# Help with Spanish notice please



## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Can those Spanish speakers amongst you tell me if my Spanish is correct here?

I want to put a sign on our front door asking people to allow time for me to get to answer the door. If I am here alone, by the time I get there (up stairs) they have gone. Very frustrating.

I have written what I think it might be but do not want to show myself up if it is not correct. It will be underneath a picture of the international disabled sign (as you would see in a disabled car parking space).

Por favor déjame suficiente tiempo para abrir la puerta

Thanks
Carol


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Yours reads correctly or other options are ;

Por favor permítame bastante tiempo para abrir la puerta. ( please allow me enough time to open the door)
or this ;

Por favor permítame bastante tiempo para ponerse a la puerta. ( Please allow me enough time to get to the door.)


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## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

That's very good. 
But dont say "Por Favor" instead say "Ruego". If that's exactly how you wish to say it, I would rephrase it as:

Ruego me dejen el tiempo suficiente para abrir la puerta .


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Sonrisa said:


> That's very good.
> But dont say "Por Favor" instead say "Ruego". If that's exactly how you wish to say it, I would rephrase it as:
> 
> Ruego me dejen el tiempo suficiente para abrir la puerta .


That's interesting.

What is the difference between 'por favor' and 'ruego'? 

I am trying to improve my Spanish. When would one use 'ruego'?


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

DunWorkin said:


> That's interesting.
> 
> What is the difference between 'por favor' and 'ruego'?
> 
> I am trying to improve my Spanish. When would one use 'ruego'?


rogar = to beg

I was taught by a spaniard in Madrid to use 'rogar' in written spanish but not spoken. "se ruega no fumar" por ejemplo

That said I guess it may change regionally


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## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

Por Favor is more colloquial, you use it more when speaking rather than writting, and more importantly so, Ruego is used when writting business letters but also when putting up boards or signs. 
THere is nothing wrong with Por Favor as such , I have seen signs saying "Silencio Por Favor" instead of "Se ruega Silencio"... but it sounds more foreign and not so proper. Cant explain why.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

DunWorkin said:


> Can those Spanish speakers amongst you tell me if my Spanish is correct here?
> 
> I want to put a sign on our front door asking people to allow time for me to get to answer the door. If I am here alone, by the time I get there (up stairs) they have gone. Very frustrating.
> 
> ...


what a brilliant idea!!

I could do with one for my dad - & me on a bad day


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Just a thought, I appreciate you want folk to know why you are taking your time getting to the door but in this day and age when there are folk out there who aren't too honest, do you think it is wise to advertise you are disabled. 

My mum, (now deceased sadly) was disabled and couldnt get to the door quickly, however, we felt it unwise to advertise the fact so installed a security door camera. When the doorbell was pressed she could look on a small tv screen, we had one in the kitchen, her bedroom and living room to see who it was, she could also speak to them and tell them she was coming or no thank you if it was a salesman or the someone she didnt wish to see. On the internet they really are not that expensive and fitting them is childsplay, so perhaps you might give this some thought.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Are you sure it's a good idea to advertise to the outside world that this is where a disabled person lives...
It may be an idea to put smth like 
Can't always hear the bell at the back of the house. Please ring more than once and wait.

PS Dunworkin', your Spanish sounded fine - just not very Spanish if you know what I mean. Everone would have understood what you wanted to say, it just wasn't as a native speaker would have expressed it.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

JoCatalunya said:


> Just a thought, I appreciate you want folk to know why you are taking your time getting to the door but in this day and age when there are folk out there who aren't too honest, do you think it is wise to advertise you are disabled.
> 
> My mum, (now deceased sadly) was disabled and couldnt get to the door quickly, however, we felt it unwise to advertise the fact so installed a security door camera. When the doorbell was pressed she could look on a small tv screen, we had one in the kitchen, her bedroom and living room to see who it was, she could also speak to them and tell them she was coming or no thank you if it was a salesman or the someone she didnt wish to see. On the internet they really are not that expensive and fitting them is childsplay, so perhaps you might give this some thought.


I understand what you are saying but we live on a gated community so, in theory, the people that ring our bell are our neighbours. Although they know I cannot get to the door quickly they often forget. I climb the stairs, get to the door to find they have gone.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Are you sure it's a good idea to advertise to the outside world that this is where a disabled person lives...
> It may be an idea to put smth like
> Can't always hear the bell at the back of the house. Please ring more than once and wait.
> 
> PS Dunworkin', your Spanish sounded fine - just not very Spanish if you know what I mean. Everone would have understood what you wanted to say, it just wasn't as a native speaker would have expressed it.



I know what you mean about not sounding Spanish. I am at the stage where I can make myself understood but it still sounds like an English person speaking Spanish . I am trying to watch more TV to try and get it right. 

Unfortunately, my Spanish neighbours do not like to correct me. As long as they understand me they think that is ok.

