orden, por favor
/ˈoɾden poɾ faˈboɾ/word by word
The English phrase "order, please" is translated into Spanish as orden, por favor.
This phrase is used as a request for people to stop talking or behaving disruptively in order to restore quiet and discipline.
Which one should you use?
While orden, por favor is a request for a return to disciplined behavior, the word ¡Silencio! is a more direct and blunt command to stop making noise.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the phrase ¿Me puede tomar la orden, por favor? is commonly used to request a waiter to take your order. In Argentina, the phrase ¿Me anotás el pedido, por favor? is a common way to ask someone to write down your order.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoɾden poɾ faˈboɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spain, the word for 'computer' is ordenador, which literally translates to 'something that puts things in order'.
- In some Spanish-speaking countries, asking for a food orden can sound like you are requesting a formal legal decree or a command.
- The preposition por used in this phrase is a linguistic 'doublet' of the word 'pro', meaning they share an ancestor but arrived in the language through different paths.
Examples in context
- Necesitamos orden, por favor, para empezar la clase.We need order, please, to start the class.
- Mantengan el orden, por favor, en el salón.Maintain order, please, in the hall.
Example conversation
A teacher and a student are in a noisy classroom.
- Javier¡Orden, por favor! Todos guarden silencio.Order, please! Everyone be quiet.
- SofíaLo siento, Javier. Ya nos callamos.I'm sorry, Javier. We are shutting up now.
- JavierGracias, Sofía. Ahora podemos empezar.Thank you, Sofía. Now we can begin.
- SofíaEstá bien, estamos listos.That's fine, we are ready.
