Miguel Photo Explained Clearly

I demand to speak to the person in charge. Sorry, senora. It says here no one put up your photo. My family, always, always puts my photo on the ofrenda. That devil box tells you nothing but lies. Mama Imelda? Woo! Oh, mi familia. They wouldn't let me cross the bridge. Tell this woman and her devil box that my photo is on the ofrenda. Well, we never made it to the ofrenda. What? We ran into a uh Miguel? Mama [clears throat] Imelda. What is going on? Miguel is a kid who loves music, but in his family, playing music is completely forbidden. It's been that way for

generations. After a big fight with his family, he runs away and takes a guitar from his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, a famous who is now dead. But the moment he plays it, this happens. And somehow, he becomes invisible to other people. So, he runs away and is found by some of his dead relatives. None of them understands what's happening. Is Miguel dead? Well, he doesn't look dead. Is he alive? He can't be, since he's there with them. So, they decide to take him to Mama Imelda, who is in the land of the dead, to understand what's going on and how to fix it. In this lesson, you're going to learn more than 20 useful expressions and it help you truly add these words to your vocabulary. I want to give you a free

gift. Access to speaking practice from this lesson completely free. The learners who are using it every day tell us this kind of practice helps them speak all these expressions naturally without feeling nervous or forgetting the words like they can finally just think in English. I'm going to leave the link in the description below and I highly recommend you give it a try. All right, now let's watch our first scene before we jump into learning the words. Well, you're cursed. What? Dia de los Muertos is a night to give to the dead. You stole from the dead. But I wasn't stealing the guitar.

Guitar? It was my great-great-grandfather's. He would have wanted me to have it. We do not speak of that musician. He is dead to this family. Uh you're all dead? I am sorry. Whose alebrije is that? That's just Dante. He sure doesn't look like an alebrije. He just looks like a plain old dog. Whatever he is, I am terribly allergic. But Dante doesn't have any hair. And I don't have a nose, and yet here we are. There's a lot happening in this scene.

Miguel has just shown up in the land of the dead very much alive and nobody knows what to do. But let's roll back a bit. The first person we need to pay attention to is Mama Imelda. She looks furious, demanding answers from the employee. Listen to what she said here. I demand to speak to the person in charge. I'm sorry, señora. It says here no one put up your photo. When you're in charge, you're the one who makes the decisions. Imelda doesn't want to deal with this employee. She wants to speak with the boss. You'd say the same thing in real life. Who's in

charge here? Or I need to speak to whoever is in charge. And the employee responds with I'm sorry, señora. This is a Spanish word meaning ma'am or Mrs. that has become very common in American English. You'll actually hear señora or señor, which is the male version, in everyday conversations, in restaurants, even on TV. Señora, may you always remember this moment. So, let's see what Mamá Imelda is so upset about. Mamá Imelda? Woah! Oh, mi familia. They wouldn't let me cross the bridge. Tell this woman and her devil box that my photo is on the ofrenda.

Well, we never made it to the ofrenda. In the world of Coco, the dead can only cross over to visit the living on Día de los Muertos if their photo is on the ofrenda. Without it, they can't make the crossing. So, Imelda is furious because she believes her photo is there, and she's asking her family to confirm it. But, there is a problem. We never made it to the ofrenda. What? We ran into a um Again, they never even made it to the ofrenda to actually know if your photo was there. To make it to somewhere means to successfully arrive at a place often after some difficulty.

For example, you could say, "We got stuck in traffic, but we made it to the concert just in time." See this other example from the movie Big Trip. Hmm. Well, it seems like we made it to America. America? So, Julio explains why they ran into Miguel. To run into someone means to meet them without expecting it, without planning. Natives use this phrasal verb all the time. Did I mention we ran into a monster last night? Now, that's a lot of useful expressions. If you want to remember this later, so they come to you naturally when you're using your English, for real, we prepared two types of exercises for you

today. They will help you never forget these words. You can choose. There's one for intermediate learners where you practice pronouncing the words and sentences, and another for more advanced learners where you practice using them in real conversation. And it's great because you can pick the specific expressions you want to master. The link in the description will take you directly to your practice session with this lesson. It's free if you've never tried it. If you're serious about leveling up and reaching an advanced level of fluency, go check it out.

