I like my mother-in-law- Talking about caer bien / mal - 5 minutes of Spanish /English version/ + Podcast

 Hello everyone, how are you?

Thank you very much for being here for 5 minutes of Spanish. Let's practice a little. What's the topic?

Today, in episode 240, we're going to talk about a very useful use of the verb "to fall" in Spanish: "to fall well" or "to fall badly," meaning "to fall well" or "to fall badly."

But be careful, because this verb doesn't mean "to fall to the ground" or "to stumble." When we say we like or dislike someone, we're talking about the impression we have of that person. That is, whether we find them nice or unfriendly, even if we don't know them personally.

For example, someone might say, "I really like Salma Hayek." They've probably never spoken to her, but they like the way she acts. The same thing happens in a negative sense:

"I don't like that influencer who's always showing off his trips and his car on Instagram." There's no direct relationship with that person here; we just don't like their attitude.

This verb works the same as "to like." That's why we say: "I like him/her," "You don't like him/her," "We like him/her," "They didn't like him/her." It refers to an impression of the other person or the chemistry that can occur.

How's that new Spanish classmate?

"Ahh, she's cool, I really liked her."

Let's look at some clear examples. Imagine you met your partner's parents yesterday. After dinner, you could say, "I think my partner's parents liked me." In English, it would be something like, "I think I made a good impression on my partner's parents."

Another classic example is, "I don't like a certain politician." This means someone has a bad opinion of that politician. This isn't talking about physical attraction, but simply about liking or disliking him/her.

An important detail is that this verb is also used with food, but with a different meaning. Here, we're not talking about liking him/her, but about how the body reacts to certain foods.

For example, someone might say, "I love cheese, but I don't like him/her." That means that even though they like cheese, it upsets their stomach. In English, it would be something like: "Cheese doesn't sit well with me."

Another typical case is coffee. Some people say: "Cheese doesn't sit well with me." This means that coffee causes them insomnia or discomfort. In English, it would be: "Coffee doesn't sit well with me" or "Coffee makes me feel bad."

So, be careful: if someone says "pizza doesn't sit well with me," they may be talking about a digestive problem, not necessarily that they don't like the taste. In other words, it's very practical for expressing displeasure without hurting anyone.

Yes, in Mexico, where "No" is frowned upon, "me cae mal" is a way of saying "I don't want it," no problem. "Thank you, but it doesn't sit well with me to eat so late."

As you can see, "descaje bien" (to fall well) or "mal" (to fall bad) is a very useful verb when talking about people and food. Always remember the context, because the meaning can change. For example, you can't say "no me quedan bien los 5 minutos de español" (I don't like 5 minutes of Spanish).

You have to say: I love the 5 minutes of Spanish.

If you enjoyed this podcast, share it! See you in class or workshops, on Thursday for the free practice workshop or next Wednesday.

If you enjoy learning Spanish, send us a WhatsApp, a text, or an email.

See you soon.

Bye, bye.

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