How do you say, "Can you please clean that table please?"

Question

I work at a resturant and the bussers do not know very good english. How do I say in a nice way to clean a table?

I would say this- If you ever do use a translator, always double check it here in the forum. There are times where it does not give you an accurate translation. - NikkiLR, Aug 20, 2010

What la poetisa says is very true. - MacFadden, Aug 20, 2010

Answer 1

I find it more polite to ask, rather than to give an order with please:

¿Podría limpiar la mesa, por favor?

¿Sería tan amable de limpiar la mesa, por favor? (so kind as to...)

I suppose it depends on what country you are in. If in Spain then above is actually overly polite, in my experience, but I'm open to contradiction. - padraigcostello, Aug 20, 2010

Answer 2

I think this very topic came up just a few days ago, but in case you can't find it, I would say either "Por favor, levanten la mesa" or "Por favor, limpien la mesa."

And as MacFadden has suggested, you can find other ways to say the same thing using the translator - 005faa61, Aug 20, 2010

Even though you are being polite I think using the imperative is more natural here "limpia" tú form or "limpie" usted form for limpiar. Of course always use please and thank you. - padraigcostello, Aug 20, 2010

Answer 3

Hello, and welcome to the forum. We're glad you found us. This is a learning site and not a free translation service, though, so while we are happy to help you, we ask that you give the translation a try yourself. Then we'll provide any corrections and suggestions for improvement if necessary. If you need help, use the dictionary at the top of the page or the free translators on the main page. I've checked, and all the words in your sentence are in the dictionary. When you finish, just post your attempt here or edit your question to include it. Thanks.

Answer 4

I just want to add that a nice smile with "Limpien la mesa" will go a long way. Also Gracias, as well.