Okay, so now the whole family's together, but nobody has any answers. That's when they're called into the boss's office, and he gets straight to the point. Well, you're cursed. What? Dia de los Muertos is a night to feed to the dead. You stole from the To be cursed means to have a dark magical force working against you, bringing problems or bad luck as a punishment. Think of Sleeping Beauty where the evil fairy places a curse on the princess that makes her fall into a deep sleep. Or in the Shrek movie, where Fiona is cursed to always turn into an ogre at night. Miguel stole a guitar from a dead person, and now he's paying the price. Being

stuck between the two worlds. So he explains, But I wasn't stealing the guitar. Guitar? It was my great-great-grandfather's. He would have wanted me to have it. Your great-great-grandfather is the grandfather of your grandfather. Each great takes you one generation further back in time. Grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather. So Miguel is claiming a very distant family connection to Ernesto de la Cruz.

It was my great-great-grandfather's. He would have wanted me to have it. We do not SPEAK OF THAT MUSICIAN. He is dead to this family. To speak of someone simply means to mention or talk about them. It's often used in negative or formal context. We do not speak of this. Or you wish to be reunited with your beloved. Do not speak of my wife. Notice how Imelda phrases it, "We do not speak of that musician." Reminds me of the Encanto lesson we made earlier. Remember this song? We don't talk about Bruno. We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no, no. We don't talk about Bruno.

No, no, no, no. We don't talk about Bruno. No, no, no, So, in Miguel's family, music has been completely forbidden for generations. Ever since Mama Imelda's husband left her and their daughter to pursue his musical career. So, not only is music banned, but also thinking about it or talking about that man. As she says, "He's dead to this family." If you hear someone say, "This person is dead to me," that means they now treat this person as if they simply didn't exist, even if they are still alive.

It's a strong emotional expression. You know what? That guy, he's dead to me. Next, Miguel's dog shows up. Listen to how they refer to him. Uh you're all dead? I am sorry. Who is alebrije that? This expression requires a little cultural context. An alebrije is a Mexican folk art figure, basically a fantastical creature that's part animal, part imagination, like nothing you'd find in the real world. In the world of Coco, alebrijes are spirit guides that help souls navigate the land of the dead. But the dog isn't dead, so what's going on here? I have a theory.

Do you know some people say cats and dogs can actually see the dead? And what about your culture? Do you believe in that? You can go to the comment section and write us about it and maybe give your own explanation of why Miguel's Dante could see his dead relatives. That's just Dante. He sure doesn't look like an celebrity here. He just looks like a plain old dog. Plain means simple, nothing special. Plain old is a casual kind of humorous way natives emphasize how normal something is. Like, it's just a regular nothing special dog, a plain old dog.

Whatever he is, I AM ABSOLUTELY terribly allergic. But Dante doesn't have any hair. And I don't have a nose, and yet here we are. This phrase, and yet, is used to introduce something surprising, something that seems impossible given what was just said. For example, he never studied, and yet he passed every exam. This is such a small yet powerful expression. If you use it, it'll immediately make your English sound more natural and well-articulated. But none of this explains why I couldn't cross over.

Oh. You took my PHOTO OF YOUR FRIEND, HUH? It was an accident. How do we send them back? Well, since it's a family matter, the way to undo a family curse is to get your family's blessing. That's it? Get your family's blessing and everything should go back to normal. But you've got to do it by sunrise. What happens at sunrise? Equally, your hand. Huh? Whoa, Miguel, can't have you fainting on us. But not to worry, your family's here. You can get your blessing right now. But none of this explains why I couldn't cross over.

Oh. YOU TOOK MY PHOTO OF YOUR FRIEND, HUH? IT was an accident. How do we send him back? Now this all makes sense. Miguel actually took the only photo of Mama Imelda from their friend, huh? He grabbed it though because it also had his great-great-grandfather in it. Obviously, he didn't know about the consequences. So that's why she was blocked from crossing the bridge to visit the living. I guess that woman's devil box was right after all. But apparently, this can be fixed. Let's see what the man says. Since it's a family matter, the way to undo a family curse is to get your family's blessing. That's it?

