How to Make Requests in Spanish
Learning to make requests in Spanish is an essential step toward mastering the language. Asking for a favor and expressing your needs and wishes is important no matter where you are in the world!
Learning a new language is a challenging and life-changing experience because you’re absorbing loads of information about the cultures where that language is spoken while you learn the grammar and vocabulary.
In Spanish, making a request is more than just asking for something. The sentence wording and composition is key, but your tone of voice and facial expression are also important.
Keep reading to learn how to make requests in Spanish like a native speaker!
Requests in Spanish
Asking for a favor or making a request in Spanish requires consideration of the words used, the sentence structure and your voice tone and expression.
Keep in mind the distinction between a request and a demand. When you request something, you politely, respectfully, or formally express a need or desire. On the other hand, a demand is a forceful statement when asking for something. In many situations, making a demand is considered rude.
Ways to Make Requests in Spanish
Imagine you’re going to a donut store with your friends in a Spanish-speaking country on your vacation. You are a little nervous because you want to practice your Spanish and prove that all the hours you have invested in your studies are worth it. When you get to the register, you say to the employee:
Dame la dona glaseada.
Give the glazed donut.
The employee gives you the donut you asked for, but you feel that the interaction was a little awkward. Did you do something wrong?
Well, you did ask for what you wanted, but it was in a not completely polite way. How do you do it correctly then? The first thing is to always add a por favor at the end of your request. Por favor means “please” in Spanish, and it’s the first step to being polite.
The second step is to add keywords to your request, so people know you are asking for a favor or making a request in Spanish, rather than being bossy.
How To Form a Request in Spanish
Here are some tips to facilitate the formation of questions to make requests in Spanish.
1. Begin with a Polite Expression
When making a request, the best way to begin to form your sentence is by using a polite expression. Here are two examples.
¿Puedo ayudar…? – Can I help…
Poder is a verb that means “be able to.”It’s the equivalent to “can” in English. Here are examples of how to use poder when making a request in Spanish:
¿Puedo ayudarte con eso?
Can I help you with that?
¿Puedes ayudarme con las bolsas del supermercado?
Can you help me with the grocery bags?
¿Puede ella ayudarme con el paquete?
Can she help me with the package?
¿Podemos ayudarte con la comida?
Can we help you with the food?
¿Pueden ayudarme a arreglar la mesa?
Can you help me set the table?
¿Podéis ayudarme con las direcciones del mapa?
Can you help me with the map directions?
¿Podrías ayudarme con…? – Can you help me with…?
This phrase uses the conditional form of poder to express probabilities. When asking for a favour or making a request, podría is the formal form of poder. It translates to “could” or “would” in English.
¿Podrías ayudarme con mi tarea?
Could you help me with my homework?
¿Podría ayudarme a llenar este formulario?
Could you help me to fill this form?
¿Podría él ayudarme con la limpieza?
Could he help me with the cleaning?
¿Pueden ayudarme a cocinar?
Could they help me cook?
¿Podéis ayudarme a llegar a mi casa?
Could you help me to get home?
Formal Requests
If you want to offer your help in a more formal way, use the following questions:
¿Podría ayudarle con eso?
Can I help you with that?
¿Podemos ayudarle con eso?
Can we help you with that?
More Expressions for Requests
Beside poder and podría there are some other expressions that are used to ask for a favor or doing a requests:
¿Te importaría…? (Informal)
¿Le importaría…? (Formal)
¿Les importaría…? (Plural)
Would you mind…? / Would it be important to you…?
¿Te molestaría…? (Informal)
¿Le molestaría…? (Formal)
¿Les molestaría…? (Plural)
Would you mind…? / Would it bother you…?
Now that you know about these expressions, it is important to know how to use them correctly when making a request.
2. End Your Request with por favor
Around the world, saying please is a way to show good manners and respect others.
To compose your sentence in the most polite way, include the simple phrase, por favor (“please”).
Por favor may be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of your sentence. However, many native Spanish speakers end requests with por favor.
