Spanish for the Market: Asking to Weigh After Trimming
Learn polite Spanish phrases to ask market vendors to trim inedible parts before weighing, with practical examples for nopales and pineapple.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a market, you often pay for what goes on the scale. If you want the vendor to remove leaves, spines, or skin before weighing, you need a clear, polite request. This lesson teaches you how to ask for that in Spanish, using natural phrases that work across Latin America. You will practice with common items like nopales and pineapple, and learn how to specify what to remove. The focus is on speaking respectfully and being understood, not on memorizing long lists of produce.
By the end, you can…
- ask a vendor to weigh a product after cleaning or trimming it.
- specify which parts to remove, such as leaves or skin.
- respond politely when the vendor asks for clarification.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Puede pesar después de limpiar?
Can you weigh after cleaning?
PWEH-deh peh-SAR des-PWEHS deh leem-PYAR
Use this general request when you want the vendor to remove inedible parts before putting the item on the scale. It is polite and clear.
Quítele las hojas, por favor.
Remove the leaves, please.
KEE-teh-leh las OH-has, por fah-BOR
Use for leafy items like nopales or corn. The pronoun 'le' refers to the item. You can replace 'hojas' with other parts.
¿Me lo puede limpiar y pesar?
Can you clean it and weigh it for me?
meh loh PWEH-deh leem-PYAR ee peh-SAR
A combined request that is very common. 'Me' adds a friendly tone, implying you are asking for a favor.
Sin cáscara, por favor.
Without skin/peel, please.
seen KAS-kah-rah, por fah-BOR
Use for fruits like pineapple or melon. 'Cáscara' is the outer rind or peel. In some regions, 'piel' is used for thinner skins.
¿Cuánto pesa ya limpio?
How much does it weigh already cleaned?
KWAN-toh PEH-sah yah LEEM-pyoh
Ask this after the vendor has trimmed the item, to confirm the weight you will pay for.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern '¿Puede + infinitive + ...?' is a polite way to ask someone to do something. For example, '¿Puede pesar después de limpiar?' means 'Can you weigh after cleaning?' You can swap the infinitive: '¿Puede cortar?' (Can you cut?), '¿Puede quitar?' (Can you remove?). To specify the object, add it after the verb: '¿Puede quitarle las espinas?' (Can you remove the spines from it?). The pronoun 'le' often refers to the item you are buying. This structure is respectful and widely understood.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you are at a market stall and want to pay only for the edible portion. For example, with nopales, you might say 'Quítele las espinas y las hojas, por favor' (Remove the spines and leaves, please). For pineapple, '¿Me lo puede pelar y pesar?' (Can you peel it and weigh it for me?). Always start with a greeting like 'Buenos días' and end with 'gracias'. If the vendor seems busy, you can say 'Cuando pueda, ¿me lo limpia y pesa?' (When you can, could you clean and weigh it for me?). This shows consideration.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenos días, ¿me puede pesar estos nopales después de limpiarlos?
Good morning, can you weigh these nopales for me after cleaning them?BWEH-nos DEE-as, meh PWEH-deh peh-SAR ES-tos no-PAH-les des-PWEHS deh leem-PYAR-losClaro, ¿les quito todas las espinas y las hojas?
Sure, should I remove all the spines and leaves?KLAH-roh, les KEE-toh TOH-das las es-PEE-nas ee las OH-hasSí, por favor. Y también córteles las puntas.
Yes, please. And also cut off the ends.see, por fah-BOR. ee tam-BYEN KOR-teh-les las POON-tasListo, ya está limpio. Pesa medio kilo.
Done, it's clean now. It weighs half a kilo.LEES-toh, yah es-TAH LEEM-pyoh. PEH-sah MAY-dyoh KEE-lohA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American markets, vendors are accustomed to cleaning and trimming produce before weighing, but it is always polite to ask first. Using 'por favor' and a friendly tone is important. In some places, like Mexico, 'nopales' are commonly sold already cleaned, but you can still request extra trimming. Vocabulary for peels varies by region and by item: in much of Mexico and the Caribbean, 'cáscara' is the usual word for the rind of fruits like pineapple or melon, while 'piel' tends to be used for thinner skins, such as those on potatoes, tomatoes, or peaches. Usage is not uniform, though, so listen to the vendor and be flexible. Always listen to the vendor's response and be flexible.
One thing to watch for
Using 'pesar' without specifying that cleaning should happen first, then being surprised when the vendor weighs the whole item.
Try this instead: Be explicit: say '¿Puede limpiarlo y luego pesarlo?' (Can you clean it and then weigh it?) or 'Quítele las hojas antes de pesar' (Remove the leaves before weighing). This avoids confusion.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you ask a vendor to remove the leaves from nopales before weighing?
Show a sample answer
¿Puede quitarle las hojas y pesarlas después?
This uses the polite 'puede' and clearly states the order: remove leaves, then weigh. You could also say 'Quítele las hojas antes de pesar'.
2What phrase would you use to ask for a pineapple to be peeled and weighed?
Show a sample answer
¿Me lo puede pelar y pesar?
This combines both actions. 'Pelar' means to peel. You can also say 'Sin cáscara, por favor' if you want it without the rind.
3If the vendor asks '¿Así está bien?', what might you say to confirm they should trim more?
Show a sample answer
No, quítele las puntas también, por favor.
This politely asks for additional trimming. You could also say 'Un poco más, por favor' if you want more removed.
To get the weight you pay for, politely ask the vendor to clean or trim the item first. Use '¿Puede pesar después de limpiar?' and specify what to remove, like 'Quítele las hojas'. Always say 'por favor' and 'gracias'.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Spanish into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr