How well do you know your movies — and your Spanish vocabulary? In this reading comprehension challenge, we've taken five popular films and rewritten their plots in Spanish, leaving out the title, of course! Your job is to read each summary, review the key vocabulary terms, and use the hint so you can try to guess the movie before checking the answer at the end. Ready to put your Spanish skills to the test?
Un hombre con un coeficiente intelectual por debajo del promedio vive una vida llena de momentos históricos casi por accidente. A pesar de las dificultades, su lealtad, su inocencia y su gran corazón lo llevan a convertirse en un atleta talentoso, un héroe de guerra y un exitoso hombre de negocios. Sin embargo, lo único que realmente le importa es volver a estar junto a la mujer que ama desde la infancia.
Key terms:
coeficiente intelectual (IQ)
momentos históricos (historical moments)
lealtad (loyalty)
convertirse (to become)
la mujer que ama (the woman he loves)
Este es el primer paso para convertirse en la persona feliz y superficial que me comentaba.
This is the first step to becoming the happy and superficial person you were telling me about.
Captions 33-34, Cortometraje Triunfadores - Part 3
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📌 Hint: It's a name — two words.
Un programador descubre que el mundo en el que vive no es real, sino una simulación creada por máquinas para mantener a los humanos bajo control. Guiado por un grupo de rebeldes, debe elegir entre seguir viviendo en la ignorancia o conocer la verdad y luchar para liberar a la humanidad.
Key terms:
simulación (simulation)
bajo control (under control)
rebeldes (rebels)
ignorancia (ignorance)
liberar (to free/liberate)
pero antes tengo que liberar a Willy, ¿cierto, jefecito?
but before I have to free Willy, right, dear boss?
Caption 46, Kikirikí Animales - Part 5
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📌 Hint: Sigue al conejo blanco 🐇
Un hombre adulto que vive con su madre sueña con ser comediante y se gana la vida como payaso haciendo publicidad. Un día se cansa de ser humillado y cambia radicalmente su vida, convirtiéndose en un asesino.
Key terms:
payaso (clown)
se cansa de ser humillado (gets tired of being humiliated)
asesino (murderer)
he hecho de payaso también.
I've been a clown as well.
Caption 12, Circo Berlín José Romero - Part 2
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📌 Hint: It's one word.
Una mujer se casa con un hombre por conveniencia, para ayudarlo a obtener la residencia legal y para que ella pueda alquilar un apartamento que solo acepta parejas casadas. Cuando las autoridades sospechan que el matrimonio es falso, ambos deben fingir que están realmente enamorados.
Key terms:
conveniencia (convenience)
parejas casadas (married couples)
sospechar (to suspect)
fingir (to pretend)
pero también debemos mencionar la conveniencia.
but we should also mention convenience.
Caption 20, Fermín y Manuel Los móviles - Part 1
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📌 Hint: Monticello
Un profesor y su alumna descubren que un evento catastrófico amenaza con destruir a toda la humanidad. Sin embargo, sus advertencias se encuentran con una sociedad más interesada en la política, la fama y las redes sociales que en enfrentar la inminente catástrofe.
Key terms:
evento catastrófico (catastrophic event)
advertencias (warnings)
inminente (imminent)
para evitar una catástrofe.
to avoid a catastrophe.
Caption 51, Vocabulario de noticias Política internacional - Part 3
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📌 Hint: Es una orden, en forma de título (It's a command, in the form of a title).
The answer is Forrest Gump (1994) — in Spanish, the title stays the same: Forrest Gump. Despite having a below-average IQ, Forrest experiences countless historical moments almost by accident. His unwavering loyalty and good heart help him become a war hero, a champion runner, and a successful businessman — though all he really wants is to be with the woman he loves, Jenny, the love of his life.
Vocabulary recap: coeficiente intelectual (IQ), momentos históricos (historical moments), lealtad (loyalty), convertirse (to become), la mujer que ama (the woman he loves)
The answer is The Matrix (1999) — known in Spanish-speaking countries simply as Matrix. A programmer discovers that the world he lives in is actually a simulation kept under control by machines. Guided by a group of rebels, he must choose between living in ignorance or learning the truth and fighting to free humanity. As for the hint, Sigue al conejo blanco (Follow the white rabbit) is the famous phrase that first leads Neo down the path to discovering the truth.
Vocabulary recap: simulación (simulation), bajo control (under control), rebeldes (rebels), ignorancia (ignorance), liberar (to free/liberate)
The answer is Joker (2019) — in Spanish, the title stays the same: Joker. A man who makes a living as a clown dreams of becoming a comedian, but one day gets tired of being humiliated and radically transforms his life, becoming a murderer.
Vocabulary recap: payaso (clown), se cansa de ser humillado (gets tired of being humiliated), asesino (murderer)
The answer is Green Card (1990) — in Spanish, often known as Matrimonio de conveniencia. A woman marries a man out of convenience so he can get legal residency and she can rent an apartment that only accepts married couples. When authorities suspect the marriage is fake, both must pretend to be truly in love. As for the hint, "Monticello" refers to the face cream brand the couple must memorize details about to convince immigration officials their marriage is real.
Vocabulary recap: conveniencia (convenience), parejas casadas (married couples), sospechar (to suspect), fingir (to pretend)
The answer is Don't Look Up (2021) — known in Spanish as No mires arriba. A professor and his student discover that a catastrophic event threatens to destroy all of humanity, but their warnings are met with a society more interested in politics, fame, and social media than in facing the imminent threat. As for the hint, Es una orden, en forma de título — the movie's title, No mires arriba / Don't Look Up, is literally a command.
