When you’re traveling in Spanish-speaking countries, eating at restaurants, or navigating everyday situations, at some point you’ll need to ask for something. Fortunately, many useful phrases can help you get what you want, ranging from slang to universally used expressions.
While you might first think of ¿Puedo tener? to express “Can I have…?” in Spanish, more common variants include ¿Me das? for casual requests and ¿Me da? for formal situations. This guide will help you confidently learn how to say “Can I have…?” in Spanish no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
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Why asking “Can I have…?” in Spanish needs clarification
Just as you find in English, the Spanish language has a lot of nuance. In fact, most of the common questions in Spanish you could ask have a variety of words and phrases to convey a different meaning, depending on your situation. Sometimes you’ll need to use the verb tener, but other times, dar might be the best option. Find out 5 ways to ask “Can I have…” in Spanish so you can be clear in what you ask for.
¿Puedo tener?
“Have” in Spanish is most commonly expressed by the verb tener. When you combine it with poder (to be able to), you get ¿Puedo tener?, which is the most literal translation of “Can I have…?” in Spanish. While the translation is technically correct, it isn’t very common in everyday speech compared to ¿Me das?.
Here are some examples that show how it’s used, but it can sound less natural to native speakers than other common ways of asking for things.
- ¿Puedo tener algo para beber? = Can I have something to drink?
- ¿Puedo tener algo para comer? = Can I have something to eat?
¿Me das?
Dar, a frequently used irregular verb in Spanish, can indicate that you need something, in the sense of “could you hand over,” or “could you provide.” ¿Me das? is a common and versatile way to ask for things informally. It’s the best way to ask a cute local you meet at a coffee shop “Can I have your number?” in Spanish.
- ¿Me das tres kilos de cebollas, por favor? = Can I have three kilos of onions, please?
- ¿Me das tu número de teléfono? = Can I have your phone number?
To ask for someone to provide or hand over something in formal contexts, you’ll say ¿Me da?, which uses the usted form of dar. If you’re asking for an item that belongs to someone else, make sure to use the correct possessive “your” in Spanish.
- ¿Me da su recibo, por favor? = Can I have your receipt, please?
- ¿Me da su dirección de correo electrónico? = Can I have your email address?
¿Puedes darme?
Like ¿Me das?, the phrase ¿Puedes darme? can be used to ask everyday questions in Spanish that request an object or information from someone you address with tú. For example:
- ¿Puedes darme tu nombre otra vez? = Can I have your name again?
- ¿Puedes darme la contraseña de WiFi? = Can I have the WiFi password?
The choice between ¿Puedes darme? and ¿Puede darme? depends on who you’re talking to—whether you use usted or tú in Spanish. For formal requests, when speaking to someone you address with usted, you’ll use ¿Puede darme?
- ¿Puede darme el menú, señor? = Can I have the menu, sir?
- ¿Puede darme una factura? = Can I have an invoice?
¿Me traes?
Learning how to order food in Spanish is a useful skill to have. So, mastering the phrase ¿Me traes? will allow you to make informal requests in casual dining settings, from requesting a glass of water to asking “Can I have the check?” in Spanish.
- ¿Me traes la cuenta? = Can I have the check?
- ¿Me traes más pan? = Can I have more bread?
You can also conjugate traer in the usted form to ask “Can I have…?” in Spanish in more formal contexts.
- ¿Me trae un tenedor limpio, por favor? = Can I have a clean fork, please?
- ¿Me trae otra botella de agua, por favor? = Can I have another bottle of water, please?
¿Te encargo?
When visiting different Spanish-speaking countries, learning Spanish slang and regionalisms will help you sound more natural and authentic. For example, you can learn how to ask “Can I have…?” in Spanish specifically in Mexico to politely request an item.
- ¿Te encargo un café, por favor? = Can I have a coffee, please?
- ¿Te encargo unas tortillas? = Can I have some tortillas?
For even more ways to get what you want in different contexts, the Rosetta Stone App helps you master practical phrases and build confidence. Whether you’re shopping or dining, its on-the-go lessons make it easy to communicate your needs.
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