If you ask a favor of or make a request to a close friend or relative, you can say porfa. It’s a shortened, more casual way of saying por favor.
3. Phrase It as a Question
Making a request in Spanish is normally taken as asking for something. If you’re writing your request, remember to use question marks at the beginning and end of your question.
On the other hand, when making a request verbally, use the appropriate tone of asking a question. This helps convey that your statement is a request.
The Request Formula
To form your request in the most polite way, use the following formula:
¿Polite expression + what you need or want + por favor?
Formal Request Examples
Disculpe, ¿podría decirme la hora, por favor?
Excuse me, could you tell me the hour, please?
¿Le molestaría moverse un poco a la derecha, por favor?
Would you mind moving a little bit to the right, please?
¿Le importaría contestar algunas preguntas para una encuesta de servicio?
Would you mind answering some questions for a service poll?
Now, you can see that in the last sentence, the por favor was dropped. In some cases it is okay, as long as your voice tone, facial expression, and body language show respect.
Casual Request Examples
Disculpa, ¿puedes/podrías decirme la hora, por favor?
Excuse me, could you tell me the time, please?
¿Te molestaría moverte un poco a la derecha, por favor?
Would you mind moving a little bit to the right, please?
¿Te importaría contestar algunas preguntas para una encuesta de servicio?
Would you mind answering some questions for a service poll?
¿Puedes decirme la hora, porfa?
Can you tell me what time it is, please?
¿Podés moverte un poco a la derecha, por favor?
Can you move a little bit to the right, please?
¿Podés/Puedes contestar algunas preguntas para una encuesta de servicio?
Can you answer some questions for a service poll?
Requests in Spanish: 4 Pro Tips
Check out these amazing tips on how to make requests as a Spanish speaker.
1. Apologize for the inconvenience.
When making a request in Spanish, apologizing for the inconvenience in advance is a great way to sound polite.
Disculpe – Excuse me
Lo siento – I’m sorry
Perdón – Pardon
To take your request making game to the next level, study the following examples:
Disculpe, ¿puede, por favor, darme ese paquete que está a su lado?
Excuse me, can you please give me that package next to you?
Lo siento, ¿podrías indicarme donde esta la parada del bus?
I’m sorry, can you tell me where the bus stop is?
Perdón, ¿Podría dejarme pasar de primero?
Pardon, can you let me go first?
2. Adjust your voice.
Make the request as if you are asking for something. Keep your tone apologetic or neutral.
Remember to be formal or casual, depending on the context. Keep a moderate volume of your voice when making the request.
3. Say gracias.
Being thankful is important, and that includes saying gracias (“thank you”) after a favor or a request is done.
4. Smile.
When making a request in Spanish, smile, make eye contact, and be friendly. Most people want to help you or guide you to someone who can.
Commands vs Requests in Spanish
Making a request is a specific way of asking a question, and it’s more polite and friendly than ordering someone around.
The biggest difference between a demand and a request in Spanish is the verb form you use.
In Spanish, you use the imperative (command) mood of the verbs when making a demand or giving orders.
See also: Master the Imperative Mood to Express your Spanish Commands
In contrast, when making a request, you try to be as polite and friendly as possible. You are not ordering or bossing others around, and people can deny your request.
Example 1
Demand
Apaga ya la computadora.
Turn off the computer now.
Request
¿Puedes apagar la computadora?
Can you turn off the computer?
Example 2
Demand:
Da de comer al gato.
Feed the cat.
Request
¿Te molestaría darle de comer al gato?
Would you mind feeding the cat?
Example 3
Demand
¡Bajen del auto, ahora!
Get out of the car, now.
Request
¿Podrían bajar del auto ahora, por favor?
Could you get out of the car now, please?
Disculpa ¿Podrías seguir practicando tu español, por favor?
Excuse me, could you keep practicing your Spanish, please? Because practice makes perfect, and the only way to speak Spanish like a native Spanish speaker is by practicing consistently. Keep up the good work—sign up for a free, 1-on-1 class with a native Spanish-speaking teacher and become one of the more than 24,000 monthly active students. You won’t regret it!
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