I was at the doctors last week. The doctor understood what I was saying but I knew I was saying what you would say to a child rather than an adult (referred to bathroom visits )


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

DunWorkin said:


> I know what you mean about not sounding Spanish. I am at the stage where I can make myself understood but it still sounds like an English person speaking Spanish . I am trying to watch more TV to try and get it right.
> 
> Unfortunately, my Spanish neighbours do not like to correct me. As long as they understand me they think that is ok.
> 
> I was at the doctors last week. The doctor understood what I was saying but I knew I was saying what you would say to a child rather than an adult (referred to bathroom visits )


Please, seriously, what you said in the notice was good. And if you're managing to communicate with a doctor in Spanish - on any level - you're doing great!!!
It doesn' t matter if you sound like a child, or what you're saying is really simplistic. At this stage of the game you just want to be able to say something.
OK it IS frustrating not being able to express yourself on the same level as your native tongue, and unfortunately not everyone understands the effort that this takes. But I can't remember anyone, in all the time I've been here, laughing at me, because of a lack of language skills. Laughing yes, but not AT me.
I think frustration is just something you have to live with. You have to accept that frustration and try to use it to give you the impulse to learn more. And patience, ladled on and stirred in also helps. (Just had enormous bowl of strawberries and cream , hence imagery - really thinking of cream)


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Please, seriously, what you said in the notice was good. And if you're managing to communicate with a doctor in Spanish - on any level - you're doing great!!!
> It doesn' t matter if you sound like a child, or what you're saying is really simplistic. At this stage of the game you just want to be able to say something.
> OK it IS frustrating not being able to express yourself on the same level as your native tongue, and unfortunately not everyone understands the effort that this takes. But I can't remember anyone, in all the time I've been here, laughing at me, because of a lack of language skills. Laughing yes, but not AT me.
> I think frustration is just something you have to live with. You have to accept that frustration and try to use it to give you the impulse to learn more. And patience, ladled on and stirred in also helps. (Just had enormous bowl of strawberries and cream , hence imagery - really thinking of cream)


yes, it is frustrating

most of the adults I teach are mid 50s to 70s, and what I often say to them is that it took them over 50 years to get to the level of English that they have - & they might just get to that level of Spanish in the next 50 years!! -OK so I'm not completely serious, but you see what I mean - a year of an hour a week isn't going to make them fluent very quickly

Often when I give them homework I have to remind them to_ use what I have taught them,_ & they will be understood - rather than try to say something exactly as they would say it in English, because (i) it's probably said differently in Spanish anyway, & (ii) if they try to make it complicated then they have more chance of going wrong

the important thing is to _communicate_, and the finer points will come eventually


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> yes, it is frustrating
> 
> most of the adults I teach are mid 50s to 70s, and what I often say to them is that it took them over 50 years to get to the level of English that they have - & they might just get to that level of Spanish in the next 50 years!! -OK so I'm not completely serious, but you see what I mean - a year of an hour a week isn't going to make them fluent very quickly
> 
> ...


I do the same thing in my classes Xabiachica. I'm always amazed after 2 days of doing "Would you like bla bala bla" you get to the "free practice part" and they throw what they've learnt off pat out the window, and try to say something like "I was wondering if you'd be interested in bla bla bla" and of course come out with total rubbish :tongue1:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I do the same thing in my classes Xabiachica. I'm always amazed after 2 days of doing "Would you like bla bala bla" you get to the "free practice part" and they throw what they've learnt off pat out the window, and try to say something like "I was wondering if you'd be interested in bla bla bla" and of course come out with total rubbish :tongue1:


I'm so glad it's not just me:clap2:

and they always look so pleased with themselves - until you try to let them down gently that they are way off the mark..


oddly - the younger students seem not to do this - they 'get' that they can't run before they can walk, and gradually build on what they are learning


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

I do not profess to be proficient in Spanish, I have tried to learn, unfortunately I learnt what I know from language CD's because at the time I was in the middle east where there was no one to go to for lessons. However, that said, I can make myself understood and understand what is said to me, just as long as the person speaking does not go at it at warp 10. My problem is the fact that there are some here who refuse to speak Spanish to or with me, but insist on speaking Catalan. Now whilst I grasp I am in Catalunya and that they would like nothing more than to be seperate from Madrid etc. Fact is it is still part of Spain, so surely if I am at least making an effort to speak to them, not expecting them to speak to me in English a meeting half way is not so much to ask for. 

Or is it?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

JoCatalunya said:


> I do not profess to be proficient in Spanish, I have tried to learn, unfortunately I learnt what I know from language CD's because at the time I was in the middle east where there was no one to go to for lessons. However, that said, I can make myself understood and understand what is said to me, just as long as the person speaking does not go at it at warp 10. My problem is the fact that there are some here who refuse to speak Spanish to or with me, but insist on speaking Catalan. Now whilst I grasp I am in Catalunya and that they would like nothing more than to be seperate from Madrid etc. Fact is it is still part of Spain, so surely if I am at least making an effort to speak to them, not expecting them to speak to me in English a meeting half way is not so much to ask for.
> 
> Or is it?


I don't think so, but similar things happen here with Valenciano

the difference is that they might speak to you in Valenciano, but if you reply in Castellano, they will switch

I love it when the cashiers in the supermarket are chatting to each other in Valenciano & my girls butt in - in Valenciano - you should see the look on their faces!!

We're pretty well known here now, so it happens less often - though some who know my girls expect me to speak Valenciano too.............


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I am becoming reasonably fluent in Gaditano. All you have to do is make sure the various bits of your mouth never make sufficient contact with each other to form a consonant. Away0!


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