por favor hable más despacio
/poɾ faboɾ able mas despaθjo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'please speak slower' is translated into Spanish as por favor hable más despacio.
This phrase is a polite request used to ask someone to reduce the speed of their speech. You may also use the variation por favor hable más lento to mean 'please speak more slowly'.
What does it mean word for word?
The component más despacio literally means 'more slowly'.
Which one should you use?
Use más despacio to refer to the speed of speech, whereas más lento can sometimes imply a lack of agility or a general sluggishness.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Using lento instead of despacio is a common and acceptable variation in many Spanish-speaking regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a friend or someone your age, you should use the informal form habla instead of hable.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ faboɾ able mas despaθjo/
Did you know?
- If you ask someone to speak más lento in certain regions, you might unintentionally suggest that they are mentally slow rather than just speaking at a high speed.
- The word despacio is a linguistic fusion of de and espacio, literally asking the speaker to put more 'space' between their words.
- While hable is the polite, formal version of the verb, using it in a casual setting like a local market might actually sound less natural than using the informal habla.
Examples in context
- Hable más despacio, por favor. No comprendo todo lo que está diciendoPlease speak slower. I don't understand everything you're saying
- Habla más despacio, por favor. No capto todo lo que dicesPlease speak slower. I don't catch everything you're saying
- No le entiendo, por favor hable más despacio.I don't understand you, please speak slower.
Example conversation
A student is asking a teacher to repeat a lesson more clearly.
- MateoLo siento, no entiendo la lección.I am sorry, I don't understand the lesson.
- María¿Qué parte no entiende, Mateo?Which part do you not understand, Mateo?
- MateoTodo, por favor hable más despacio.Everything, please speak slower.
- MaríaEstá bien, lo repetiré con calma.Alright, I will repeat it calmly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despacio, favor, más, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