Get your family's blessing and everything should go back to normal. Undo means to reverse something to make it as if it never happened. You can undo a curse, undo a mistake, like when you're typing a document, or undo a button on your shirt. It's a really useful word for many contexts. So when Julio notices Miguel's hand starting to look like this, he panics. Eek! Holy! Your hand! Whoa, Miguel. Can't have you fainting on us. To faint means to suddenly lose consciousness. That is to briefly pass out, usually from shock, fear, or weakness. So now everything is clear. Miguel is cursed, and the only way to break it is to get

his family's blessing before sunrise. Otherwise, he'll be stuck in the land of the dead forever. A blessing in this context means a formal permission given by someone with authority over you, like for example, getting your parents' blessing to get married. It's also used in religious context where someone asks for God's protection or favor. Here, Miguel needs his family's blessing to go back home. And Mama Imelda is right there. So, this should be easy, right? Let's see what happens. Aha! Oh. Now, you look at the living and say his name. Miguel. Nailed it. Now, say, "I give you my blessing." I give you my blessing.

I give you my blessing to go home, to put my photo back on the ofrenda, and to never play music again. What? She can't do that. Well, technically, she can add any condition she wants. Fine. Then, you hand the pedal to Miguel. Now, you look at the living and say his name. Miguel. Nailed it. Nailed it means to do something perfectly, to get it exactly right. It's casual and enthusiastic, the kind of thing you'd say to someone who just got something right on the first try. And you know who made that happen? Huh?

This guy. Nailed it. Amazing, right? I give you my blessing. I give you my blessing to go home, to put my photo back on the ofrenda, and to never play music again. What? She can't do that. Well, technically, she can add any condition she wants. Technically is used when something is correct according to the rules, even if it feels unfair or unexpected. You'll hear it a lot in casual conversation. I'm king of the jungle. Well, technically the lion is the king of the jungle. Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?

You can't do anything to me. Technically they can. We are on their land. But Zazu And notice how this word is pronounced. Technically. And in natural fast American speech that middle syllable often gets cut and it comes out more like technically. Technically. Try to repeat. Technically. Now, did you know when you practice the pronunciation of expressions on the you actually receive immediate feedback.

It's a much more effective way to improve your English because you get practice and you're guided, so you're not just learning passively. No skeletons. Mariachi Plaza, here I come. Two seconds and you already break your promise. This isn't fair. It's my life. You already had yours. Papa Julio, I ask for your blessing. Tia Rosita. Oscar. Felipe. Tia Victoria. Don't make this hard, mijo. You go home my way or no way.

You really hate music that much? We will not let you go down the same path he did. He's family. Listen to your mama, mijo. She's just looking out for you. Be reasonable. Con permiso, I need to visit the restroom. Be right back. Uh should we tell him there are no restrooms in the land of the dead? So Miguel accepts the condition and goes back to the land of the living, but immediately grabs the guitar again. 2 seconds later, he's back in the land of the dead. No skeletons. 2 seconds and you already break your promise.

Break a promise means to fail to keep a promise you made. This is what we call a collocation, a group of words that naturally go together in English. Native speakers don't think about it. They just know that you break a promise and not destroy or lose it. See some other examples. You make a promise, not do a promise. You keep a promise, not maintain a promise. Understanding collocations is one of the most powerful things you can do for your English. The more collocations you learn, the more natural your English will sound. So, Miguel insists he really doesn't want to stop playing music, which forces

Imelda to reveal the real reason behind their problem with music. You really hate music that much? I will not let you go down that same path he did. Go down a path means to follow a particular direction in life, to make the same choices or lifestyle as someone else. Mama Imelda is warning Miguel not to repeat the choices of his great-great-grandfather, who abandoned the family. So, the rest of the family tries to calm Miguel down. Listen to your Mama Imelda. She's just looking out for you. To look out for someone means to protect them, to keep them safe, to watch over them because you care about them. See this example from the Ice Age movie.

That's what you do in a herd. You look out for each other. Well, thanks. One of his relatives asks him to be reasonable? That means to be fair and willing to listen to logic. They're basically asking him to think calmly and rationally instead of letting emotions take over. Miguel, however, realizes he won't get his blessing from these relatives without giving up music. And that's something he simply can't accept. Con permiso, I need to visit the restroom. Be right back. Restroom is the word Americans normally use to refer to a public bathroom in places like restaurants and offices. In British English, you'd say toilet.

