dame la pelota
/dame la pelota/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "give me the ball" is dame la pelota.
This phrase is used as a request or a command for someone to hand a ball to the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb da (give), the indirect object pronoun me (to me) and the noun phrase la pelota (the ball).
Which one should you use?
dame la pelota uses the informal tú imperative. For a formal request, one would use déme la pelota.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase dame, the pronoun me is attached directly to the end of the imperative verb da.
How do you pronounce it?
/dame la pelota/
Did you know?
- In certain Latin American countries, calling a person a pelotudo is a common, though very vulgar, insult. It moves far away from the simple request for a ball into the realm of calling someone an idiot.
- In some regions, pelotear can mean to flirt or to waste time chatting, moving the meaning of pelota from a physical object to a social activity.
- The word pelota shares a common ancestor with the English word 'pill', as both stem from the Latin 'pila', which referred to a ball or a sphere.
Examples in context
- Dame la pelota.Give me the ball.This is useful for practicing the phrase dame la pelota.Tatoeba #6172278 by cueyayotl, translation #1841172 by CK
- Señorita López, ¿me puede pasar la pelota, por favor? Me gustaría practicar mis habilidades.Miss López, can you pass me the ball, please? I would like to practice my skills.
- Profesor Martínez, permítame tener la pelota, por favor. Quiero mostrar mi técnica de tiro.Professor Martínez, allow me to have the ball, please. I want to show my shooting technique.
- Carlos, dame la pelota, ¡porfi! Me muero de ganas de jugar.Carlos, give me the ball, pretty please! I'm dying to play.
- ¡Amigos! Oye, ¿me pasan la pelota? Quiero demostrar mi regate.Friends! Hey, can you pass me the ball? I want to show my dribbling.
- Dame la pelota para jugar.Give me the ball to play.
- ¡Dame la pelota ahora mismo!Give me the ball right now!
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are playing in the park.
- SofíaMateo, dame la pelota.Mateo, give me the ball.
- Mateo¿Quieres que la lance?Do you want me to throw it?
- SofíaNo, solo dame la pelota.No, just give me the ball.
- MateoEstá bien, aquí tienes.Alright, here you go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, pelota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