Vocabulary recap: evento catastrófico (catastrophic event), advertencias (warnings), inminente (imminent)
Well, that's our movie lineup for today. Whether you nailed all five or only recognized one from its hint or key terms, we hope this challenge gave you a fun new way to practice Spanish vocabulary while flexing your movie trivia knowledge. Keep an eye out for future rounds with new films and new words to discover — and if you have a favorite movie you'd love to see turned into a quiz, we'd love to hear about it. Send us your guesses, your suggestions, and any questions along the way!
¡Hasta la próxima!
The Spanish verb hacer primarily means "to do" or "to make." As one of the most versatile verbs in Spanish, it appears in countless expressions and contexts. Despite its usefulness, mastering hacer can be challenging due to its irregular conjugation and multiple applications. Let's explore the essential uses of this fundamental Spanish verb with authentic examples.
As mentioned, hacer is an irregular verb, which means it doesn't follow standard conjugation patterns. This irregularity is particularly noticeable in the preterite (past tense) where forms like hice (I did/made) and hizo (he/she did/made) appear instead of the regular pattern.
yo hago (I do/make)
tú haces (you do/make)
él/ella/usted hace (he/she does/makes, you [formal] do/make)
nosotros/nosotras hacemos (we do/make)
vosotros/vosotras hacéis (you all do/make)
ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen (they do/make, you all do/make)
yo hice (I did/made)
tú hiciste (you did/made)
él/ella/usted hizo (he/she did/made, you [formal] did/made)
nosotros/nosotras hicimos (we did/made)
vosotros/vosotras hicisteis (you all did/made)
ellos/ellas/ustedes hicieron (they did/made, you all did/made)
The first basic meaning of hacer is "to make":
Vamos a hacer un platillo, eh... tradicional,
We're going to make a traditional, um... dish,
Caption 64, Otavalo Proyecto familiar Kawsaymi - Part 1
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The second basic meaning of hacer is "to do":
¿Y ahora qué hacemos?
And now what do we do?
Caption 12, Guillermina y Candelario - Una película de terror
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Keep in mind that the meanings of the verb hacer as "to do" or "to make" can be used in many different situations that don't necessarily correspond to the uses of "to make" and "to do" in English. Here are some common examples:
te dejo que tengo que hacer una llamada importante.
I'll leave you since I have to make an important call.
Caption 66, Fermín y Manuel Los móviles - Part 1
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¿Será que usted me puede hacer un favor? Imagínese que...
Would it be possible for you to do me a favor? Imagine that...
Caption 4, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 4 - Part 10
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Decir que te extraño porque me hace daño
To say that I miss you because it hurts me
Caption 3, Claudia Montoya Prisionera de tu amor
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Hacer appears in countless other expressions that might surprise English speakers:
Tú me hiciste brujería.
You put a spell on me.
Caption 38, Calle 13 - Un Beso De Desayuno
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Hacer is also extensively used in Spanish to express time or duration. It can be used to express for how long you have been doing something:
Tengo veinte años y estoy hace dos años acá en Buenos Aires.
I'm twenty years old and I've been here in Buenos Aires for two years.
Caption 40, Buenos Aires - Heladería Cumelen
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Or to express the concept of "ago":
Hace unos días me olvidé la mochila en el tren.
A few days ago I forgot my backpack on the train.
Caption 22, Raquel - Oficina de objetos perdidos
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Hacer is also used in weather expressions:
Hoy hace tanto viento que casi me deja caer.
Today it is so windy that it almost makes me fall [over].
Caption 22, Clara explica - El tiempo
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In impersonal expressions like hacer falta (to need/be lacking):
Se puede poner entero, no hace falta quitar corteza.
It can be put in whole; it's not necessary to remove the crust.
Caption 84, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
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The reflexive form hacerse is used to express pretending:
No te hagás el tonto, Ivo, por favor.
Don't play the fool, Ivo, please.
Caption 13, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 2
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Digo si pasa algo con mi hijo, no te hagas la ingenua.
I'm saying if something is happening with my son, don't play dumb.
Caption 13, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro - Part 5
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It appears in expressions like hacerse el loco (to pretend to be crazy) or hacerse el muerto (to play dead): Here is another example:
Mira, no te hagas la viva.
Look, don't play smart.
Caption 3, Yago - 3 La foto
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The Spanish verb hacer can also express the idea of getting used to something:
No hacerme a la idea de que esto está bien
Not to get used to the idea that this is OK
Caption 32, Xóchitl - Vida en Monterrey
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The expression hacer caso means "to pay attention," "to obey," or "to believe":
Nada, hay que hacerle caso al médico.
No way, you have to pay attention to the doctor.
Caption 63, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento
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Hazme caso que tú eres perfecta.
Believe me that you are perfect.
Caption 58, Biografía - Enrique Iglesias
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Pero yo siempre, siempre, siempre le hago caso a Sor Cachete.
But I always, always, always, do as Sister Cachete says.
Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro - Part 2
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That's all for this lesson about the Spanish verb hacer. As you can see, this versatile verb is essential for everyday communication in Spanish. Try using hacer in different contexts to become more familiar with its many uses and applications. Do you have other examples of how to use the verb hacer? Don't forget to write to us with your questions and suggestions!
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