habla despacio
/abla despaθjo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "speak slowly" is translated into Spanish as habla despacio.
This phrase is used to request that someone reduce the speed of their speech to make it easier to understand.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a stranger, an elder or someone in a professional setting, use hable despacio instead of habla despacio to remain polite. If you are addressing more than one person, use hablen despacio.
Did you know?
- The word despacio literally means 'from space', coming from the Latin 'de' and 'spatium'. It suggests creating distance or room between words to slow them down.
- Spanish has a separate word for 'slow' when describing a person's nature or a process, lento, but despacio is used specifically for the speed of a movement or a voice.
- In some Caribbean dialects, the 's' in despacio may be aspirated or dropped, sounding more like depacio, which can confuse learners used to textbook pronunciation.
Examples in context
- Habla despacio, por favor.Speak slowly, please.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say "Speak slowly, please" using habla despacio.Tatoeba #1742157 by Shishir, translation #514834 by blay_paul
- Habla despacio.Speak slowly.This sentence is useful for practicing the direct command "Speak slowly" using habla despacio.Tatoeba #1476281 by marcelostockle, translation #5228931 by jaxhere
- Por favor, habla despacio.Please speak slowly.This sentence is useful for practicing how to place "please" at the beginning of the request with habla despacio.Tatoeba #867849 by opor, translation #403059 by Ramses
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are practicing Spanish in a cafe.
- DanielNo te entiendo bien.I do not understand you well.
- LucíaLo siento, Daniel.I am sorry, Daniel.
- DanielPor favor, habla despacio.Please, speak slowly.
- LucíaEstá bien, hablaré más lento.Okay, I will speak more slowly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despacio, habla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
