por favorcito
/poɾ faboɾθito/from spelling rules
The English phrase "pretty please" can be translated into Spanish as por favorcito.
por favorcito is an emphatic interjection to make commands more polite. This form is often used when someone is trying to act cute or sweet to persuade someone to do them a favor.
Meaning: an emphatic interjection to make commands more polite (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
por favorcito is an informal form. For a more colloquial alternative used among friends and acquaintances, you may also see the short forms Porfi or Porfis.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ faboɾθito/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, using por favorcito in a professional setting might be viewed as manipulative or patronizing rather than merely polite.
- The suffix -cito in favorcito is a diminutive that does not just shrink the size of a thing, but can also be used to express affection, tenderness or a plea.
- The word por in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English preposition 'for', as both trace back to Latin origins used to indicate purpose or direction.
Examples in context
- ¡Pásame el bolígrafo, porfi!Pass me the pen, pretty please!
- Ayúdame con esto, por favorcito.Help me with this, pretty please.
- ¿Me pasas la sal, por favorcito?Could you pass me the salt, pretty please?
- No te olvides de llamarme, por favorcito.Please don't forget to call me, pretty please.
Example conversation
María is asking Javier to drive her to the station.
- María¿Puedes llevarme a la estación, por favorcito?Can you take me to the station, pretty please?
- JavierNo sé si tendré tiempo, María.I don't know if I'll have time, María.
- María¡Por favorcito, Javier!Pretty please, Javier!
- JavierEstá bien, te llevaré.Alright, I'll take you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favorcito, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
