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

[alliecat]

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

[pogo]

I think you need to use Quisiera, so you could say "Quisiera un globo por favor".

[hypnotik1]

I think you can say...

¿Me das un globo por favor?

o

¿Me regalas un globo por favor?

[pescamos]

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.

[sosia]

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 :cool: , will be waiting for the final "por favor", so better say it. :D )


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?

[hypnotik1]

¿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?

[alliecat]

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.