In this workshop you will practice making simple suggestions in Spanish and responding to them. You will learn two common patterns: ¿Qué tal si...? and podemos plus an infinitive. You will also hear a short exchange where two people suggest watching a movie, going out, and walking. The goal is to help you offer an idea, react to someone else's idea, and choose between staying in and going out. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic assessment, so use the answer checks to guide yourself.
Two ways to suggest an activity
A suggestion is a friendly idea, not a firm plan. In Spanish, one common pattern is ¿Qué tal si...? followed by a present-tense verb. For example, «¿Qué tal si vemos una película?» means "How about we watch a movie?" The verb after si stays in the present tense, so you say vemos, not ver. Another common pattern is podemos plus an infinitive. «Podemos ir a caminar.» means "We could go for a walk." Podemos literally means "we can," but in a suggestion it works like English "we could." The second verb stays in the infinitive: ir, caminar, comer. You can also combine the idea of going out with a walk. «¿Qué tal si salimos a caminar?» means "How about we go out for a walk?" Salir means "to go out," so this version is a little more active. If you want to sound especially warm or polite, you can use ¿Te gustaría...? «¿Te gustaría ir por un café?» means "Would you like to go for a coffee?" Te gustaría is literally "it would please you," so it is softer than ¿Quieres...? Use it with acquaintances or when you want to be extra friendly.
Accepting and gently shifting a suggestion
When someone suggests an activity, you can accept with a short positive phrase. In the dialogue, one person suggests watching a movie tonight with «¿Qué tal si vemos una película esta noche?», which means "How about we watch a movie tonight?" The other person answers with «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?», which means "Good idea! But don't you prefer going out?" This response accepts the idea and then gently offers a different option. The first person then adds another possibility with «También podemos ir a caminar.», which means "We could also go for a walk." Finally, the second person agrees with «Me gusta. ¿Vamos al parque?», which means "I like that. Shall we go to the park?" Notice that the conversation moves from a movie at home to going out for a walk. The word también in «También podemos ir a caminar.» means "also," so it adds an option without rejecting the first one. This is a useful way to keep the conversation friendly and flexible.
Staying in or going out
Some suggestions are about staying in, and others are about going out. Watching a movie, as in «¿Qué tal si vemos una película?» and «¿Qué tal si vemos una película esta noche?», can happen at home. Going for a walk, as in «Podemos ir a caminar.» and «¿Qué tal si salimos a caminar?», usually means leaving the house. Going for a coffee, as in «¿Te gustaría ir por un café?», also means going out. When you hear a suggestion, listen for words like salir (to go out), ir (to go), and caminar (to walk). In «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?», the question ¿Pero no prefieres salir? means "But don't you prefer going out?" This is a gentle way to check if the other person wants a different kind of activity. You do not need to make a firm plan right away. You can simply say you like the idea, as in «Me gusta. ¿Vamos al parque?», or offer another option with podemos, as in «También podemos ir a caminar.». The important thing is to keep the tone friendly and open.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Qué tal si vemos una película?
How about we watch a movie?
keh tahl see VEH-mohs oo-nah peh-LEE-koo-lah
Podemos ir a caminar.
We could go for a walk.
poh-DEH-mohs eer ah kah-mee-NAR
¿Qué tal si salimos a caminar?
How about we go out for a walk?
keh tahl see sah-LEE-mohs ah kah-mee-NAR
¿Te gustaría ir por un café?
Would you like to go for a coffee?
teh goos-tah-REE-ah eer pohr oon kah-FEH
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
¿Qué tal si vemos una película esta noche?
How about we watch a movie tonight?¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?
Good idea! But don't you prefer going out?También podemos ir a caminar.
We could also go for a walk.Me gusta. ¿Vamos al parque?
I like that. Shall we go to the park?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: Suggest and respond
Imagine you are talking with a friend about what to do this evening. You will play both roles. First, you suggest watching a movie using the pattern from the recordings. Then you respond as the friend who accepts the idea but gently asks about going out.
Your task: Listen to «¿Qué tal si vemos una película esta noche?» and repeat it aloud. Then listen to «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?» and repeat it aloud. After that, say «¿Qué tal si vemos una película esta noche?» as if you are making the suggestion, and answer with «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?» as if you are the friend. Do this twice, switching which line you say first.
Reply comprehension: Choose the right response
You will read a suggestion and then choose a suitable reply from the recordings. This practices understanding the difference between accepting an idea and gently shifting toward going out.
Your task: Read the suggestion «¿Qué tal si vemos una película?». Which recorded reply fits best as a gentle shift toward going out: «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?» or «Me gusta. ¿Vamos al parque?»? Say your choice aloud, then listen to both recordings to check. Next, read the suggestion «¿Qué tal si salimos a caminar?». Which recorded reply fits best as a simple acceptance: «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?» or «Me gusta. ¿Vamos al parque?»? Say your choice aloud and check with the audio.
Recall and role play: Who says what?
In the dialogue, one person suggests a movie, the other asks about going out, the first adds a walk, and the second agrees. You will recall the lines and say them in the correct roles.
Your task: Without looking at the text, try to remember the line that suggests watching a movie tonight. Say it aloud. Then remember the line that says "Good idea! But don't you prefer going out?" Say it aloud. Next, remember the line that adds "We could also go for a walk." Finally, remember the line that says "I like that. Shall we go to the park?" Say all four lines in order, playing both roles.
Common questions
What is the difference between ¿Qué tal si...? and podemos?
Both are used to suggest an activity. ¿Qué tal si...? is followed by a present-tense verb, as in «¿Qué tal si vemos una película?». Podemos is followed by an infinitive, as in «Podemos ir a caminar.». They are often interchangeable, but ¿Qué tal si...? can sound a little more like an open question, while podemos can sound like a shared option.
How do I accept or gently shift a suggestion?
To accept, you can use a short positive phrase like the one in «Me gusta. ¿Vamos al parque?», which means "I like that." To gently shift toward another option, you can accept first and then ask about a different activity, as in «¡Buena idea! ¿Pero no prefieres salir?», which means "Good idea! But don't you prefer going out?" This keeps the conversation friendly and does not reject the other person's idea completely.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: suggest activitiesChecked September 2026
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