Asking a favour in Spanish: asking, softening, saying yes or no, and thanking in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
Sooner or later you need a favour: a lift, someone to water your plants, a phone charger, a hand moving a sofa. The words are simple, and people in each country soften them in their own way. Below is how to ask, how to soften, how to say yes and no, borrowing and lending, and how to thank someone, with the version for Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
The basic ask
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can you do me a favour? | ¿Me haces un favor? | ¿Me haces un favor? | ¿Me hace un favor? (usted) / ¿Me haces un favor? | ¿Me hacés un favor? (vos) |
| Can you give me a hand? | ¿Me echas la mano? | ¿Me echas una mano? | ¿Me ayudas? / ¿Me colabora? (usted) | ¿Me das una mano? |
| Casual, among friends | ¿Me haces el paro? | ¿Me echas un cable? | ¿Me hace un favorcito? | ¿Me hacés una gauchada? |
The notes:
- In Mexico it is echar la mano, with la; in Spain echar una mano. Both mean to give a hand.
- Hacer el paro is Mexican slang for doing someone a favour. Hazme el paro is “do me a solid”. It is informal; use it with friends.
- ¿Me colabora? is Colombian and extremely common, from shops to offices: ¿me colabora con una firma?, could you sign this for me? Colaborar there means to help with something small.
- Gauchada is the Argentine and Uruguayan word for a favour, from gaucho. ¿Me hacés una gauchada? is warm and informal.
- In Mexico and Colombia people soften with diminutives: un favorcito, un momentico (Colombia), un momentito (Mexico). With them the favour sounds smaller.
Softening it
The more you ask, the more softening you add. You can use these in all four countries unless marked.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Could you…? | ¿Podrías…? / ¿Podría…? (usted) | The conditional is softer than ¿puedes…? |
| Would you mind…? | ¿Te importaría…? / ¿Le importaría…? (usted) | |
| Would it bother you if…? | ¿Te molesta si…? | ¿Te molesta si abro la ventana? |
| I wanted to ask you a favour | Quería pedirte un favor. / …pedirle… (usted) | The imperfect quería is softer than quiero |
| If it’s not too much trouble | Si no es mucha molestia. | |
| Whenever you can | Cuando puedas. | The same form with tú and vos |
| If you can | Si puedes. / Si podés. (vos) | |
| No pressure | Sin compromiso. / Si no puedes, no pasa nada. | |
| I hate to ask, but… | Me da pena pedírtelo, pero… (Mexico, Colombia) / Me sabe mal pedírtelo, pero… (Spain) / Me da cosa pedirte esto, pero… (Argentina) | |
| Do you think you could…? | ¿Será que me puedes…? (Colombia) / ¿Será que me podría…? (usted) |
Me da pena in Mexico and Colombia means “I feel embarrassed”. Me sabe mal in Spain means “I feel bad about it”. Me da cosa in Argentina is “I feel awkward”. People open a request with each of them the way English speakers open with “I hate to ask”.
¿Será que…? is a Colombian habit. ¿Será que me puedes ayudar con la maleta? is literally “will it be that you can help me with the suitcase?”, and it is a common soft way to ask in Colombia.
Porfa is the casual por favor in all four countries, in speech and in messages. Porfis is cuter and heard among young people in Mexico and Colombia.
