Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

So ........... 31 posts to arrive at:

Una cerveza por favor :rofl::rofl:

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

claro

you should have answered then:lol:

it would do for a tourist - but he wants to learn something:D

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

next question!!:thumbsup:

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

A good lesson in why you should NEVER NEVER NEVER use an online translator.

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

Lynnxa is an online translator :D

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

unless you have a reasonable knowledge already


but then I don't suppose you really need one

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:


I actually sat down to prepare next weeks group lessons


got a bit sidetracked..................................:o

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

What's the context there? I don't get it. Can he order me? What am I missing?

Also, even more polite "quisiera" or "querría".

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

Third person singular, he, she or Ud. Using Ud is always pretty safe, as it's polite.

As the OP is a beginner, Keep it Simple, is deffo best.

'A beer please', with a smile, is going to be understood and appreciated by anyone.

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

Bill I don't know what you are saying. If you say me pide to the waiter you are asking the waiter to ask you something.


BTW, do people in Cadiz really call a waiter usted?

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

me pide - roughly 'can you order for me?' - the pide is indeed in the usted

around here it depends on the restaurant (the usted) I tend to take my clue from the waiter/ess - but it is becoming more usual to use tú in which case - 'me pides'

pedir - to ask for or to order (as in place an order)

quisiera - over the top polite

querría or quería would be the most apropriate - a beginner would probably pronounce them the same in any case & either can be used in this situation

I suggested quería partly because it is apropriate & partly because it's the easier of the two to pronounce - most Brits have problems with rolling the 'rrrrrrrrrrrr'!

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

Hi, as far as I can see ‘puedo tener una Cetaveza’’ is perfectly acceptable. What you have to remember is that the British are a polite Nation. So to say ‘can I have a beer’ comes natural. Most Brits baulk at saying ‘give me a beer’ to strangers. The main thing is to be polite, there are to many uncouth Brits as it is.
Barry

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

yes - that would be a literal translation


but it isn't spanish

the spanish don't 'have' drinks, they 'take' them

in the same way as they don't 'have' or 'take' showers or baths - they shower or bath themselves

if you said 'voy a tener una ducha' - literally 'I'm going to have a shower' - you could well be asked 'donde?' - 'where?' - they really wouldn't know what you meant & would think you were having a new one installed



it's possible that you wouldn't actually be understood you said that 'Am I able to have a beer'

and anyway, why say more words than you need to?

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

Ditto Lynxxa. "Puedo tener una cerveza" doesn not mean "can I have a beer".

It means "Do I have your permission to have a beer?".

Re: Spanish Lessons!
 

or 'may I?

you try explaining the difference between 'may I' & 'can I' to a spaniard


come to think of it - try explaining it to a lots of native english speakers:ohmy: