responda por favor
/responda poɾ faboɾ/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "please answer" is expressed as responda por favor.
The phrase is used as a polite request for someone to provide a response to a question or a message.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb responder (to answer or respond) in the formal imperative and the phrase por favor (please).
Which one should you use?
The distinction between the forms responda por favor and responde por favor depends on the level of formality used with the person you are addressing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice of verb form is determined by the subject's relationship to you: responda por favor uses the formal usted command, while responde por favor uses the informal tú command for someone you know well.
How do you pronounce it?
/responda poɾ faboɾ/
Did you know?
- If a Spanish speaker is frustrated that someone is ignoring their request for an answer, they might bypass responda por favor and ask ¿estás vivo?, meaning 'are you alive?'
- In some Latin American countries, adding por favor to the end of a command can actually sound sarcastic or demanding rather than polite, depending entirely on the speaker's tone.
- While responda por favor is used for messages, the verb responder also means 'to be responsible for' or 'to answer for' a mistake, such as in the phrase responder por sus actos.
Examples in context
- Por favor, conteste antes de mañanaPlease answer before tomorrow
- Responda por favor a mi correo electrónico.Please answer my email.
- Responda por favor a la pregunta del cliente.Please answer the client's question.
- Responda por favor cuando tenga un momento.Please answer when you have a moment.
Example conversation
Alejandro is calling Elena about a business matter.
- AlejandroHola Elena, ¿puede hablar ahora?Hello Elena, can you talk now?
- ElenaLo siento, estoy en una reunión.I'm sorry, I am in a meeting.
- AlejandroEntiendo, pero responda por favor al mensaje.I understand, but please answer the message.
- ElenaSí, lo haré en diez minutos.Yes, I will do it in ten minutes.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
