John: Good morning, is this the line for security?
Ms. Carter: Good morning, yes, this is the security checkpoint, please have your boarding pass ready.

John: Here is my boarding pass and my ID.
Ms. Carter: Thank you, I’ll scan your boarding pass now, you can go ahead to the trays.

John: Do I need to take everything out of my backpack?
Ms. Carter: Not everything, but you must take out your liquids and large electronics.

John: I have a laptop and a tablet, should I put them in a separate tray?
Ms. Carter: Yes, please place your laptop and tablet in their own tray, with nothing on top.

John: And what about my phone and headphones?
Ms. Carter: You can leave your phone and small electronics in your bag, that’s fine.

John: I also have a small bottle of water in my backpack.
Ms. Carter: I’m afraid you can’t take that through security, you need to empty it or throw it away.

John: Okay, I’ll finish it and then put the empty bottle in the tray.
Ms. Carter: That’s fine, an empty bottle is allowed.

John: For liquids, I have some toiletries in a small bag.
Ms. Carter: All liquids must be in containers of 100 milliliters or less, inside a clear plastic bag.

John: They are travel-size bottles, and the bag can close properly.
Ms. Carter: Perfect, please take the plastic bag out of your backpack and put it in a tray.

John: Do I need to remove my belt and my watch as well?
Ms. Carter: Yes, please remove your belt, watch, and any metal items and place them in the tray.

John: What about my shoes, do I need to take them off?
Ms. Carter: Those shoes look fine, you can keep them on, but walk slowly through the scanner.

John: Should I put my jacket in a tray too?
Ms. Carter: Yes, coats and jackets should go in a tray, not on your body.

John: Alright, I think I have everything: laptop, tablet, liquids, belt, and jacket.
Ms. Carter: Very good, please push your trays onto the belt and then walk through the metal detector.

John: If it beeps, what should I do?
Ms. Carter: If it beeps, please stand still and we will check you with a hand scanner.

John: Can I keep my boarding pass in my hand while I walk through?
Ms. Carter: Yes, you can keep your boarding pass and passport in your hand or in your pocket.

John: After the scanner, can I repack my things at the end of the belt?
Ms. Carter: Exactly, collect your trays, check you have all your items, and repack your bag there.

John: Is it okay if I stay a moment to organize everything, I don’t want to lose anything.
Ms. Carter: Of course, take your time, just move away from the belt so other passengers can pass.

John: Thank you for your help, I was a bit nervous, it’s my first time flying alone.
Ms. Carter: You’re doing fine, once you’re ready, follow the signs to the departures gate area.

John: Great, I’ll get my things and head to my gate.
Ms. Carter: Have a good flight, sir.

John: Thank you, have a nice day.
Ms. Carter: You’re welcome, next passenger, please.

En este diálogo aparece el vocabulario básico que necesitas en el control de seguridad de un aeropuerto.

Términos del propio control: security checkpoint, line for security, trays, belt, metal detector, hand scanner. Security checkpoint es la zona de control; las trays son las bandejas; el belt es la cinta transportadora; el metal detector es el arco por el que pasas.

Documentación: boarding pass, ID, passport (no aparece, pero es el mismo campo semántico), scan your boarding pass. Boarding pass es tu tarjeta de embarque; scan es pasarla por el lector.

Equipaje y objetos: backpack, bag, laptop, tablet, phone, headphones, small electronics, coats and jackets, shoes, belt, watch, metal items. Muy útil la distinción large electronics (portátil, tablet) y small electronics (móvil, auriculares), porque las normas suelen ser diferentes.

Líquidos: liquids, small bottle of water, toiletries, travel-size bottles, containers of 100 milliliters or less, clear plastic bag, empty bottle. Aquí se refleja la regla estándar de líquidos: envases pequeños y bolsa transparente que se pueda cerrar.

Acciones típicas: take out, put in a separate tray, leave in your bag, empty it or throw it away, remove your belt, take them off, walk through the scanner, stand still, collect your trays, repack your bag, move away from the belt. Son verbos y expresiones muy frecuentes en este contexto.

Frases del agente de seguridad

Petición inicial: “Please have your boarding pass ready.” Indica preparación antes de llegar al punto de control.

Instrucciones sobre el equipaje:
“You must take out your liquids and large electronics.”
“Please place your laptop and tablet in their own tray, with nothing on top.”
“You can leave your phone and small electronics in your bag, that’s fine.”
Aquí se ve la mezcla de obligación (must) y permiso (can).

Normas sobre líquidos:
“I’m afraid you can’t take that through security, you need to empty it or throw it away.”
La expresión “I’m afraid you can’t…” es una forma muy típica y educada de decir “no está permitido”.

Más instrucciones:
“All liquids must be in containers of 100 milliliters or less, inside a clear plastic bag.”
“Remove your belt, watch, and any metal items and place them in the tray.”
“Coats and jackets should go in a tray, not on your body.”

