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The way to say, "May I please have ..."

 

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  #1  
Old June 16, 2007, 01:47 PM
alliecat alliecat is offline
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Question The way to say, "May I please have ..."

What would be the most polite way to say something like:

"May we please have a balloon?"

My hunch is:

"Por favor, ¿puedes dar nos un globo?" (which is my preference), but would "¿Nos puedes dar un globo, por favor?" also be correct, or I have I hopelessly butchered the poor sentence?

It sounds most polite to my ear to say begin with the "please", although I realize that after globo would also be correct. But puede sounds a little... um, harsh? to me. I guess because it literally means "can". So is there a Spanish equivalent to "may"?

TIA,

Alexandra
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  #2  
Old June 16, 2007, 02:20 PM
pogo pogo is offline
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I think you need to use Quisiera, so you could say "Quisiera un globo por favor".
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Old June 17, 2007, 11:44 AM
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hypnotik1 hypnotik1 is offline
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I think you can say...

¿Me das un globo por favor?

o

¿Me regalas un globo por favor?
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Old June 17, 2007, 04:23 PM
pescamos pescamos is offline
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yo eligiria un de estes frases.

por favor, podrias darme......
please, could you give me.....

or

por favor, podrias traerme......
please, could you bring me.....

or

quisiera ...... por favor
i'd like ..... please

espero que te he ayudado,
un saludo,
Craig.
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  #5  
Old June 18, 2007, 03:00 AM
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sosia sosia is offline
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All the mentioned options are good enough.

"May we please have a balloon?"
"Por favor, ¿puedes darnos un globo?" OK
"¿Nos puedes dar un globo, por favor?" OK
------------------
¿Me das un globo por favor? OK
¿Me regalas un globo por favor? ¿It's a present?
--------------------
por favor, podrias darme...... OK
please, could you give me.....
por favor, podrias traerme...... OK
please, could you bring me.....
quisiera ...... por favor OK
i'd like ..... please


In spanish usually it's better to say the polite term first, in order to "soften" the receiver. So the options "por favor, podrias darme.." sounds better than "podrías traerme,... por favor", but it's also valid (we, as "proud" spaniards , will be waiting for the final "por favor", so better say it. )


I'm not so used with the "MAY", so the usual translation is
"por favor, podrías darme...."

The most polite way I usually use it's
"Seria usted tan amable de ....."
Could you be so gentle to ... (sorry for the tranaltion)
"Disculpe, ¿podría usted apartarse?"
sorry, could you please go to the side?
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  #6  
Old June 18, 2007, 11:28 AM
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hypnotik1 hypnotik1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sosia View Post
¿Me regalas un globo por favor? ¿It's a present?

--------------------
Thats what I used to think about this usage too, but it may be a regional thing.
My Ex G/F is from Guatemala, and that's how she would usually ask for stuff.
for example...

¿Me regalas un chicle por favor?
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  #7  
Old June 18, 2007, 01:55 PM
alliecat alliecat is offline
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Thank you, thank you, thank you all of you. Nice to know I wasn't too far off.

sosia, thanks also for the gentle correction. So noted.
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