Una cola en el supermercado

Question

We all have been there at some stage.

If you want to purchase just one or two items in a supermarket and the person in front has a trolley full.

Would it be ok to say

¿Te importaría si voy delante di tí.? ... Would it be ok if I went ahead of you.?

Hola, amigo..Good to see you! - rac1, Aug 9, 2013

Hola. - gringojrf, Aug 9, 2013

hi rac - aocroc, Aug 9, 2013

Answer 1

I would say: Discúlpame, ¿puedo pasar adelante de Ud?

That is how I would word the sentence. But Chileno is right. It is not very polite to ask this of a stranger. Although I think we all have done it at one time or another.

Thanks gringojrf, yes I agree , you have to make a judgement before asking. - aocroc, Aug 9, 2013

Simply the person might be in a rush and needs to get out of there asap... I was just making a joke... :) lol - chileno, Aug 9, 2013

Just to add, I think, for consistency sake, you should say me discúlpe instead of discúlpame. However, I have been know to be wrong about these things (please tell me if I am!) - Vida_de_Scott, Aug 9, 2013

Vida_de_Scot is right, you should not mix "tú" and "usted" conjugations. - -cae-, Aug 10, 2013

Answer 2

I suppose it would depend on the vibe you get from the person in front. I'm usually the one with the fullest cart/trolly, so I always let people go in front of me who only have a couple of things. Last time I was at our local Mexican grocery here in Vegas, I was annoyed at myself because I didn't yet know how to say, I have more than you. Go ahead. (Tengo más que tú/usted. Vaya por deleante.) I hope that's right, because I hope to use it next time I'm at the store. I just said it in English and let a lady go in front of me. The nice smile you get from people is worth waiting an extra minute or two to go through the line.

I think it would be ok to ask, if you ask politely. (Rule of thumb: I think if you would be willing to do it for for someone else, it's ok to ask them to do it for you.) I would ask, politely and a bit sheepishly, and not feel bad or be rude if they said no.

Thanks Findy for the reply Tengo más que tú , Vaya por delante... that was my next question!! - aocroc, Aug 9, 2013

tú anda vaya are a mix of "tú" and "usted". - -cae-, Aug 10, 2013

Answer 3

No it wouldn't, unless, of course, the person in question offers you to go ahead of him/her.

Sheesh!

"offers to let you go...." - gringojrf, Aug 9, 2013

He was just asking a question, chileno. No need to be a meanie. - Findy, Aug 9, 2013

I was asked and did not exactly understand what was said, hence the question . - aocroc, Aug 9, 2013

So one cannot joke about this, that's why I did the smilie.. :) - chileno, Aug 9, 2013

Ahh, I see, chileno. My bad. Your smilie doesn't show up. ;) - Findy, Aug 9, 2013

right....lol - chileno, Aug 10, 2013

Answer 4

Such request would be weird. I wouldn't ask anyone if I can go before in the line even if I have just a few products and the other person has one hundred. I think that no one would ask that in my country (except probably a pretty and daring girl), but if someone would do that, it would be very disturbing. So, I don't have any suggestion about how to say it.