In this lesson
Why "quiero" sounds rude
In the querer class you learned quiero: "I want". It's correct, and people will understand you. But Quiero un café at a counter sounds like "I want a coffee." Flat, a bit demanding: very tourist.
Mexicans soften almost every request. Instead of saying what they want, they ask: "Can you give me…?", "Can you bring me…?". Learn three formulas and you'll sound polite everywhere.
| Instead of… | Say… |
|---|---|
| Quiero un café. | ¿Me da un café, por favor? |
| Quiero la cuenta. | ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? |
| Quiero ayuda. | ¿Me puede ayudar? |
Formula 1: ¿Me da…? (Can I have…?)
The most Mexican way to ask for something, at a counter, a shop, a market stand. Literally "do you give me…?".
¿Me da…?
- ¿Me da un café, por favor?Can I have a coffee, please?
- ¿Me da dos tacos de pastor?Can I have two tacos al pastor?
- ¿Me da la contraseña del wifi?Can I have the wifi password?
- ¿Me da un kilo de tortillas?Can I have a kilo of tortillas?
Formula 2: ¿Me trae…? (Can you bring me…?)
When someone brings things to you: a waiter at your table, room service.
¿Me trae…?
- ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?Can you bring me the check, please?
- ¿Me trae otra cerveza?Can you bring me another beer?
- ¿Nos trae el menú?Can you bring us the menu?
Me is "me", nos is "us". That's all you need to know about them for now: learn the formulas as blocks.
Formula 3: ¿Me puede…? (Can you…?)
For anything someone can do for you: ¿Me puede + the verb in its basic form, like the poder + verb from the irregular verbs class.
¿Me puede…?
- ¿Me puede ayudar?Can you help me?
- ¿Me puede repetir, por favor?Can you repeat that, please?
- ¿Me puede hablar más despacio?Can you speak more slowly?
- ¿Me puedes pasar la sal?Can you pass me the salt? (to a friend)
Puede is for usted, puedes for tú. With waiters, taxi drivers, shop staff and anyone older, Mexicans use usted: you saw it in the describing people class.
✍️ Quick check
0/3
1.At a taco stand, the most natural way to order is…
2.To a waiter: "Can you bring me the check?"
3."Can you help me?" to a stranger:
The magic words
Mexico runs on small courtesies. These go a long way:
Courtesy
- Por favor.Please.
- Muchas gracias.Thank you very much.
- De nada.You're welcome.
- Disculpe.Excuse me. (to get attention, with usted)
- Con permiso.Excuse me. (to pass by someone)
- Perdón.Sorry.
- ¡Provecho!Enjoy your meal!
- ¿Mande?Pardon? / Sorry, what?
Common mistakes
✗Quiero un agua. (at a counter)
✓¿Me da un agua, por favor?
Not wrong, but blunt. Ask, don't announce.
✗¿Puede me ayudar?
✓¿Me puede ayudar?
Me goes before the verb.
✗Dame la cuenta.
✓¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Dame is an order: fine with a close friend, rude with a waiter.
✗¿Qué? (didn't hear)
✓¿Mande?
¿Mande? is the polite Mexican "pardon?".
✗Disculpa, señor.
✓Disculpe, señor.
With usted it's disculpe. Disculpa is for tú.
✗Perdón. (to pass by)
✓Con permiso.
Perdón is for a mistake. To get past, con permiso.
Put it together
Here's the sentence from class:
¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
- me trae: "do you bring me", the waiter brings it to your table
- por favor: always, at the end or the start
And now a full visit to a café:
Buenas tardes. ¿Qué le sirvo?
Good afternoon. What can I get you?
Buenas tardes. ¿Me da un café americano, por favor?
Good afternoon. Can I have an americano, please?
¿Algo más?
Anything else?
Sí, quisiera un pan dulce. ¿Me da la contraseña del wifi?
Yes, I'd like a pastry. Can I have the wifi password?
¿Mande?
Sorry?
La contraseña del wifi, por favor.
The wifi password, please.
Claro. Ahorita se la traigo.
Of course. I'll bring it to you in a moment.
Muchas gracias. Y después, ¿me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Thank you very much. And afterwards, can you bring me the check, please?
¿Qué le sirvo? is "what can I serve you?", what you'll hear at most counters. Pan dulce is Mexican sweet bread, the conchas and cuernitos in every bakery.
Now make it yours: ask for three things at a café, a store and a hotel with ¿me da…?, ¿me trae…? and ¿me puede…?.
Test yourself
✍️ Six quick questions
0/6
1.To a hotel receptionist: "Can you help me?"
2.Someone says something and you didn't catch it. You say…
3.You walk past a table of people eating. You say…
4.You need to get past someone on the metro:
5.Quisiera una mesa para dos means…
6.Which one sounds most like a local at a market?
All the forms
Polite requests: the cheat sheet
| Formula | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Me da…? | asking for something (counter, shop, market) | ¿Me da un café? |
| ¿Me trae…? / ¿Nos trae…? | asking someone to bring it (waiter) | ¿Me trae la cuenta? |
| ¿Me puede + verb*?* | asking someone to do something (usted) | ¿Me puede ayudar? |
| ¿Me puedes + verb*?* | same, with a friend (tú) | ¿Me puedes pasar la sal? |
| Quisiera… | I'd like (formal, phone, reservations) | Quisiera una mesa para dos. |
Courtesy: por favor, gracias, de nada, disculpe, con permiso, perdón, ¡provecho!, ¿mande?