más despacio, por favor
/ˈmas desˈpaθjo poɾ faˈboɾ/word by word
To say "slow down, please" in Spanish, you use más despacio, por favor.
The phrase más despacio, por favor is commonly used when someone is speaking too quickly for you to understand them. You can also use más lento, por favor to mean "slower, please", though más despacio is the most common way to ask someone to slow down their speech.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase más despacio literally translates to "more slowly".
Which one should you use?
While más despacio, por favor is the standard request, if you want to ask someone to speed up instead of slowing down, you would say más rápido (faster).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmas desˈpaθjo poɾ faˈboɾ/
Did you know?
- While más despacio is the standard for speech, in many Spanish-speaking countries, a hand gesture of palms facing down and moving slightly up and down often accompanies the phrase.
- The word más shares a common Latin ancestor with the English word 'master'. Both derive from the Latin root meaning 'more' or 'greater'.
- In some contexts, despacio can be used as a warning to be cautious, similar to saying 'carefully' rather than just 'slowly'.
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
Mateo is learning Spanish from Elena.
- MateoElena, hablas muy rápido.Elena, you speak very fast.
- ElenaLo siento, ¿está bien así?I'm sorry, is this okay?
- MateoUn poco más despacio, por favor.A little slower, please.
- ElenaClaro, Mateo. No hay problema.Of course, Mateo. No problem.
