Intermediate Spanish – Spanish Obsessed
- Episódios
- 90
- Publicação
- semanal
- Último episódio
- 12 nov 2026
Sobre o podcast
Intermediate Spanish from Rob and Lis of Spanish Obsessed. Couple Lis and Rob (Colombian and English) have a range of natural, engaging conversations in slow Spanish. We talk slow enough so that you can understand everything, but that doesn’t stop our conversations from being 100% authentic! We cover a variety of topics, equipping you in the process with super cool Spanish phrases which are actually used, as well as nuggets of grammar, pronunciation, and culture. Listen to Lis' crystalline Colombian Spanish, but we also talk with speakers with a variety of different accents. We update weekly, so be sure to subscribe using the button on the left to stay up to date. Also, check out our world of Spanish material, articles, culture and general Spanish love at SpanishObsessed.com!
Episódios 90
Spain's housing crisis
Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis talk through Spain's housing crisis, and get the English for every line, the Spanish for a vulture …
Notas do episódio
Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis talk through Spain's housing crisis, and get the English for every line, the Spanish for a vulture fund, and what Rob paid for a flat in central Valencia ten years ago – and what it would cost today:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Evicted at 87 from the Madrid flat she'd lived in for 70 years, Maricarmen became the face of Spain's housing crisis. Rob and Lis tell her story, then look at the figures behind it – very little public housing, rents that have doubled in ten years, young people who can't afford to leave home – and compare it with London and Colombia. Plus the solutions on the table, from a ban on evicting vulnerable households to a 2% cap on rent rises, and whether any of them will make a real difference.
Claim your first free complete transcript here:
Adapting to life in Spain
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis compare what they expected from Spain with what they've actually found, and get the English for every line …
Notas do episódio
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis compare what they expected from Spain with what they've actually found, and get the English for every line, the Colombian way to say someone speaks bluntly, and how politely a Colombian thief asks for your phone:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Almost seven months after the move, Rob and Lis put their expectations of Spain next to reality. Lis talks about her fear of not being welcomed as a migrant and her doubts about the northern weather; Rob remembers the two years he spent in Spain after university and why he always wanted to come back. Then the surprises – an easy school search, how blunt Spaniards can sound after Colombian politeness, making friends at the school gate – and a tricky question: when can you really say you've adapted?
Claim your first free complete transcript here:
Our first weeks in Spain
Read this episode word for word, free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis look back on their first weeks in Spain, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for …
Notas do episódio
Read this episode word for word, free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis look back on their first weeks in Spain, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for shorts, and what happened when a mother and daughter cut across an Easter procession:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Oviedo was the plan. Rob and Lis arrived in Asturias sure it would be home, then spent weeks in Airbnbs waiting for their visa, in a rental market where most flats were only for students – and Rob found it all far more stressful than Lis did. So how did they end up in Gijón? A day at San Lorenzo beach, a shocking moment at a Semana Santa procession, and a visa approved without anyone ever saying yes.
Claim your first free complete transcript here:
Our last days in Colombia
Get this episode’s full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don’t miss a single word as Rob and Lis tell the story of their last weeks in Colombia, and get the English for every line, the Colombian …
Notas do episódio
Get this episode’s full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don’t miss a single word as Rob and Lis tell the story of their last weeks in Colombia, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for a traffic jam, and what happened to Rob’s celebratory glass of cava on the plane:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
How do you pack up a life in Colombia with two small kids and move to Spain? Rob and Lis pick up where the last episode left off: a deal “signed in blood”, a visa approved by silence, house keys that vanish on moving day, and a shortcut through one of Bogotá’s toughest neighbourhoods that nearly leaves them stranded.Do you know what these mean?
dejar en ascuas · el punto álgido · menos mal · trancón
Claim your first free complete transcript here:We moved to Spain. Here's why
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis explain why they left Colombia for Spain, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for a …
Notas do episódio
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis explain why they left Colombia for Spain, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for a pijo, and why Valencia was off the list after four days:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Why would you leave a big house in Colombia's Coffee Region, with help, family and friends close by, for the north of Spain? Back after a long break, Rob and Lis get honest about what tipped the balance: safety, life in a gated-community bubble, and parks you have to pay to use. Plus the scouting trip that crossed Valencia and a small English town off the list, how the Camino de Santiago led them to Asturias, and why the supermarkets matter more to Rob than you'd think.
