What do you recommend? Ordering tacos in Spanish (A1)

0:00 [Music. The voices in this episode (Mateo, Sam) are AI-generated.]

0:04Mateo It smells amazing, there's a queue, and everyone else knows exactly what to order. Then you're in the right lesson. Welcome to Copycat Cafe. I'm Mateo. And I'm Sam. I'm also very hungry. One more thing before we start: Sam and I are AI-generated voices. By the end, you'll be able to order at a taco stand in Mexico: say hello, ask what's good, ask the price, and order two tacos. Listen first. Copy the sound. Then try the words for yourself. We'll leave space for you to speak.

0:36Mateo If you miss an answer, let it go. You'll hear the words again. You don't need to rewind or look at a screen. If you're driving, keep your attention on the road and skip the speaking exercises. Here's the whole scene. Sam is the customer. I'm the taquero, the man making the tacos. Just listen for one word: tacos. ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer? ¿Qué recomienda? Los de pastor están muy buenos. ¿Cuánto cuestan? Quince pesos cada taco. Perfecto. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. Claro. Son treinta pesos.

1:18Mateo Two tacos. I could have ordered six. Let's get the first two right. Start with hello: ¡hola! Then a friendly how's it going: ¿qué tal? Together: ¡hola! ¿Qué tal? Copy me. ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Once more, a little warmer. The taquero answers: bien, gracias. Good, thanks. Then he asks: ¿qué va a querer? What would you like? You don't need to say that one. It's the question you'll hear at a stand or a counter in Mexico, so just recognise it. ¿Qué va a querer? That's my cue to panic. Or to ask for help. Which is our next phrase.

2:03Mateo ¿Qué recomienda? What do you recommend? It's the polite form you use with a vendor. Borrow the whole question. ¿Qué recomienda? Your turn. Let's take the long word slowly first: recomienda. Copy just that: recomienda. Now the whole question again: ¿qué recomienda?

2:36Sam His answer: los de pastor están muy buenos. The al pastor ones are very good. Al pastor is a classic filling: pork cooked on a vertical spit. He doesn't repeat the word tacos. Los de pastor just means the al pastor ones. The bit to catch is muy buenos. Very good. Listen once more: los de pastor están muy buenos. Very good. I'm sold. But first, the price.

3:07Mateo ¿Cuánto cuestan? How much do they cost? Copy it: ¿cuánto cuestan? Once more. ¿Cuánto cuestan? The answer: quince pesos cada taco. Fifteen pesos per taco. Quince is fifteen. Cada taco, each taco. Here's a quick check. Quince pesos cada taco. How much is one taco? Say the number in English. Fifteen pesos. Good to know before you order.

3:49Mateo Now the order itself. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. Two al pastor tacos, please. Start with the end: por favor. Please. Copy it. Now the tacos: dos tacos al pastor. Two al pastor tacos. And the whole order: dos tacos al pastor, por favor. In the scene, Sam starts her order with perfecto. Perfect. It's an easy way to say: great, I'll take them. Copy it: perfecto.

4:39Mateo Then the taquero says: claro. Son treinta pesos. Of course. That's thirty pesos. Treinta, thirty. Two tacos at fifteen each. The maths works. And I'm still hungry. Then let's change the number. Tres means three. Copy just that: tres. Tres tacos al pastor, por favor. Three al pastor tacos, please. Same order, new number. Copy it.

5:16Mateo Now without hearing the Spanish first. Order three al pastor tacos, please. Tres tacos al pastor, por favor. And now back to two. Order two. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. One order, two numbers. That little switch matters: copying gives you a starting point you can change. Let's put it together. You're the customer. I'll be the taquero. Start by saying hello and asking how it's going.

6:02Mateo Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer? Ask me what I recommend. Los de pastor están muy buenos. Ask how much they cost. Quince pesos cada taco. Say perfect, and order two al pastor tacos, please. Claro. Son treinta pesos. Here's one version of your part. ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? ¿Qué recomienda? ¿Cuánto cuestan? Perfecto. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. If you missed a step, that's fine. These gaps are for practice, not a test.

6:56Mateo Let's hear the original scene again. No explanations this time. Notice which bits you recognise. ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer? ¿Qué recomienda? Los de pastor están muy buenos. ¿Cuánto cuestan? Quince pesos cada taco. Perfecto. Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. Claro. Son treinta pesos.

7:22Mateo Now you're the customer again, and this time you're hungrier. Sam will stay quiet. Same four steps: say hello, ask what's good, ask the price, then order three. Start with hello, and ask how it's going. Bien, gracias. ¿Qué va a querer? Ask what's good. Los de pastor están muy buenos. Ask the price. Quince pesos cada taco. Tell me it's perfect, and order three.

8:12Sam Claro. Son cuarenta y cinco pesos. That's forty-five pesos, three times fifteen. You don't need that number today. Here's one version of your part: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? ¿Qué recomienda? ¿Cuánto cuestan? Perfecto. Tres tacos al pastor, por favor. I stayed quiet for that whole order. It was very hard. I'm still hungry.

8:34Mateo One last order from memory. Ask for two al pastor tacos, please.

8:46Sam Dos tacos al pastor, por favor. Keep that order, and the question ¿qué recomienda? You heard them, copied them, and changed the number. You don't need every word from the scene today. Come back and try the gaps again. This is the free Copycat Cafe audio course. The optional paid app adds pronunciation feedback and conversations that respond to you. Today's matching lesson is At the taqueria. ¡Buen provecho! ¡Gracias! Now, if you'll excuse me, my tacos are getting cold.