más despacio, por favor
/ˈmas desˈpaθjo poɾ faˈboɾ/word by word
In Spanish, 'please slow down' is expressed as más despacio, por favor.
The phrase más despacio, por favor is a common way to request that someone speak or move at a lower speed. It is frequently used when a native speaker is speaking too quickly for you to understand them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase más despacio literally translates to 'more slowly'.
Which one should you use?
Use más despacio to ask someone to slow down, whereas más rápido is used to ask someone to speed up.
How does it change in a sentence?
más despacio, por favor is an adverbial phrase used to request a change in speed, rather than a verb-based command.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmas desˈpaθjo poɾ faˈboɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American regions, if a speaker is going too fast, a listener might say más despacio while jokingly calling the speaker a metralleta, which means 'machine gun'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, requesting más despacio can be accompanied by a hand gesture of palms facing down, moving slowly in a waving motion to visually signal the desired speed.
- The word despacio actually contains the word for 'space' hidden inside it, as it comes from the combination of de and espacio.
Examples in context
- Habla más despacio, por favor.Speak more slowly, please.
- Camina más despacio, por favor.Walk more slowly, please.
- Conduce más despacio, por favor.Drive more slowly, please.
Example conversation
Alejandro is driving and Elena feels rushed.
- AlejandroVoy muy rápido, ¿verdad?I am going very fast, right?
- ElenaSí, ve más despacio, por favor.Yes, go more slowly, please.
- AlejandroEstá bien, bajaré la velocidad.Okay, I will slow down.
- ElenaGracias, Alejandro.Thanks, Alejandro.
