Por favor, limpie
In Spanish, "please clean" is expressed as Por favor, limpie.
This phrase is used to make a polite request for someone to remove dirt or clutter from a place or object.
Which one should you use?
Por favor, limpie uses the formal usted command, making it appropriate for strangers, elders or professional settings. In contrast, informal situations may use other variations such as Limpia, por favor. or ¿Puedes limpiar, por favor?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes from limpie to limpia when speaking to someone you know well or are using the tú form with.
Did you know?
- The word limpia can be used to describe a person's character rather than physical cleanliness. If someone is described as una persona limpia, it often implies they are honest and beyond reproach.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, directly telling someone to 'clean' can be seen as quite blunt or even rude, even with por favor. Instead, people often use softer phrases like hay que limpiar (it is necessary to clean) to avoid pointing a finger at a specific person.
- The word favor comes from the Latin favōrem, which originally referred to a feeling of goodwill or a 'kindness' rather than a specific request for an action.
Examples in context
- Por favor, limpie el suelo sucio.Please clean the dirty floor.This sentence demonstrates how to use Por favor, limpie to request that a dirty floor be cleaned.Tatoeba #685894 by Dejo, translation #25714 by sundown
- Por favor, limpie la mesa después de comer.Please clean the table after eating.
- Por favor, limpie sus gafas.Please clean your glasses.
Example conversation
Lucía is talking to Alejandro about the living room.
- LucíaAlejandro, por favor, limpie la sala.Alejandro, please clean the living room.
- AlejandroSí, lo haré ahora mismo.Yes, I will do it right now.
- LucíaGracias por su ayuda.Thank you for your help.
- AlejandroNo hay problema, Lucía.No problem, Lucía.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favor, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
