Is saying "Favor de hablar más despacio." unpolite?

Question

The above quote is from one of my Spanish phrase books. Does that sound like ordering someone to speak slower? An other one is from this book is "Favor de repetirlo." - repeat it, please. Many phrases in this book starts with "Favor..." versus por favor. Does it has anything to do with the book being published in the 'fifties'?

• impolite, not sure unpolite is a word. - qfreed Nov 2, 2009

Answer 1

Otra forma de "suavizar" la pregunta sería utilizando algún diminutivo, por ejemplo:

Another way to "smooth" the question could be using a diminutive, e.g.:

¿Podría hablar un poquito más lento, por favor?

Could you speak a little bit slower, please? ... (I hope the english translation was fine).

• Something I must make a note of! - Zoltán Nov 2, 2009
• The English was fine - nizhoni1 Nov 2, 2009
• Thanks! I will use this!! - acctsrcool Nov 2, 2009

Answer 2

I would say-

¿Puede hablar más lentamente?

Or

¿Puede hablar más despacio?

And it would be polite to add a por favor on the end.

Answer 3

Thank you for all your inputs, I will make a note of your suggestion in my book.

• Are you writing a book Zoltan? What is it about? - Nicole-B Nov 2, 2009

Answer 4

HI zoltan, favor is very frequently used in American countries and just as polite as por favor, more seldom used there. When I first saw: favor de...I thought the speaker was making a mistake, jeje

Favor

*hágame, o haz, o hazme, etc., el ~, o el ~ de algo. 1. exprs. U. para formular una petición cortés.

1. exprs. U. para mandar o exigir algo. Cállate, haz el favor.*

• Thanks for your input Heidita. - Zoltán Nov 2, 2009

Answer 5

I think it's OK but not natural...you hould say...más despacio, por favor (slower, please)

Answer 6

It translates to 'please speak more slowly'. Hmmmmmmm.......tricky. It is not unpolite, in my opinion but just sounds like something you would say in a firm manner, as if you were ordering someone. I just don't know...............

Answer 7

First of all, get a an updated language book, not something from 5-6 decades ago. Language evolves slightly over the years (moreso in vocabulary).

Anyway, the book is ****ed up. Favor de hablar más despacio is "favour of speaking slower". The verb is missing here, and also the "por favor" to make it extra polite.

in modern days you would prefferably say:

Me podría (usted) hablar más despacio, por favor? (tradicional Spanish)

podés hablarme más despacio ? (Argentinia, Urugay, etc)

podéis hablarme más despacio ? (Mexico).

puedes/puede hablar más lento ? (typical Canarian)

These would translate to "Could you (polite form) speak slower, please".

If you are in doubt of a forespoken sentence, just say:

Me lo repite más despacio, por favor ? (works ok for any Spanish speakin nation)

so there you are, of course it does not really matter which of these four you use, and the differences are very subtle, but it is the most common way I have heard people from different regions speaking.

[I´m a Spanish translator]

• I hear favor de all the time what you are talking about. - jeezzle Apr 3, 2010
• The verb is hablar. Favor de = please not favor of... Do you think por favor means for favor? - jeezzle Apr 3, 2010
• My moms machine: Favor de dejar un mensaje. Maybe you don't understand the construction of "favor de". It is extremely common.and not outdated. - jeezzle Apr 3, 2010