2. Minding your verbal manners

Question 1

3 of the best translations for polite:

Answer 1

cortés, amable, and pulido

Question 2

“courteous”

Answer 2

cortés

Question 3

“amiable/nice”

Answer 3

amable

Question 4

“polished”

Answer 4

pulido

Question 5

“She is a person who has good manners and is polite in dealing with others.”

Answer 5

Ella es una persona educada.

Question 6

Upbringing in general/manners in particular

Answer 6

educación

Question 7

when a person has decent manners, they are ___

Answer 7

educado.

Question 8

“Rude”

Answer 8

mal educado, sin educación, de poca educación.

Question 9

“Rude/foul mouthed”

Answer 9

grosero

Question 10

“He was very rude to us.”

Answer 10

Se portó muy grosero con nosotros.

Question 11

On being introduced to a person, you can say (in roughly descending order of frequency):

Answer 11

mucho gusto, tanto gusto, encantado

Question 12

What you say when you meet someone that you’ve been dying to meet:

Answer 12

muchísimo

Question 12

Greeting a person that you already know (descending order of formality):

Answer 12

¿Cómo está? or ¿Cómo está usted?/¿Cómo le va?/ ¿Qué tal?/ ¿Cómo estamos?/ ¿Cómo estás?/ ¿Qué hay de nuevo?/ ¿Qué pasó or Qué pasa (varies by country)?/ ¿Qué me cuentas? or Qué me dices?

Question 13

After being thanked, you can say:

Answer 13

por nada, de nada, no hay por que, no hay de que.

Question 14

Asking permission while asking someone to move over or let you by (decreasing order of formality):

Answer 14

1. con permiso, 2. ¿Me permite? 3. Perdón, 4. ¿Se puede?, 5. Com per’ 6. Hágase un poco para allá, por favor. 7. Abreme espacio or Abremebe cancha. 8. Hazte pa’llá

Question 15

alternative to ‘por favor’

Answer 15

si es tan amable

Question 16

A coffee, please

Answer 16

Un café, si es tan amable

Question 17

“Coming through!”

Answer 17

¡Golpe avisa!

Question 18

“Scoot over a little” (with a friend) (hacer)

Answer 18

Hazte pa’llá

Question 19

“Get out of the way” (with a stranger) (hacer)

Answer 19

Hazte pa’llá

Question 20

Asking permission when someone is CLEARLY in the way (ironically) (permitir)

Answer 20

¿Me permite?

Question 21

Asking to see something in a store (poder)

Answer 21

¿Se puede? (if it’s obvious) or ¿Se puede ver?

Question 22

“Make yourself at home”

Answer 22

Está usted en su casa

Question 23

“bring me a coffee?” (traer)

Answer 23

¿Me trae un café, por favor?

Question 24

Formal way: “bring me a cigar?” (permitir)

Answer 24

¿Me permite un cigarro?

Question 25

“Lend me your pen.”

Answer 25

Me prestas tu pluma.

Question 26

“Can I have your pen (forever?)”

Answer 26

¿Me regalas tu pluma?

Question 27

“Pass the ashtray over here, would ya?”

Answer 27

¿Me pasas el cenicero?

Question 28

Synonym for “prestar” (used colloquially):

Answer 28

pasar

Question 29

“May I have a cigarette?” (poder, tomar)

Answer 29

¿Puede tomar un cigarro?

Question 30

To ask for someone on the phone (more formal) (poder comunicar)

Answer 30

¿Me puede comunicar con el Sr.?

Question 31

To ask for someone on the phone (informal) (por ahí)

Answer 31

¿Ésta por ahí ____?

Question 32

“Speaking” when someone calls and asks for you:

Answer 32

Él habla

Question 33

When you need to interrupt someone that is talking (permitir)

Answer 33

¿Me permite un momento?

Question 34

When you pass by someone who is eating (if you know them) say:

Answer 34

provecho or buen provecho

Question 35

less formal departures say (cuidar, portar)

Answer 35

Cuídate and Pórtate bien

Question 36

If it’s nighttime and the person is presumably leaving to go home to sleep say (descansar)

Answer 36

Que descanses

Question 37

If someone says ‘hasta luego,’ reply:

Answer 37

Nos vemos.

Question 38

If someone says ‘nos vemos,: reply:

Answer 38

hasta luego