me alegra ayudarte
/me aleɡɾa aʝudaɾte/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'I am happy to help you' is expressed as me alegra ayudarte.
This phrase is a polite way to tell someone that you are glad to provide assistance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me alegra ayudarte literally translates to 'it gladdens me to help you', where me alegra means 'it gladdens me'.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the construction 'I am happy' (subject + verb + adjective), this Spanish phrase uses a construction where the act of helping is the subject that 'gladdens' the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ayudarte uses the enclitic pronoun '-te', which indicates that the person being helped is a single person addressed informally (tú). To change the phrase to a formal register, replace the '-te' in ayudarte with '-le' to form ayudarle.
How do you pronounce it?
/me aleɡɾa aʝudaɾte/
Did you know?
- In high-level business contexts in Spain, speakers may use estoy a su disposición. This phrase suggests the speaker is entirely at the other person's disposal.
- In some Latin American countries, you might hear con gusto instead of me alegra ayudarte. This shifts the focus from the speaker's emotional state to their eagerness to be helpful.
- The English word 'me' and the Spanish me are linguistic cousins, both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root *(h₁)me-.
Examples in context
- Estoy encantado(a) de ayudarle. ¿En qué puedo ayudarlo(a)?I am delighted to help you. How can I assist you?
- Me alegra ayudarte con la tarea.I am happy to help you with the homework.
- Me alegra ayudarte con las maletas.I am happy to help you with the suitcases.
Example conversation
Daniel is struggling to carry several heavy boxes into his house.
- Sofía¡Hola, Daniel! ¿Necesitas una mano?Hello, Daniel! Do you need a hand?
- DanielSí, por favor, son muy pesadas.Yes, please, they are very heavy.
- SofíaNo te preocupes, me alegra ayudarte.Don't worry, I am happy to help you.
- DanielMuchas gracias, Sofía, eres muy amable.Thank you very much, Sofía, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
