How does it change in a sentence?
The level of formality is determined by the verb form used. Espere is the formal command form of the verb esperar, while Espera is the second person singular imperative form. You should use espera por favor when speaking to a child, someone younger than you or someone you know well. In informal settings, you might also say Espera un momento, por favor. or Por favor, espera un poquito. to mean "Please wait a little bit".
How do you pronounce it?
/espeɾe poɾ faboɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add por after the verb (for example, thinking of "wait for") because they believe it translates the English structure. However, in Spanish, por favor is a fixed adverbial phrase meaning "please" and is not grammatically linked to the verb's object.
Did you know?
- The verb esperar has a double meaning in Spanish, serving as both 'to wait' and 'to hope'.
- Depending on the region, people might use aguanta instead of espera to tell someone to wait, which literally means 'endure' or 'hold on'.
- The word favor in por favor comes from the Latin favōrem, which refers to kindness or good will.
Examples in context
- Espere por favor un momento.Please wait a moment.
- Espere por favor en la puerta.Please wait at the door.
- Espere por favor, ya casi estoy listo.Please wait, I am almost ready.
Example conversation
Maria is helping Daniel at a reception desk.
- MaríaHola, busco a mi gerente.Hello, I am looking for my manager.
- DanielEspere por favor, voy a llamarlo.Please wait, I am going to call him.
- MaríaMuchas gracias, María.Thank you very much, Maria.
- DanielDe nada, Daniel.You're welcome, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favor, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
