¿te puedes mover?
The English phrase "can you move" is translated into Spanish as ¿te puedes mover?
This phrase is used to request that someone change their physical position, often to make space or to get out of the way. If you prefer to give a direct command rather than asking a question, you can say Muévete to an informal person or Muévase to a formal person.
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿te puedes mover? is informal and uses the 'tú' form. In contrast, the form ¿se puede mover? is used in formal situations. When asking someone to move politely, you can use the formal variations ¿Podría moverse, por favor? or ¿Puede moverse, por favor?
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the single word permiso is the most common way to ask someone to move, even though it literally translates to 'permission'.
- In crowded spaces, speakers often omit the verb entirely and use the shorthand ¿se puede? to ask someone to move out of the way.
- The Spanish word mover and the English word 'move' are cognates, meaning they both evolved from the same Latin root movēre.
Examples in context
- ¿Podría moverse, por favor? Necesito bajar en mi parada.Could you move, please? I need to get off at my stop.
- ¿Puedes moverte, por favor? Quiero tomar asiento cerca de la ventana.Can you move, please? I want to sit near the window.
- ¿Te puedes mover, por favor? Estoy tratando de pasar.Can you move, please? I'm trying to get through.
- No veo la pantalla, ¿te puedes mover?I can't see the screen, can you move?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mover, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
