In this workshop you practice a short restaurant exchange: asking what is special today, understanding a reply about dishes, and asking what a dish includes. You will use the supplied recordings as your only native models. Read the English meaning of each line first, then say the Spanish aloud. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic assessment, so check your answers with the keys provided.
Asking the opening question
Start by learning three ways to ask about the day's special. «¿Cuál es el especial de hoy?» means 'What is today's special?' and is the most direct question. «¿Qué platillo tienen hoy?» means 'What dish do you have today?' and asks about the dish available. «¿Qué recomienda hoy?» means 'What do you recommend today?' and invites a suggestion. All three are polite and useful at the start of a meal. Say each one slowly, then at a natural speed. Keep the question intonation clear at the end. When you are ready, combine a greeting with the question as in «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el especial de hoy?», which means 'Good afternoon, what is today's special?' Notice that the greeting comes first, then the question.
Understanding the reply
A server may answer with a statement about the special. «El especial de hoy es...» means 'Today's special is...' and introduces the dish. A fuller reply is «Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.», which means 'Today we have tortilla soup and chicken in mole sauce.' Listen for the two dishes: tortilla soup and chicken in mole sauce. If you want more detail about a dish, ask «¿Qué incluye el pollo en mole?», which means 'What does the chicken in mole include?' The reply «Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.» means 'It includes rice, beans, and tortillas.' These lines show a simple pattern: ask about a dish, then listen for the items that come with it. Practice repeating the reply lines so you can recognize them when spoken quickly.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuál es el especial de hoy?
What is today's special?
KWAHL es el es-pe-SYAL de oy
¿Qué platillo tienen hoy?
What dish do you have today?
ke pla-TEE-yo TYE-nen oy
¿Qué recomienda hoy?
What do you recommend today?
ke re-ko-MYEN-da oy
El especial de hoy es...
Today's special is...
el es-pe-SYAL de oy es
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el especial de hoy?
Good afternoon, what is today's special?Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.
Today we have tortilla soup and chicken in mole sauce.¿Qué incluye el pollo en mole?
What does the chicken in mole include?Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.
It includes rice, beans, and tortillas.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer
You are a customer at a restaurant in the afternoon. Your partner plays the server. Use the recordings as your script.
Your task: Customer: say the line from «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el especial de hoy?». Server: reply with the line from «Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.». Customer: ask the question from «¿Qué incluye el pollo en mole?». Server: answer with the line from «Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.». Then swap roles and repeat the same order.
Reply comprehension: choose the right answer
Read the customer question and choose the server reply that fits. Use only the recorded lines.
Your task: Question: «¿Qué incluye el pollo en mole?». Which reply fits? A) «Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.» B) «Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.» C) «El especial de hoy es...». Then Question: «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el especial de hoy?». Which reply fits? A) «Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.» B) «Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.» C) «¿Qué incluye el pollo en mole?».
Recall with correct roles
Work with a partner or the audio. One person is the customer, the other is the server. Do not read the lines yet.
Your task: Customer: ask what is special today using «¿Cuál es el especial de hoy?». Server: give the full reply from «Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.». Customer: ask what the chicken in mole includes using «¿Qué incluye el pollo en mole?». Server: answer with «Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.». Then swap roles and repeat from memory.
Common questions
Can I practice alone without a partner?
Yes. Play the audio for one role and speak the other role aloud. Then replay and switch roles. There is no automatic assessment, so use the success criteria and the recordings to check yourself.
What should I listen for in the server's reply?
Listen for the dish names and the items that come with a dish. In «Hoy tenemos sopa de tortilla y pollo en mole.» you hear tortilla soup and chicken in mole sauce. In «Incluye arroz, frijoles y tortillas.» you hear rice, beans, and tortillas. Repeating these lines helps you recognize them at natural speed.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask about daily specialChecked September 2026
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