pase su tarjeta
/pase su taɾxeta/from spelling rules
The phrase "swipe your card" in Spanish is translated as pase su tarjeta.
This phrase is used to instruct someone to pass a payment card through a magnetic reader to make a transaction.
Which one should you use?
deslice su tarjeta serves as a more precise alternative often used in formal technical instructions or banking contexts, meaning "slide your card".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Pase su tarjeta is a formal way to say 'swipe your card'. For casual settings or when speaking to people you know, you can use the informal versions pasa tu tarjeta or desliza tu tarjeta.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you may hear pasá tu tarjeta or pasame tu tarjeta. In Spain, people might say deslice su tarjeta.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the phrase to the plural "swipe the cards", you change the article and the noun to las tarjetas, resulting in pase las tarjetas.
How do you pronounce it?
/pase su taɾxeta/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word tarjeta is a distant relative of the English word 'target'. Both terms share an ancient root referring to a shield or a small plate.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, you might hear people use the verb pasar even if they are using a modern contactless chip or NFC reader instead of a magnetic stripe.
- While pase means 'swipe' in this context, the same word can be a noun meaning 'a pass' or 'a permit' to enter a building.
Examples in context
- Pasa tu tarjeta para pagar.Swipe your card to pay.
- Desliza tu tarjeta aquí, por favor.Swipe your card here, please.
- Por favor, pase su tarjeta por el lector.Please swipe your card through the reader.
- Pase su tarjeta para completar el pago.Swipe your card to complete the payment.
- No funciona, pase su tarjeta otra vez.It is not working, swipe your card again.
Example conversation
At a small grocery store checkout.
- ElenaEl total son veinte euros.The total is twenty euros.
- AlejandroEstá bien, aquí tiene.Alright, here you go.
- ElenaPase su tarjeta por la máquina, por favor.Swipe your card through the machine, please.
- AlejandroListo, ¿ya se hizo el cobro?Done, is the charge complete?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pase, su, tarjeta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
