Por favor and the imperative
Hello:
Our translation company says that while saying "please" in English imperatives is commonplace, it is not customary in Spanish. Therefore, they do not include it in translations. One of our Hispanic directors said, "Hey, we are polite, too! Please insert 'por favor.'" Including "por favor" is clearly not an objective-type error, but I would like the community to way in on whether its inclusion sounds awkward or obsequious.
Examples: Please consult the guide... [Por favor] Consulte la guía...
Thank you!
3 Answers
Using your example:
If it is spoken, it´s common to say: Consulte la guia por favor.
If it is written as an announcement, it´s common to write: Favor de consultar la guia. This is more formal as well.
I read somewhere that in some part of Latin America at some time in the past Anglos were laughingly called "por favores" because they always appended "por favor" to requests whereas native Spanish speakers knew how to use the subjunctive to temper their requests. I can't find this now and don't remember any of the details, but I do remember reading it while Hubby and I were in Ecuador this past spring.
According to the Panhispánico:
- favor de. En amplias zonas de América se emplea la expresión favor de seguida de infinitivo para hacer una petición cortés: «Favor de no tirar sobre el pianista» (Melo Notas [Méx. 1990]). Esta expresión no es sino una fórmula abreviada de oraciones exhortativas con el verbo hacer, como haga(n) el favor de.