Sobre el proceso de paso:
“Please push your trays onto the belt and then walk through the metal detector.”
“If it beeps, please stand still and we will check you with a hand scanner.”

Frases del pasajero

Preguntas tipo modelo:
“Do I need to take everything out of my backpack?”
“Should I put them in a separate tray?”
“Do I need to remove my belt and my watch as well?”
“What about my shoes, do I need to take them off?”
“Should I put my jacket in a tray too?”

Todas siguen patrones fáciles: Do I need to…?, Should I…?, What about…? Muy útiles para cualquier nivel B1–B2.

Mostrar nervios de forma natural:
“I was a bit nervous, it’s my first time flying alone.”
Esto da contexto al agente, que responde de forma más acompañante.

Uso de MODALES DE OBLIGACIÓN, PERMISO Y PROHIBICIÓN

Obligación con must y need to:
“You must take out your liquids and large electronics.”
“You need to empty it or throw it away.”
Must suena más fuerte y normativo (regla del aeropuerto); need to suena un poco más práctico, pero en la práctica los dos marcan obligación.

Permiso con can:
“You can leave your phone and small electronics in your bag.”
“You can keep your boarding pass and passport in your hand or in your pocket.”
Can indica lo que está permitido.

Prohibición con can’t:
“I’m afraid you can’t take that through security.”
Aquí se ve el uso clásico de can’t como “no está permitido / no es posible”.

Uso del IMPERATIVO para instrucciones

Frases como “Please take out your liquids”, “Place your laptop in the tray”, “Remove your belt”, “Walk through the scanner”, “Stand still”, “Collect your trays” usan imperativo, pero casi siempre acompañado de please para suavizar.

Presente simple para normas generales

Los agentes usan presente simple para reglas que siempre son válidas:
“All liquids must be in containers of 100 milliliters or less.”
“Coats and jackets should go in a tray.”
“An empty bottle is allowed.”
Es el tiempo natural para normas, políticas y usos generales.

Estructuras con “should” para recomendación

En este diálogo, should aparece principalmente en la boca del pasajero con preguntas: “Should I put them in a separate tray?”, “Should I put my jacket in a tray too?”
El patrón Should I…? es muy cómodo para preguntar qué es lo más adecuado sin sonar exigente.

Formalidad y tono en seguridad

El agente mantiene un tono firme pero educado:
“I’m afraid you can’t take that…”, “please have your boarding pass ready”, “take your time, just move away from the belt”.
En muchos aeropuertos anglófonos, se espera que los pasajeros sigan las instrucciones rápido y sin discutir, pero el personal suele usar este tipo de lenguaje cortés y automatizado.

Regla de líquidos y electrónica

La mención a 100 milliliters, clear plastic bag, large electronics in their own tray refleja normas de seguridad ampliamente extendidas. Para muchos hispanohablantes son conocidas, pero a veces cuesta entender las instrucciones rápidas en inglés; por eso es útil reconocer estas palabras clave.

Espacio para organizar tus cosas

Es interesante que el agente diga: “Of course, take your time, just move away from the belt so other passengers can pass.”
Culturalmente, se espera que no bloquees la cinta; es normal que haya una zona más lejos para reorganizar tu equipaje con calma.

Nervios normalizados

El pasajero comenta: “I was a bit nervous, it’s my first time flying alone.”
La agente responde con algo tranquilizador: “You’re doing fine… follow the signs to the departures gate area.”
En muchos contextos anglófonos es común que el personal intente rebajar la ansiedad con ese tipo de frase, siempre que el pasajero se muestre respetuoso.

Aprende un pequeño “bloque” de frases que te servirán siempre:

Para preguntar qué hacer con tus cosas
Puedes usar patrones como:
“Do I need to take this out of my bag?”
“Should I put this in a separate tray?”
“Do I need to remove my belt / watch / shoes?”

Para hablar de líquidos y electrónica
Frases cortas y eficaces:
“I have liquids in a plastic bag, is this okay?”
“I have a laptop and a tablet in my backpack.”

Para mostrar que estás perdido pero colaboras
“It’s my first time flying alone, could you tell me if this is correct?”
Esto suele generar una respuesta más paciente por parte del personal.

Para organizarte después del control
“Can I stay here a moment to organize my things?”
Si añades un please y un thank you, prácticamente nunca tendrás problema.

Consejo lingüístico clave: reconoce las palabras tray, liquids, laptop, remove, belt, jacket, boarding pass, scanner, metal detector incluso si la frase te parece rápida. Son las “señales” de lo que quieren que hagas.

En el control de seguridad de un aeropuerto en inglés necesitas tres cosas:

Saber identificar vocabulario esencial como boarding pass, tray, liquids, large electronics, belt, shoes, metal detector, hand scanner.

Dominar estructuras de obligación y permiso: “You must…”, “You need to…”, “You can…”, “You can’t…”, y fórmulas de duda como “Do I need to…?” y “Should I…?”.

Mantener un tono cooperativo: seguir instrucciones rápidas, hacer preguntas breves y claras, y usar siempre please y thank you.