Checkout time
In hotels, there is usually a "checkout time," meaning the time at which you must depart your room on the next day, or be billed for another additional day at the hotel.
So how does one on checking into the hotel, ask the desk clerk "What time is checkout time tomorrow"?
Muy agradecidos a todos por qualquier informacion con respecto a esta cuestion.
18 Answers
lazarus1907 said:
paseloquepase said:
It appears that scapeuse's response is the most reasonable and accurate.
Last night I spoke to an uncle of mine from Spain, who speaks French, Latin and Greek, but not English (he's got a Phd in philosophy). He didn't know what a checkout was, and I laughed when he told me. Supposedly, everybody is learning English nowadays and you can talk to them in English, and hopefully they'll understand you, but if you want to speak Spanish, and you say "Where is the toilet, please'", you'll probably be understood, and they'll point you to the toilet. Excellent Spanish! What a success! Hold on, that's not Spanish. How is it possible? What happened is that the Spanish natives people will understand some English, they won't correct you, and you'll get away with it thinking that it is Spanish. Also, most Spanish native have an inferiority complex when it comes to languages, and they always think that if it is English, it is better than Spanish. So, why bother learning Spanish anyway? Better news than scapeuce'! You can not only "checkout time" in Spanish , but also "what" an "is" to ask "What is the checkout time'" in Spanish! Modern Spanish doesn't get any easier, uh? Try it! They'll understand your "Spanish".
Ask "¿A qué hora hay que dejar la habitación'", and you'll be understood by 100% of Spanish natives, as it is Spanish; ask "¿Cuál es la checkout time'", and every now an then, you'll meet someone whose English is not good enough to understand you (surely this won't happen in 5 star hotels, but in rather smaller and cheaper ones). By the way, is it "el checkout time", or "la checkout time"? I cannot find this word in the dictionary. I wonder why.
Come on, lazarus1907!...you make a lot of noise with the use of "checkout" (I've never said "checkout time" ) as is in Spanish....I mentioned it because it is used so ....and because I feel it is not bad to show alternatives when people is interested to learn ...Have you ever heard about "anglicismos" ? Why spaniards use "beicon" ( the spanish representation of the sound of "bacon") instead of "tocino"...why they also use "disco stop" for stop sign ( in Latin America we use "disco pare")... I don't see those things as a sin. At last, to be polite is free...this is a friendly site ... if you disagree with someone's opinion let us know it in a civilized way.....please.
You can get worked up over it if you want, but good luck on putting a stop to words crossing the border and finding their way into languages. in Mexico and Texas and California Where I've spent most of my time, people drive carros and when they don't stop so well, they get the breques(not sure of the spelling here, you don't usually see it written) worked on. If checkout has made the jump as well, I don't really think there's much you can do about it...or that you need to do about it. It's just another way to say something.
Natasha said:
All right, I would like to know what some other people on this site have actually encountered (and please, specify, what country). After all, a lot of you out there have done a lot of traveling!
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Natasha said:
All right, I would like to know what some other people on this site have actually encountered (and please, specify, what country). After all, a lot of you out there have done a lot of traveling!
I've almost always said it (entirely) in their language (when I could) or in English. The only exception that I can think of was while in Greece, when I used French (which, at the time, was the official 2nd language).
All right, I would like to know what some other people on this site have actually encountered (and please, specify, what country). After all, a lot of you out there have done a lot of traveling!
paseloquepase said:
If you ask the hotel desk clerk: "A que hora hay que dejar la habitacíon'" He or she will probably say (in Spanish): "Whenever you want to." ("En cualquier momento que deseas.") No?
Yes, and if you ask "What is the checkout time'", another smart''' could say to you: "The time at which you check out", hehe. If they answer that to you, ask for the complaint book, and they won't try to be so funny next time.
How do you do? - How do I do... what?
Thanks - You are welcome - Welcome... where?
Please, people interpret words in context, not literally. They should know what do you mean by "what time do I have to leave the room in the morning".
If you ask the hotel desk clerk: "A que hora hay que dejar la habitacíon'" He or she will probably say (in Spanish): "Whenever you want to." ("En cualquier momento que deseas.") No'
Natasha said:
paseloquepase, please notice that Lazarus is from Spain and he is not only a native speaker, but is also very knowledgable about the history of the Spanish language and variations in its use in different parts of the world.I am not about to jump into the middle of this controversy (it has been repeated, a million times, in one form or another, on this forum), but only point out that if you are traveling to Spain (as opposed to, say, Mexico), you had better know how to say it without the English loan word. Not so difficult, after all. First-year students know "dejar," "libre," and "habitación."
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paseloquepase, please notice that Lazarus is from Spain and he is not only a native speaker, but is also very knowledgable about the history of the Spanish language and variations in its use in different parts of the world.
I am not about to jump into the middle of this controversy (it has been repeated, a million times, in one form or another, on this forum), but only point out that if you are traveling to Spain (as opposed to, say, Mexico), you had better know how to say it without the English loan word. Not so difficult, after all. First-year students know "dejar," "libre," and "habitación."
paseloquepase said:
It appears that scapeuse's response is the most reasonable and accurate.
