Roommates
Sort out the chores, split the bills, and raise a problem — kindly, out loud.
With a roommate you use tú, not usted — usted creates a distance you don't want at home. The trick is to propose rather than demand: ¿te parece si nos turnamos para limpiar el baño? lands far better than an order, and for money say pago mi parte, not yo pago la mitad, which can sound like you're doing a favor. When something's bothering you, open softly and honestly: quería hablar contigo sobre algo sin que se haga grande. You can be direct without being harsh — frame the complaint as a preference, me gustaría, not an accusation.
Below: the phrases that keep the peace, the regional words for the fridge and the bills, and a way to rehearse the whole sit-down out loud before you have it.
The warm-up pack
The phrases that get chores, bills and the hard conversation sorted — before Sunday coffee goes cold.
01 · Propose, don't demand
¿Podemos armar un horario de limpieza para la cocina?
Can we set up a cleaning schedule for the kitchen?
A question, not an order. With a roommate you're building agreement, not issuing instructions — ¿podemos...? does that in two words.
02 · Make it collaborative
¿Te parece si nos turnamos para limpiar el baño?
How about we take turns cleaning the bathroom?
Turnarnos — 'we' take turns, not 'you should'. First-person plural is the whole trick of this badge: suggest together, never assign.
03 · Name the problem plainly
La cuenta de la luz llegó más alta este mes.
The electricity bill came higher this month.
State the fact before the ask. It's not an accusation yet — it's just what happened, and it sets up what comes next.
04 · The fair-split line
Propongo que dividamos todo en partes iguales.
I propose we split everything equally.
Propongo frames it as an idea on the table, not a rule you're imposing. Easy to agree with, easy to counter if needed.
05 · Follow through with a date
Yo te transfiero mi parte el viernes, ¿está bien?
I'll transfer you my share on Friday, is that okay?
Say 'mi parte', not 'la mitad' — 'I'll pay half' can sound like you're doing them a favor. 'My part' just states what's fair.
06 · Ask before you assume
¿Te molesta si invito a unos amigos el sábado?
Do you mind if I invite some friends over Saturday?
Asking first, even when you technically don't have to, is what keeps a shared space easy to live in.
07 · The commitment that costs nothing
Intentaré bajar el volumen después de las once.
I'll try to lower the volume after eleven.
A small, specific promise lands better than a vague 'I'll be quieter'. Naming the hour makes it real.
08 · How you open the hard conversation
Quería hablar contigo sobre algo sin que se haga grande.
I wanted to talk to you about something before it blows up.
The softener that makes the whole conversation possible. Said early, it signals you're heading off a problem, not attacking anyone.
09 · Make room for their side
Entiendo tu punto, pero desde mi lado se ve distinto.
I get your point, but from my side it looks different.
You can disagree without dismissing them. Acknowledging their view first is what keeps a disagreement from turning into a fight.
10 · Look for the shared answer
¿Podemos buscar una solución que funcione para los dos?
Can we find a solution that works for both of us?
Closes the loop on any disagreement. It reframes the talk as two people solving a problem, not one person winning it.
11 · Leave it well
Gracias por escucharme, me siento mucho mejor ahora.
Thanks for hearing me out, I feel much better now.
End on this and the hard conversation becomes just a conversation. It tells your roommate the relationship is fine — it was only ever about the issue.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/roommatesRegional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| the utility bill | el recibo | la boleta |
| the fridge | el refri | la heladera |
| friends coming over | caen unos amigos | vienen unos pibes |
| to mop the floor | trapear | pasar el lampazo |
Watch out
The part no phrase list can do
Isabella
Your conversation teacher for this pack
In the Roommates pack, the last lesson is the conversation everyone puts off — and Isabella plays your roommate: easygoing but conflict-averse, the type who offers to make coffee before anything serious. It's Sunday morning, dishes in the sink, and three things have been piling up: a cleaning rota that keeps slipping, a utility bill that came in high, and last weekend's noise. You have to raise all three without it turning into a fight. Out loud. And she has her own side of it:
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 6 lessons and Roommates is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
Tú. Usted with someone you live with sounds cold and formal. Default to tú unless they're clearly older or ask for usted.
Propose, don't command: ¿podemos armar un horario de limpieza para la cocina? and ¿te parece si nos turnamos para limpiar el baño?. First-person plural (turnémonos, dividamos) keeps it collaborative.
Propongo que dividamos todo en partes iguales, and use pago mi parte rather than yo pago la mitad. Then settle the timing: yo te transfiero mi parte el viernes, ¿está bien?
Open soft and early: quería hablar contigo sobre algo sin que se haga grande. Acknowledge their view too — entiendo tu punto, pero desde mi lado se ve distinto — and aim for una solución que funcione para los dos.
¿Te molesta si invito a unos amigos el sábado? and avísame con tiempo si va a venir alguien a quedarse. Propose a rule if you need one: podemos poner una regla de silencio entre semana.
