In this workshop you will practice polite Spanish questions for permission and small requests, plus the replies you are likely to hear. You will work with recorded lines such as asking to come in, asking to use a pen, asking someone to lend you a phone, and giving permission. The goal is to recognize the request, choose a suitable reply, and then recall both roles in the correct order.
Recognizing polite permission questions
A permission question asks whether an action is acceptable. In the recordings, one line means "May I come in?" «¿Puedo pasar?» and another means "May I use your pen?" «¿Puedo usar tu pluma?». A related request asks someone to lend you something: "Can you lend me your cell phone?" «¿Me prestas tu celular?». Notice that the first two ask about your own action, while the third asks another person to do something. When you hear these lines, listen for the polite opening and the action word. Your reply will depend on whether you are granting permission or making the request.
Giving permission and responding
A common way to give permission is the line that means "Sure, go ahead." «Claro, adelante.». In a longer exchange, the same idea appears with an offer to help: "Sure, go ahead. How can I help you?" «Claro, adelante. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?». Another recorded reply means "Yes, that's fine. Here you go." «Sí, está bien. Aquí tiene.», which fits when you hand something to the person. These replies are suitable when someone asks a polite permission question or makes a small request. If you are the person asking, you can begin with a greeting and then the request, as in the recorded line that means "Good morning, may I come in?" «Buenos días, ¿puedo pasar?».
Keeping roles and order clear
In a real exchange, one person asks and the other replies. The recorded dialogue shows this order: first the greeting and permission question «Buenos días, ¿puedo pasar?», then the reply and offer of help «Claro, adelante. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?». A second request appears later: "Can you lend me your pen for a moment?" «¿Me presta su pluma un momento?», followed by the reply "Yes, that's fine. Here you go." «Sí, está bien. Aquí tiene.». When you practice, keep the same order: request first, reply second. If you swap roles, you change who reads each part, but the question still comes before the reply. This helps you learn both asking and answering without mixing them up.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Puedo pasar?
May I come in?
PWEH-doh pah-SAR
¿Puedo usar tu pluma?
May I use your pen?
PWEH-doh oo-SAR too PLOO-mah
¿Me prestas tu celular?
Can you lend me your cell phone?
meh PRES-tahs too seh-loo-LAR
Claro, adelante.
Sure, go ahead.
KLAH-roh ah-deh-LAHN-teh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buenos días, ¿puedo pasar?
Good morning, may I come in?Claro, adelante. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?
Sure, go ahead. How can I help you?¿Me presta su pluma un momento?
Can you lend me your pen for a moment?Sí, está bien. Aquí tiene.
Yes, that's fine. Here you go.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided permission exchange
You are at an office door in the morning. Person A wants to enter. Person B is already inside and can give permission.
Your task: Read the exchange aloud with a partner or with the audio. Person A says the recorded line that means "Good morning, may I come in?" «Buenos días, ¿puedo pasar?». Person B replies with the recorded line that means "Sure, go ahead. How can I help you?" «Claro, adelante. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?». Then switch roles and repeat, keeping the same order: greeting and request first, reply second.
Choose the suitable reply
Person A asks to borrow a pen for a moment. Person B has a pen and is willing to lend it.
Your task: Person A says the recorded line that means "Can you lend me your pen for a moment?" «¿Me presta su pluma un momento?». Person B must choose the recorded reply that means "Yes, that's fine. Here you go." «Sí, está bien. Aquí tiene.» and say it aloud. Then swap roles and repeat. Do not use a reply that only gives permission without handing something over.
Recall both roles in order
You will recall a short exchange without reading. One person asks to use a pen, and the other gives permission.
Your task: With a partner, perform the exchange from memory. Person A says the recorded line that means "May I use your pen?" «¿Puedo usar tu pluma?». Person B says the recorded line that means "Sure, go ahead." «Claro, adelante.». Then switch roles and repeat. Keep the request first and the reply second each time.
Common questions
What is the difference between asking "May I come in?" and asking someone to lend me a phone?
The first asks permission for your own action: you want to enter. The recorded line «¿Puedo pasar?» shows this. The second asks another person to do something for you: "Can you lend me your cell phone?" «¿Me prestas tu celular?». Both are polite, but the reply may differ because one is about entering and the other is about handing something over.
Can I practice these lines alone if I do not have a partner?
Yes. You can say both roles yourself. Say the request line first, then pause and say the reply line. For example, use the recorded request «¿Me presta su pluma un momento?» and then the recorded reply «Sí, está bien. Aquí tiene.». Check yourself by keeping the request before the reply and by matching the reply to the request.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: asking for permission with canChecked September 2026
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