Common favours
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Can you lend me…? | ¿Me prestas…? / ¿Me prestás…? (vos) / ¿Me presta…? (usted) | |
| Can I borrow your pen? | ¿Me prestas tu pluma? (Mexico) / ¿Me dejas tu boli? (Spain) / ¿Me presta el esfero? (Colombia) / ¿Me prestás la birome? (Argentina) | Four words for a pen |
| Can you give me a lift? | ¿Me das un aventón? (Mexico) / ¿Me acercas? (Spain) / ¿Me lleva? (Colombia) / ¿Me alcanzás? (Argentina) | |
| Can you water my plants? | ¿Me riegas las plantas? / ¿Me regás las plantas? (vos) | |
| Can you feed the cat? | ¿Le puedes dar de comer al gato? | |
| Can you pick up a parcel for me? | ¿Me recoges un paquete? / ¿Me recibís un paquete? (Argentina) | |
| Can you keep my place? | ¿Me guardas el sitio? (Spain) / ¿Me guardas el lugar? (Latin America) | In a queue or at a table |
| Can you watch my suitcase a moment? | ¿Me cuidas la maleta un momento? / ¿Me cuidás la valija un momento? (Argentina) | |
| Can you take a photo of us? | ¿Nos tomas una foto? / ¿Nos haces una foto? (Spain) / ¿Nos sacás una foto? (Argentina) | |
| Can you help me carry this? | ¿Me ayudas a cargar esto? / ¿Me ayudas a llevar esto? (Spain) | |
| Can you lend me some money? | ¿Me prestas dinero? / ¿Me prestás plata? (Argentina) / ¿Me presta plata? (Colombia) / ¿Me prestas lana? (Mexico, slang) | |
| Can you pass me the salt? | ¿Me pasas la sal? / ¿Me pasás la sal? (vos) | |
| Can you charge my phone? | ¿Me dejas cargar el celular? (Latin America) / ¿Me dejas cargar el móvil? (Spain) |
In Spain dejar also means “to lend”: ¿me dejas tu coche? is can I borrow your car. Prestar is understood everywhere and is the usual verb in Latin America.
¿Me regala…? in Colombia is the standard polite way to ask for something at a counter, ¿me regala un agua?, and you pay for it. Between friends it can also mean asking for something to keep.
You ask with the present tense: ¿me pasas la sal? is the normal way to ask, in every country. Using the imperative, pásame la sal, is fine among friends and family and brusque with strangers, except in Spain, where ponme and pásame are everyday.
Saying yes
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sure | Claro. / Sí, cómo no. | Claro. / Vale. | Claro. / Con gusto. / Sí, cómo no. | Dale. / Claro. |
| No problem | No hay bronca. / Sin problema. | Sin problema. / No hay problema. | Sin problema. / Listo. | Sin drama. / No hay problema. |
| Count on me | Cuenta conmigo. | Cuenta conmigo. | Cuente conmigo. (usted) | Contá conmigo. (vos) |
| With pleasure | Con mucho gusto. | Encantado / Encantada. | Con mucho gusto. | Con gusto. |
Listo in Colombia means “done, okay, agreed”, and you will hear it all day. Dale in Argentina and Colombia is “okay, go on”. Vale is Spain’s okay. Va is Mexico’s short okay, and Mexicans close plans with ¿va?, okay?
Saying no, politely
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I’m sorry, I can’t | Lo siento, no puedo. | Clear everywhere |
| I’d love to, but… | Me encantaría, pero… | |
| This time I can’t | Esta vez no puedo. | Leaves the door open |
| I have something that day | Justo ese día tengo algo. | |
| Let me check and I’ll tell you | Déjame ver y te digo. / Dejame ver y te aviso. (vos) | |
| I can’t, but I can… | No puedo, pero puedo… | Offer something smaller |
| I’ll let you know | Te aviso. / Ahí te aviso. (Mexico) |
Mexicans refuse indirectly. A flat no to a friend’s request is rare. People who say a ver si puedo, let’s see if I can, ahí te aviso, I’ll let you know, or lo intento, I’ll try, often mean no. If you need a real answer, ask a second time gently: ¿Entonces sí o no? Para organizarme. So is it yes or no? So I can plan.
Colombians are similar, with usted politeness on top. Qué pena, pero no puedo, “how embarrassing, but I can’t”, is the gentle refusal. Qué pena in Colombia is an apology.
Spaniards are more direct. No puedo, lo siento is not cold there, and nobody expects a long reason.
Argentines are in between. A reason is expected, and no me da el tiempo, I don’t have the time, is a common one.
