breve espera
/bɾebe espeɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "brief hold" can be translated into Spanish as breve espera.
This phrase describes a short period of time that a person is asked to wait, typically during a telephone call. While breve espera describes the concept of a brief hold, a native speaker is more likely to say un momento, por favor (one moment, please) when actually placing someone on hold during a call.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective breve (brief) and the noun espera (wait/waiting).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because espera is a feminine noun, the indefinite article used with the phrase must be una breve espera.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɾebe espeɾa/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb esperar is used for both 'to wait' and 'to hope'. This means that una breve espera can carry a nuance of hopeful anticipation that the English 'brief hold' lacks.
- While espera means 'wait', it is a linguistic relative of the English word 'desperate'. Both come from a root meaning to expect or hope for something.
Example conversation
Alejandro is calling a customer service line and Sofía answers.
- AlejandroHola, quiero saber el estado de mi pedido.Hello, I want to know the status of my order.
- SofíaClaro, permítame un momento de breve espera.Of course, allow me a moment of brief hold.
- AlejandroEstá bien, yo espero.That is fine, I will wait.
- SofíaGracias, Sofía ya tiene su información.Thank you, Sofía already has your information.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries breve, espera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