Be right back means I'll return very soon. It's an extremely common phrase. In fact, in text messages, we often abbreviate it to BRB. And notice how Miguel excuses himself. He says, "Con permiso." before leaving. This is a Spanish expression meaning excuse me or with your permission. So, he runs away and goes on his own adventure through the land of the dead and looking for another way to get back home. Now, are you ready for the final and most important step of the lesson? We're going to test everything that you just learned, the new vocabulary and pronunciation, and put it all into practice. You'll watch the three clips

again this time without subtitles and answer some quiz questions. Let's do it. I demand to speak to the person in charge. Sorry, señora. It says here no one put up your photo. My family always puts my photo on your ofrenda. That devil box tells you nothing but lies. Mama Imelda? Woo! Oh, mi familia. They wouldn't let me cross the bridge. Tell this woman and her devil box that my photo is on the ofrenda.

Well, we never made it to the ofrenda. If you make it to somewhere, you reach a place after some difficulty, arrive somewhere easily, or leave somewhere quickly. What? We ran into a Miguel? Mama Imelda. What is going on? You the Rivera family? Well, you're cursed. What? Dia de los Muertos is a night to give to the dead. You stole from the dead. But I wasn't stealing the guitar.

Guitar? It was my great-great-grandfather's. He would have wanted me to have it. Ah, ah, ah. We do not speak of that musician. He is dead to this family. When someone is dead to you, you believe they have passed away, miss them deeply, or act as if they no longer exist in your life. Uh you're all dead? I am sorry. Who's Alebrije that? That's Dante. He sure doesn't look like an Alebrije. He just looks like a plain old dog or a sausage someone dropped in a barber shop. Whatever he is, I am terribly allergic. But Dante doesn't have any hair. And I don't have a nose. And yet, HERE WE ARE. BUT [snorts] NONE OF THIS EXPLAINS WHY I

couldn't cross over. Oh. You took my PHOTO OFF THE OFRENDA? It was an accident. How do we send him back? Since it's a family matter, the way to undo a family curse is to get your family's blessing. Which situation would you most likely want to undo? A that worked out well, something you are still planning, or a mistake you deeply regret. That's it? Get your family's blessing and everything should go back to normal. But you got to do it by sunrise. What happens at sunrise? Ihjole, your hand. Huh? We won't Miguel, can't have you fainting on us. But not to worry, your family's here.

You can get your blessing right now. Haha. Perdon senora. Oh. Now, you look at the living and say his name. Miguel. Nailed it. Nailed it is closest in meaning to did something perfectly, worked very hard in something, or finished something quickly. Now say, "I give you my blessing."

I give you my blessing to go home, to put my photo back on the ofrenda, and to never play music again. What? She can't do that. Well, technically she can add any condition she wants. Fine. Then you hand the pedal to Miguel. Huh? [panting] No skeletons. Two seconds and you already break promise. This isn't fair. It's my life. You already had yours. Papa Julio, I ask for your blessing.

Tia Rosita, Oscar, Felipe, Tia Victoria, Don't make this hard, mijo. You go home my way or no way. You really hate music that much? I will not let you go down the same path he did. He's family. Listen to your mama, Imelda. looking out for you. Be reasonable. If someone tells you to be reasonable, they want you to agree with everything they say. Stop letting emotions control your decisions or apologize for your behavior.

Con permiso, I need to visit the restroom. Be right back. Uh should we tell him there are no restrooms in the Land of the Dead? And that's where we'll leave Miguel for today. If you've never seen Coco, I really hope this lesson inspired you to watch the full movie. It's one of Pixar's most beautiful stories and trust me, it will make you cry. And if you want to learn more lessons with Coco, let us know in the comments below. And by the way, if you are new to this YouTube channel, you should know that every single week we make new lessons just like this one with celebrities, movies, and TV series to help you understand fast speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles. So, if that sounds like

something you want to be able to do, hit the subscribe button and the bell down below so you never miss a new lesson. And now that you've learned all these words, remember to go and practice speaking them on the RealLife English app. You'll find a special link right in the description below that'll take you straight to this lesson over there. When you concentrate, you stink. But perhaps that is my fault. I cannot train you the way I have trained the five. I now see that the way to get through to you is with this. Oh, great. Cuz I am hungry. Good. When you have been trained, you may eat.

Let's begin.