Spanish Phrase
¿Te puedo molestar un momento?
Meaning
Literally, 'Can I bother you for a moment?' It is a courteous way to ask if you may interrupt someone briefly, often before asking a question or making a short request.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need a few seconds of someone's attention—e.g., before asking for directions, clarification, or a quick favor. It signals respect for the other person's time and gives them the chance to decline politely.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Tepuedomolestarunmomento?
Te (object pronoun)
The clitic pronoun 'te' refers to the person you are addressing and functions as the indirect object of the verb.
Poder (present, 1st person singular)
'Puedo' is the first‑person present form of poder, meaning 'I can' or 'I am able to'.
Molestar (infinitive)
The infinitive 'molestar' means 'to bother' or 'to disturb'. When combined with poder, it creates a polite request.
Un momento (time expression)
'Un momento' literally means 'one moment' and is used to ask for a brief amount of time.
Question marks
Spanish uses an opening (¿) and closing (?) question mark for all interrogative sentences.
🗨In Conversation
¿Te puedo molestar un momento?
Can I bother you for a moment?
Claro, dime.
Sure, go ahead.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Puedes molestarme un momento?
Using 'puedes' changes the subject to 'you' (Can you bother me?), which is the opposite of the intended polite request.
¿Te puedo molestar a ti un momento?
The preposition 'a' is unnecessary because the clitic pronoun 'te' already marks the indirect object.
¿Te puedo molestar momento?
Missing the article 'un' makes the phrase sound incomplete; the time expression must be 'un momento'.
↔Alternatives
¿Te importaría si te interrumpo un momento?
Would you mind if I interrupt you for a moment?
¿Puedo robarte un minuto?
May I steal a minute of your time?
Disculpa, ¿tienes un momento?
Excuse me, do you have a moment?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, directly asking '¿Puedo molestarte?' is considered very polite because it acknowledges the other person's personal space. However, in informal settings among friends, speakers often drop the '¿' and say '¿Molesto?' or simply '¿Un momento?'. Also note that 'molestar' can sound stronger than 'interrumpir', so choose the verb based on how formal you want to sound.