hazme caso
/aθme kaso/from spelling rules
The English phrase "pay attention to me" can be translated into Spanish as hazme caso.
This phrase is a request for someone to listen to or obey what you are saying. It is frequently used by parents to get a child's attention or by friends when they feel they are being ignored during a conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative haz (do), the pronoun me (to me) and the noun caso (case/attention).
Which one should you use?
The informal version is hazme caso, while the formal version is hágame caso. If you need the phrase in an infinitive context, such as in the sentence "You need to pay attention to me", use hacerme caso.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Caribbean, the informal expression Échame bola is used to mean "give me some attention".
How does it change in a sentence?
Hazme caso uses the informal imperative (tú) form.
Did you know?
- In the Caribbean, instead of hazme caso, people may say échame bola, which literally translates to 'throw ball at me'.
- The word caso in this phrase stems from the Latin cāsus, which originally referred to a 'falling' or an 'event'. It is a linguistic descendant of the idea of a 'case' or a 'happening'.
- If someone is completely ignoring you, a Spaniard might say no me hace ni caso, adding the word ni for extra emphasis to show total indifference.
Examples in context
- Hazme caso.Pay attention to me.This sentence demonstrates how to use the phrase hazme caso.Tatoeba #5405236 by cueyayotl, translation #4495852 by CK
- Hazme caso, por favor, esto es importante para ambos.Listen to me, please, this is important for both of us.
- Por favor, hazme caso cuando te hablo.Please, pay attention to me when I am talking to you.
Example conversation
Javier is trying to explain something important to Sofía while she is looking at her phone.
- JavierSofía, hazme caso, es algo importante.Sofía, pay attention to me, it is something important.
- SofíaLo siento, Javier, ya te estoy escuchando.I am sorry, Javier, I am listening to you now.
- JavierEs que parece que no me prestas atención.It is just that it seems like you aren't paying attention to me.
- SofíaPerdona, no volverá a pasar.Forgive me, it won't happen again.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