Do you know what these mean?
cambiar el chip · pellizcarse · por las nubes · dar un paso en falsoClaim your first free complete transcript here:
Culture swap
What are 3 things that Rob and Lis admire from each other's culture, and would like to introduce into their own?Check out our new Obsessives programme, for intermediate Spanish learners …
Notas do episódio
What are 3 things that Rob and Lis admire from each other's culture, and would like to introduce into their own?
Check out our new Obsessives programme, for intermediate Spanish learners:
https://www.spanishobsessed.com/become-an-obsessive/Transformational tourism
Rob and Lis discuss how various "barrios" in Colombia's cities have undergone transformations, using tourism to rejuvenate themselves. We discuss the case of "Egipto" in Bogotá, and "Comuna 13" in Medellin …
Notas do episódio
Rob and Lis discuss how various "barrios" in Colombia's cities have undergone transformations, using tourism to rejuvenate themselves. We discuss the case of "Egipto" in Bogotá, and "Comuna 13" in Medellin. Have these projects been successful, and what are the tours like?
For more Spanish materials, courses, and bonuses, head on over to spanishobsessed.com!What we'll most miss about Colombia
So, our time in Colombia is nearly up! After over 4 years living here, we're leaving. In this episode, we reflect on what we'll most miss about the country.Head to spanishobsessed.com to check out our …
Notas do episódio
So, our time in Colombia is nearly up! After over 4 years living here, we're leaving. In this episode, we reflect on what we'll most miss about the country.
Head to spanishobsessed.com to check out our "Obsessives" programme!5 mistakes you might be making with your Spanish
Rob and Lis break down 5 big areas that learners often go wrong when learning Spanish.For full transcripts, notes, and lots more learning material, head to spanishobsessed.com.
Private or public schools?
We talk about our opinions and philosophy of private and public schools (or "state and public" for our English listeners!). How do they compare in Colombia, and what's the perspective here?Don't forget to …
Notas do episódio
We talk about our opinions and philosophy of private and public schools (or "state and public" for our English listeners!). How do they compare in Colombia, and what's the perspective here?
Don't forget to download your free Fluency Guide from spanishobsessed.com.Colombia's weird Christmas traditions
Rob and Lis share how they passed Christmas and New Year's in Colombia's Coffee Country region. We share strange, symbolic traditions, and discuss how weird it is to have Christmas in warm sun!You can access …
Notas do episódio
Rob and Lis share how they passed Christmas and New Year's in Colombia's Coffee Country region. We share strange, symbolic traditions, and discuss how weird it is to have Christmas in warm sun!
You can access the transcription for this podcast by purchasing the Transcription Bundle here: https://www.spanishobsessed.com/lessons/transcriptions/
Check out all of our premium courses here: https://www.spanishobsessed.com/spanish-courses/Colombia in the crosshairs?
Following the shocking capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last Saturday, we sit down to give our reaction. Is Colombia next in line? Also, on a lighter note, Rob discusses turning 40!Head to …
Notas do episódio
Following the shocking capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last Saturday, we sit down to give our reaction. Is Colombia next in line? Also, on a lighter note, Rob discusses turning 40!
Head to spanishobsessed.com to get your free Fluency pdf, and check out all courses (including transcription for this episode and all others).The emotions of language learning
We share a few anecdotes when our emotions got the better of us when learning or speaking a foreign language. What happened, and how can we deal with the frustration (and rage!!) that often accompanies …
Notas do episódio
We share a few anecdotes when our emotions got the better of us when learning or speaking a foreign language. What happened, and how can we deal with the frustration (and rage!!) that often accompanies communication difficulties in a foreign language?
A "life update"
We give a quick "life update" - what's going on in our lives, and how did we get to this point?
Immersion in the Coffee Country
Lis and Rob discuss their recent immersion trip in Colombia's coffee country. What went well, what could they improve, and what did the participants make of it all?
