espere un momento, por favor
To say 'please hold' in Spanish, use espere un momento, por favor.
This phrase is a polite request for a caller to wait on the telephone line. In casual telephone conversations, you may also hear the shorthand un momento used to mean 'please hold'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'wait a moment, please'. The word espere is the verb meaning 'wait' and un momento means 'a moment'.
Which one should you use?
While espere un momento, por favor is a standard polite request, the phrase manténgase a la espera specifically means 'stay on hold' and is often used in professional customer service settings.
Did you know?
- The word momento comes from the Latin mōmentum, which originally referred to the smallest movement of a balance scale.
- In professional settings, the phrase no cuelgue is used to ask a caller to hold, which literally translates to 'do not hang up'.
- Even among friends, speakers often use the formal espere on the phone because the informal espera can sound too abrupt or demanding.
Examples in context
- Le ruego que espere un momento.I kindly ask you to wait for a moment.
- Espera un ratito, porfa.Wait a little bit, please.
- Aguanta un momento ahí, ¿sí?Hold on a moment there, okay?
- Por favor, ¿podría esperar un momento?Please, could you wait for a moment?
- Espere un momento, por favor, que voy a buscar su archivo.Please hold a moment, I am going to look for your file.
- Espere un momento, por favor, mientras transfiero la llamada.Please hold a moment while I transfer the call.
- Un segundo, espere un momento, por favor.One second, please hold a moment.
Example conversation
María answers a call at the office and needs to check something for Mateo.
- MaríaHola, oficina de servicios, ¿en qué puedo ayudarle?Hello, service office, how can I help you?
- MateoHola, soy Mateo, necesito hablar con el gerente.Hello, I am Mateo, I need to speak with the manager.
- MaríaEspere un momento, por favor, voy a ver si está.Please hold a moment, I will see if he is in.
- MateoMuchas gracias, María, lo espero en línea.Thank you very much, María, I will wait on the line.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favor, momento, por, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
