pedida de mano
/pedida de mano/from spelling rules
The English phrase marriage proposal is pedida de mano in Spanish.
pedida de mano refers to a marriage proposal. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it specifically refers to the formal event or the act of asking for a person's hand in marriage, often involving the families.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase pedida de mano literally translates to 'asking for the hand'.
Which one should you use?
Propuesta de matrimonio is another formal way to say marriage proposal. If you are actually performing the proposal in an informal setting, you would use a direct question such as ¿Te quieres casar conmigo?, ¿Quieres ser mi esposa? (to a female) or ¿Quieres ser mi esposo? (to a male).
How do you pronounce it?
/pedida de mano/
Did you know?
- While pedida de mano is common, a person might use the verb pedir in a way that sounds like they are 'ordering' a hand, as pedir is also used for ordering food in a restaurant.
- The word mano is a close relative of the French word main, as they both descend from the same Latin-derived roots.
- In some traditional Spanish customs, the pedida de mano is not a romantic surprise for the partner, but a formal negotiation between the groom and the bride's father.
Examples in context
- Era una hermosa pedida de mano.It was a beautiful marriage proposal.This sentence is useful for describing a beautiful pedida de mano.Tatoeba #1446571 by Shishir, translation #2167686 by faraway9911
- No puedo imaginar mi vida sin tiI can't imagine my life without you
- La pedida de mano fue muy privada.The marriage proposal was very private.
- Él está planeando una pedida de mano sorpresa.He is planning a surprise marriage proposal.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are talking about their friends' engagement.
- MateoAyer vi la pedida de mano de mis primos.Yesterday I saw my cousins' marriage proposal.
- Lucía¿Fue algo especial, Mateo?Was it something special, Mateo?
- MateoSí, fue una pedida de mano muy romántica.Yes, it was a very romantic marriage proposal.
- LucíaMe alegro mucho por ellos.I am very happy for them.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, mano, pedida de mano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