How to say no
How do you say "no" in Spanish? Rob is fond of turning down invitations, and in this episode he discusses the hidden cost of saying "no" in Spanish-speaking cultures, and why many native speakers find it so hard.
How speaking Spanish changes us
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis ask if a new language changes you, and get the English for every line, how to say "how embarrassing!" like …
Notas do episódio
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis ask if a new language changes you, and get the English for every line, how to say "how embarrassing!" like a local, and the ten-year guarantee that didn't last ten days:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Do you become a different person when you speak another language? Lis remembers the "actress mode" she needed at the office in England. Rob has his first real argument in Spanish, over a ten-year guarantee that didn't last ten days. And they reveal the tiny word Spanish speakers use to dodge the blame.
Do you know what these mean?
¡Qué oso! · nos tumbaron · sin querer queriendo · si Dios quiereClaim your first free complete transcript here:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/personality-change
Bonus: Can you spot Rob's pronunciation mistake? The answer's in the notes.
Álvaro Uribe
Still tripping over the subjunctive? Our free cheatsheet gives you the most common phrases and triggers, ready to use:👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheetMention Álvaro Uribe to any Colombian and watch their face …
Notas do episódio
Still tripping over the subjunctive? Our free cheatsheet gives you the most common phrases and triggers, ready to use:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheet
Mention Álvaro Uribe to any Colombian and watch their face change. Rob tested this at a family get-together. He and Lis unpack why the former president still divides the country: the man many credit with opening Colombia up, the questions about what it cost, and the recent court case Rob still finds hard to believe.
Do you know what these mean?
un tema caliente · por molestar · dejar una ventana abierta · los fines justifican los mediosHear it, then see it. Follow along with the transcript and translations:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/uribe
Bonus: Rob calls Uribe "muy divisa". Why does Lis stop him? The answer's in the notes.
Self comparison
Comparing ourselves to others is natural, but is it always harmful? Rob describes his problems with self-comparison, and with Lis discusses how to turn negatives into positives.Head to spanishobsessed.com to …
Notas do episódio
Comparing ourselves to others is natural, but is it always harmful? Rob describes his problems with self-comparison, and with Lis discusses how to turn negatives into positives.
Head to spanishobsessed.com to claim your free Fluency Phrasebook!
Small talk
We explore "la charla" - small talk. What is it, how is it used, and why? Find some tips for better smalltalk in Spanish in this episode!Don't forget to head to spanishobsessed.com to download your free gifts.
Friendship as adults - a loneliness epidemic?
FREE: (Finally) master the subjunctive. Get our cheatsheet of the most common subjunctive phrases and triggers:👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheetA Guardian article claims we're living through an epidemic of …
Notas do episódio
FREE: (Finally) master the subjunctive. Get our cheatsheet of the most common subjunctive phrases and triggers:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheet
A Guardian article claims we're living through an epidemic of loneliness, especially among men in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Rob and Lis work out the "maths" of adult friendship, why the school gates have become their new social life, and how quickly Rob now decides whether someone could be a friend.
Do you know what these mean?
somos de lavar y planchar · hacer un plan · me raya un poco · caerle bien a alguienMissed something? The full transcript, translations and meanings are here:
The in-laws...
The infamous "suegra" - in-law. In Latin cultures, the suegra plays a pivotal part in a couple's life. In this episode, we explore their role, the stereotype, and reveal how we get on with our suegras.
Money and happiness
Ready to break into advanced Spanish? Start with the subjunctive. Free cheatsheet of the key phrases and triggers:👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheetWhy did Spanish Obsessed go quiet for over a year? Rob and Lis …
Notas do episódio
Ready to break into advanced Spanish? Start with the subjunctive. Free cheatsheet of the key phrases and triggers:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheet
Why did Spanish Obsessed go quiet for over a year? Rob and Lis explain, then take on a bigger question: how much money does it take to be happy? Lis looks back on student days when 10,000 pesitos a day covered lunch, photocopies and a beer. Rob asks whether happiness stops rising after a certain salary, and Lis remembers the dilemma she faced in England whenever her family came to visit.