Last night I spoke to an uncle of mine from Spain, who speaks French, Latin and Greek, but not English (he's got a Phd in philosophy). He didn't know what a checkout was, and I laughed when he told me. Supposedly, everybody is learning English nowadays and you can talk to them in English, and hopefully they'll understand you, but if you want to speak Spanish, and you say "Where is the toilet, please'", you'll probably be understood, and they'll point you to the toilet. Excellent Spanish! What a success! Hold on, that's not Spanish. How is it possible? What happened is that the Spanish natives people will understand some English, they won't correct you, and you'll get away with it thinking that it is Spanish. Also, most Spanish native have an inferiority complex when it comes to languages, and they always think that if it is English, it is better than Spanish. So, why bother learning Spanish anyway? Better news than scapeuce'! You can not only "checkout time" in Spanish , but also "what" an "is" to ask "What is the checkout time'" in Spanish! Modern Spanish doesn't get any easier, uh? Try it! They'll understand your "Spanish".
Ask "¿A qué hora hay que dejar la habitación'", and you'll be understood by 100% of Spanish natives, as it is Spanish; ask "¿Cuál es la checkout time'", and every now an then, you'll meet someone whose English is not good enough to understand you (surely this won't happen in 5 star hotels, but in rather smaller and cheaper ones). By the way, is it "el checkout time", or "la checkout time"? I cannot find this word in the dictionary. I wonder why.
My thanks to everyone for the generous responses to my question. It's a useful phrase which is seemingly ignored even by everyday tourist-phrase, travel books.
It appears that scapeuse's response is the most reasonable and accurate. A response this morning from a commercial associate in Monterrey, NL (Mexico), tends to verify the answer of scapeuse. According to him, "checkout" is commonly and routinely used at hotels throughout Mexico and Central America.
Some say "checkout" is just another borrowed term from the language of English. Maybe so, but whatever works -- works as we say in my nation of Romania. (English is not my natural language, and I am learning to speak "serviceable" Spanish, which in many ways is similar to Romanian.
There are some Spanish teachers who will say Spanish shoul not borrow words from English. But although some of these Spanish teachers may be qualified as "fluent" in Spanish, they are often Anglos who do not command "natural fluency" of the language. There is a difference in being "fluent" and being naturally fluent in any language.
Otra vez, permiteme decirles muchismo gracias por su ayuda. Que les bayan bien!
scapeuce said:
Good news ! Check out is very used as is, in hotels in spanish countries, so do not be afraid to say "¿A que horas debo hacer check out mañana ? OR "¿A que horas hago checkout mañana'" ( I dont know the opinion of the Spanish Royal Academy about this, but it doesn't sound bad for ordinary people).
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lazarus1907 said:
They are the closest I could find. The thing is, I wouldn't ask "What is the checking time'" in Spanish, but "What time is the room supposed to be cleared'"
I have no doubts about your ability to handle the situation in Spanish (and without resorting to English loan words/expressions). My comment was only to point out that (in English) "checking time" is odd.
A desk clerk, hearing this, would assume that he misheard (or you misspoke) and that the intended phrase was "check-in time" (if he were influenced principally by the similarity in pronunciation) or "check-out time" (if he were simply considering the most likely situation). Except when making a reservation, "check-in time" is rarely mentioned.
scapeuce said:
Good news ! Check out is very used as is, in hotels in spanish countries, so do not be afraid to say "¿A que horas debo hacer check out mañana ? OR "¿A que horas hago checkout mañana'" ( I dont know the opinion of the Spanish Royal Academy about this, but it doesn't sound bad for ordinary people).
Good news? Funny!
I am an ordinary person, I don't belong to the Spanish Royal Academy, and to me it sounds stupid, sorry (and I guess the same to most of my friends and my family); coming from a foreigner, I'd understand that they pick those words if they don't know a better alternative, but coming from a native, I'd guess that he never went to school, or something. I guess we all speak the way we like, and we all have our own opinions, including myself. To me, that sentence sounds like "Has tomado tu breakfast esta morning'".
Good news ! Check out is very used as is, in hotels in spanish countries, so do not be afraid to say "¿A que horas debo hacer check out mañana ? OR "¿A que horas hago checkout mañana'" ( I dont know the opinion of the Spanish Royal Academy about this, but it doesn't sound bad for ordinary people).
samdie said:
Both of your examples are of (what in American English) we would call the "check out" time. There is, correspondingly a "check in" time but there's no such thing as a "checking time".
They are the closest I could find. The thing is, I wouldn't ask "What is the checking time'" in Spanish, but "What time is the room supposed to be cleared'". Different languages, different ways of expressing things. In Spanish we say "El gentilicio de Costa Rica es costarricense", and in English, most likely, something like "The name of the people from Costa Rica is Costarricense", or "The people from Costa Rica are called Costarricenses".
