writing task 1
- Escríbeme pronto. Write back soon. Writing task 1
- Nos vemos pronto. See you soon. Writing task 1
- Un abrazo muy fuerte, Lots of love, (literally 'a big hug') Writing task 1
- Besos, Love, Writing task 1
Bueno, te dejo. Nos vemos el viernes. Un abrazo muy fuerte, Clara.
Anyway, I'll stop there. See you on Friday. Lots of love, Clara. Writing task 1
Tú with friends, usted in shops and offices
- Te escribo para... I'm writing to you to... (tú) Writing task 1
- ¿Puedes...? Can you...? (tú) Writing task 1
- ¿Puede...? Can you...? (usted) Speaking task 3
- Perdone, ... Excuse me, ... (usted) Speaking task 3
- Perdona por no contestar antes. Sorry for not replying sooner. (tú) Writing task 1
Perdone, ¿puede repetir el precio, por favor?
Excuse me, could you say the price again, please? Speaking task 3
Te escribo para darte las gracias por la cena. ¿Puedes mandarme la receta?
I'm writing to thank you for the dinner. Can you send me the recipe? Writing task 1
Connectors
Conectores
The top band of the A2 writing scale names además, sin embargo, aunque and como as connectors and por otro lado and en primer lugar as organisers. Band 2 names primero, después and por eso.
Adding
- y and Writing tasks 1 and 2, speaking task 1
- también also, too Writing task 2, speaking task 1
- además besides, what's more Writing task 2, speaking task 1
Mi barrio es tranquilo y además tiene muchos parques.
My neighbourhood is quiet and, what's more, it has a lot of parks. Speaking task 1
Contrasting
- pero but Writing tasks 1 and 2, speaking task 1
- aunque although Writing task 2, speaking task 1
- sin embargo however Writing task 2
El viaje fue muy largo. Sin embargo, llegamos contentos.
The journey was very long. However, we arrived happy. Writing task 2
Giving reasons and results
- porque because Writing task 1, speaking task 1
- como as, since (at the start of the sentence) Writing tasks 1 and 2
- por eso so, that's why Writing task 2, speaking task 1
Como el sábado trabajo, prefiero quedar el domingo.
As I'm working on Saturday, I'd rather meet on Sunday. Writing task 1
Putting events in order
- primero first Writing task 2, speaking task 1
- después / luego then, afterwards Writing task 2, speaking task 1
- al final in the end Writing task 2
- cuando when Writing task 2, speaking task 1
Primero visitamos la catedral, luego comimos en el puerto y al final vimos la puesta de sol.
First we visited the cathedral, then we had lunch at the harbour and in the end we watched the sunset. Writing task 2
Organising your points
- en primer lugar first of all Writing task 2, speaking task 1
- por un lado..., por otro lado... on the one hand..., on the other hand... Writing task 2, speaking task 1
Por un lado, mi trabajo está cerca de casa; por otro lado, gano poco.
On the one hand, my job is close to home; on the other hand, I don't earn much. Speaking task 1
Sources
The tasks and what they test come from the Instituto Cervantes documents below. The Spanish phrases and sentences are Apto DELE's own.
- Guía del examen DELE A2 (2020 version), Instituto Cervantes
- Especificaciones DELE A2 (2020), Instituto Cervantes
Latest version of this page: aptodele.com/dele-a2/phrases/