Do you know what these mean?
arrancamos · si hay para dos, hay para tres · juicioso · ¿Me hago entender?Missed something? The full transcript, translations and meanings are here:
Por and Para: Part two
Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Johanna untangle por and para, and get the English for every line, the Colombian way to say it's pouring …
Notas do episódio
Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Johanna untangle por and para, and get the English for every line, the Colombian way to say it's pouring down, and the Bogotá bakery with a very clever name:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Por mí está bien or para mí está bien? One tiny word changes what you're saying. Rob and Johanna continue their por and para mini-series with time and opinions: deadlines, times of day, a Bogotá bakery with a very clever name, and the one sentence that uses both words at once.
Do you know what these mean?
un palo de agua · bochorno · pa' ya · estar agripadoClaim your first free complete transcript here:
Por and Para: Part one
FREE: (Finally) master the subjunctive. Get our cheatsheet of the most common subjunctive phrases and triggers:👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheetRob reckons he has por and para 95% sorted, but can't explain why …
Notas do episódio
FREE: (Finally) master the subjunctive. Get our cheatsheet of the most common subjunctive phrases and triggers:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheet
Rob reckons he has por and para 95% sorted, but can't explain why. So he asks star teacher Johanna, and her first piece of advice is: close the dictionary. Instead, they show how por and para work with goals and directions, using the bus trick that finally made it click for Rob.
Quick test: what's the difference between estoy aquí para grabar el podcast and estoy aquí por el podcast?
Hear it, then see it. Follow along with the transcript and translations:
Should you learn slang?
Ready to break into advanced Spanish? Start with the subjunctive. Free cheatsheet of the key phrases and triggers:👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheetShould you bother learning slang? Rob asks Colombian teacher …
Notas do episódio
Ready to break into advanced Spanish? Start with the subjunctive. Free cheatsheet of the key phrases and triggers:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/cheatsheet
Should you bother learning slang? Rob asks Colombian teacher Johanna. Rob remembers the restaurant in Ecuador where one word threw him completely, Johanna shares the student whose "todo bien, mamita" left her speechless, and a "gracias, mi amor" goes badly wrong in a Spanish shop. And Rob's number one tip for slang might surprise you.
Do you know what these mean?
botar · no entendí ni papa · buscarle cinco patas al gato · me costó un ojo de la caraCan't catch every word? Read along with the full transcript, translations and meanings:
El Clasismo...
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis talk class in Colombia, and get every line in Spanish and English, the word for a social climber, and the …
Notas do episódio
Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis talk class in Colombia, and get every line in Spanish and English, the word for a social climber, and the six-hour owners' meeting that never reached item one:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
Rob walks his daughter to the park one day and finds the gate padlocked. Neighbours fill him and Lis in on a six-hour owners' meeting that never even reached its first item, and how their side of the complex was branded criminals. Then they get into how Colombians measure each other: the estratos (do they really go up to seven?), a Bogotá barrio senators drive straight through, and why London felt different to Lis.
Do you know what these mean?
nos echaron el chisme · arribista · toca chicanear · es una bobadaClaim your first free complete transcript here:
Too old to learn Spanish?
Read this episode word for word, free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word, and get highlighted phrases you can tap for their real meaning, how to say "you took the words right out of my …
Notas do episódio
Read this episode word for word, free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word, and get highlighted phrases you can tap for their real meaning, how to say "you took the words right out of my mouth", and why the tortoise and the hare fits older learners:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcripts
A friend of Rob and Lis moved to Colombia, started learning Spanish, then gave up, convinced he was too old. So what really sits behind "it's my age"? Rob and Lis dig into it, and explain why the tortoise and the hare fits older learners so well. But first, Rob gets something off his chest about baby names, and Lis shares the rule that worked for them last time.
Do you know what these mean?
qué pecado · se desahogó · me quitaste las palabras de la boca · no pararle tantas bolasClaim your first free complete transcript here:
👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/too-old
Bonus: after his baby-name rant, Rob says "estaba rayando, como ustedes dicen". What should he have said? The answer's in the notes.
Can you teach a 2 year old Spanish and English?
Our experiences trying to teach our 2 year old daughter Spanish and English.
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