Por favor, sacuda el polvo
In Spanish, "please dust" is expressed as Por favor, sacuda el polvo.
This phrase is used to make a polite request to remove dust from a surface.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase sacuda el polvo is literally constructed as "shake the dust".
Which one should you use?
You might also use Por favor, limpie el polvo to mean "Please clean the dust" or the more intense Le ruego que limpie el polvo, por favor to say "I beg you to clean the dust, please".
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to someone you know well or a child, you use the informal command sacude el polvo instead of the formal sacuda el polvo.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish speaking countries, the word polvo is used as a slang term for a sexual encounter. Using it in an ambiguous context can lead to significant misunderstandings.
- The word polvo is a distant relative of the English word 'pulverise'. Both trace their origins back to the Proto-Indo-European root *pel-, meaning 'flour' or 'dust'.
- While sacuda is the formal command, in many Latin American cultures the distinction between formal and informal is used to signal social hierarchy or professional distance rather than just familiarity.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿podría limpiar el polvo de esta área, por favor? Muchas gracias.Excuse me, could you clean the dust in this area, please? Thank you very much.
- Oye, ¿limpias el polvo de aquí? Porfa, gracias.Hey, could you dust here? Please, thanks.
- Por favor, sacuda el polvo de la mesa.Please dust the table.
- Por favor, sacuda el polvo de los estantes.Please dust the shelves.
Example conversation
Maria is giving cleaning instructions to Daniel.
- MaríaDaniel, por favor, sacuda el polvo hoy.Daniel, please dust today.
- Daniel¿Dónde está el trapo, María?Where is the cloth, Maria?
- MaríaEstá en la cocina, junto al jabón.It is in the kitchen, next to the soap.
- DanielEstá bien, lo haré ahora mismo.All right, I will do it right now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, favor, polvo, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
