🍅 The Onion Lesson [Day 2]

Some phrases in Spanish drop you right into the soul of a culture.

This week is one of them.

wooohoooo

In today's email…

• 📱 Day 2: A phrase you can use this week (warning: it's beautiful)

• 🌟 I finally got us $10 off your first Italki Lesson! (Finally)

• 🏃‍♂️ How to actually apply this phrase to other situations

MEMORIZE 🧠

Lo malo de _____ cuando uno ____ cebolla no es _________ el hecho de llorar, sino que a veces uno _______ y ya no puede _____.

As always, the answer key and audio are at the bottom of this email.

Stop panicking when native speakers talk to you.

I remember the exact moment everything changed for me. Three months into writing for Phrase Café, I knew all these beautiful cultural phrases but still froze whenever my Mexican coworker said "¡Buenos días!"

Then I found italki. (link)

The platform connects you with native Spanish tutors from 20+ countries who get that language is about culture, not just conjugation.

My first tutor, Carmen from Guadalajara, didn't drill me on subjunctive mood—she taught me how to actually join conversations at work without sounding like a robot reading from a textbook.

What I love about italki:

You can filter tutors by country (want to learn Mexican Spanish for your heritage?

Colombian for your vacation? Done.), read reviews from real students, and book sessions that fit your schedule.

No driving to classes.

No awkward group settings where you're afraid to make mistakes.

My breakthrough came when Carmen taught me the difference between "¿Cómo estás?" (textbook formal) and "¿Qué tal?" (how people actually greet each other).

Suddenly, the cultural phrases from Phrase Café weren't just pretty sentences—they were real tools I could use.

Six months later? I'm the one starting conversations in Spanish. My confidence went from zero to "let me help translate for you" because I finally had real practice with real people who understood that Spanish isn't just grammar—it's connection.

[Claim your $10 bonus and book your first confidence-building conversation]

Trust me, the gap between studying Spanish and speaking Spanish disappears the moment you start talking to actual humans who want to help you succeed.

APPLY 🏃‍♂️

Practice the rhythm. Say it out loud three times. Feel how the words flow: "Lo malo de llorar..." Let the melody settle into your mouth.

Use the pattern. Try "Lo malo de [activity] no es [obvious thing], sino que [deeper truth]." Practice with your own examples.

Share the wisdom. Text a friend: "I learned the most beautiful Spanish phrase today..." Share the cultural insight, not just the translation.

Think like a native. Next time you feel unexpectedly emotional, remember this phrase. You're not "losing it"—you're human.

ANSWER KEY ✅

Lo malo de llorar cuando uno pica cebolla no es simplemente el hecho de llorar, sino que a veces uno empieza y ya no puede parar.

The bad thing about crying when one is chopping onions, it’s not simply the act of crying, but the fact that sometimes, one starts and can’t stop.