por favor
neutral
In Colombia "please" is por favor, and a very Colombian way to ask for something is me regala, literally "give me as a gift". It is also called me hace el favor.
Meaning: polite request word (adv)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| por favor | neutral |
| me hace el favor | polite |
| me regala | polite request, Colombia |
In shops and cafés people say ¿me regala un tinto? for "could I have a coffee". Nobody expects it to be free.
How does it change in a sentence?
Me hace el favor de is followed by a verb: ¿me hace el favor de cerrar la puerta? It is polite and uses usted.
Did you know?
- The phrase me regala is so common in Colombia that foreigners often think it means the item is a gift.
Examples in context
- Un café, por favor.A coffee, please.
- ¿Me regala dos empanadas?Could I have two empanadas?
- ¿Me hace el favor de ayudarme?Would you do me the favor of helping me?
Example conversation
Tomás orders at a bakery counter in Medellín.
- TomásBuenas. ¿Me regala un tinto y una empanada?Hello. Could I have a coffee and an empanada?
- VendedoraCon gusto. ¿Algo más?With pleasure. Anything else?
- TomásNo, eso es todo, gracias.No, that is all, thanks.