Thanking
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanks a lot | Muchas gracias. / Mil gracias. | Muchas gracias. / Mil gracias. | Muchas gracias. / Qué pena con usted, mil gracias. | Muchas gracias. / Mil gracias. |
| I owe you one | Te debo una. / Te la debo. | Te debo una. | Le debo una. (usted) / Te debo una. | Te debo una. |
| You saved me | Me salvaste. | Me has salvado. | Me salvó. (usted) / Me salvaste. | Me salvaste. |
| You’re a star | Eres lo máximo. | Eres un sol. / Eres un crack. | Usted es un amor. | Sos un sol. / Sos un genio. / Sos un capo. |
Qué pena con usted in Colombia, “how embarrassing with you”, is said when someone has gone out of their way for you. It means “sorry for the trouble”.
No sé cómo agradecerte, I don’t know how to thank you, is the strongest form, for a big favour. You can say it in all four countries.
Muy amable, very kind of you, is the short thanks for a small favour from a stranger.
What you will hear back
| You will hear | It means |
|---|---|
| De nada. | You’re welcome. Everywhere |
| Para eso están los amigos. | That’s what friends are for |
| Hoy por ti, mañana por mí. | Today you, tomorrow me. The saying for trading favours |
| No es nada. | It’s nothing |
| Con mucho gusto. | With pleasure. The standard reply in Colombia |
| Para servirle. | At your service. Mexico, to a customer or a stranger |
| No hay de qué. | Don’t mention it |
| Ya me invitarás a una caña. (Spain) | You can buy me a beer sometime |
| Me debés una. (Argentina) | You owe me one |
Favours and the social ledger
Returning a favour matters in all four countries, and something small to eat or drink is a common way to do it.
Asking a stranger is normal for small things like directions, the time or a photo, in all four countries.
Money is different. Asking a friend for a loan is as delicate as in English. ¿Me puedes prestar cien pesos hasta el viernes? with a date attached is the normal way to make it easier.
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- ¿Me haces un favor? ¿Me cuidas la maleta un momento? Can you do me a favour? Can you watch my suitcase a moment?
- Quería pedirte un favor, si no es mucha molestia. I wanted to ask you a favour, if it’s not too much trouble.
- ¿Me echas la mano con esto? Can you give me a hand with this? (Mexico)
- ¿Me echas una mano con la mudanza? Can you give me a hand with the move? (Spain)
- ¿Será que me puede ayudar? Could you possibly help me? (Colombia)
- ¿Me hacés una gauchada? Can you do me a favour? (Argentina)
- ¿Me prestas tu cargador? Can I borrow your charger?
- Me encantaría, pero esta vez no puedo. I’d love to, but this time I can’t.
- Te debo una. Mil gracias. I owe you one. Thanks a million.
- Hoy por ti, mañana por mí. Today you, tomorrow me.
Questions people ask
How do you ask for a favour in Spanish? You can say ¿Me haces un favor? in Mexico, Spain and Colombia; in Argentina people say ¿me hacés un favor? with vos. With a stranger or an older person, use usted: ¿me hace un favor?
What is the difference between pedir and preguntar? Pedir is to ask for something: pedir un favor. Preguntar is to ask a question: preguntar la hora. A favour is always pedir.
What does “gauchada” mean? A favour, in Argentina and Uruguay. Hacer una gauchada is to do someone a favour.
What does “¿me colabora?” mean in Colombia? “Can you help me?” It is the everyday polite request, from a cashier asking for exact change to a stranger asking for directions.
How do you say “I owe you one”? Te debo una. In Mexico also te la debo.
Is “¿puedes…?” rude? No. ¿Puedes pasarme la sal? is polite. ¿Podrías…? is softer, for bigger favours or people you know less.
How do you say “can I borrow”? In Spanish you ask the other person to lend: ¿me prestas…? In Spain also ¿me dejas…?
Practise these words
favor, pedir, ayudar, prestar, dejar, molestar, deber, agradecer, amable, claro, gusto, avisar, pena. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page.