Spanish Phrase
¿Me prestas un bolígrafo, porfa?
Meaning
A polite but informal way to ask someone to lend you a pen. The speaker uses the indirect object pronoun ‘me’ and the verb ‘prestar’ in the second‑person singular, ending with the slang ‘porfa’ to soften the request.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual settings—classrooms, offices, or among friends—when you need a pen for a short moment. Avoid it in formal or professional contexts where a more courteous form like ‘¿Podría prestarme un bolígrafo, por favor?’ would be appropriate.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Meprestasunbolígrafo,porfa?
Indirect object pronoun (Me)
‘Me’ indicates that the action of the verb is directed toward the speaker, i.e., ‘to me’.
Verb ‘prestar’ in present 2nd person singular
‘prestas’ is the present indicative form of ‘prestar’ for ‘tú’, used for a direct request.
Indefinite article ‘un’
‘un’ introduces a non‑specific noun; here it means ‘a pen’ rather than a particular one.
Colloquial ‘porfa’
Short for ‘por favor’, ‘porfa’ is informal and common among friends or peers.
🗨In Conversation
¿Me prestas un bolígrafo, porfa?
Can you lend me a pen, please?
Claro, aquí tienes.
Sure, here you go.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Me prestas el bolígrafo, porfa?
Using the definite article ‘el’ implies a specific pen that belongs to the listener; the phrase is usually about any pen, so ‘un’ is preferred.
¿Me prestas un bolígrafo, por favor?
The structure is correct, but mixing ‘porfa’ with the full ‘por favor’ defeats the informal tone; choose one or the other.
¿Te presto un bolígrafo?
‘Te’ flips the direction of the request; it would mean ‘I lend you a pen’, not ‘Can you lend me…’. Use ‘Me’ for a request.
↔Alternatives
¿Me puedes prestar un bolígrafo, por favor?
Could you lend me a pen, please?
¿Me prestas un bolígrafo?
Will you lend me a pen?
¿Podrías prestarme un bolígrafo, porfa?
Could you lend me a pen, please?
Cultural Tip
‘Porfa’ is a very informal contraction of ‘por favor’ and is widely used in Mexico, Spain, and many Latin‑American countries among peers. In a formal email or when speaking to a superior, stick with the full ‘por favor’ or a more formal construction like ‘¿Podría prestarme…?’ to avoid sounding overly casual.