por favor, cariño
/poɾ faˈboɾ kaˈɾiɲo/word by word
In Spanish, "please baby" is translated as por favor, cariño.
The phrase is used to soften a request or to plead with a romantic partner or a loved one.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of por favor (please) and cariño (affection/darling/honey/sweetheart).
How does it change in a sentence?
The term of endearment cariño is a masculine noun and remains the same regardless of whether you are addressing a man or a woman. When using it as a vocative to address someone, cariño is used for both genders.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ faˈboɾ kaˈɾiɲo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use a feminine form like por favor, cariñosa to address a woman. That version is only used when describing a person's specific trait. Use cariño for both genders when addressing a partner.
Did you know?
- Although cariño is masculine, it is common in Spain to use it as a gentle way to address service staff or strangers in very informal, warm settings.
- In certain Latin American countries, cariño might be replaced by amor or vida to achieve the same effect as 'please baby'.
- The word por shares a common ancestor with the English preposition 'for', both tracing back to ancient Indo-European roots.
Examples in context
- Por favor, cariño, ¿me puedes pasar la sal?Please, baby, pass me the salt.
- Ayúdame con esto, por favor, cariño.Help me with this, please, baby.
- No te vayas, por favor, cariño.Don't go, please, baby.
- Escúchame, por favor, cariño.Listen to me, please, baby.
Example conversation
Alejandro is trying to convince María to stay home and watch a movie.
- Alejandro¿Te quedas conmigo esta noche?Will you stay with me tonight?
- MaríaNo puedo, tengo mucho trabajo.I can't, I have a lot of work.
- AlejandroQuédate un rato, por favor, cariño.Stay for a little while, please, baby.
- MaríaEstá bien, solo media hora.Alright, just half an hour.
