Spanish Phrase
No, trae el tuyo, por favor.
Meaning
The speaker politely refuses to bring something themselves and asks the listener to bring their own item instead. The tone is courteous thanks to the inclusion of ‘por favor’. It can be used in situations where sharing or swapping items is expected.
When to use
Use this phrase when someone offers to bring something for you, but you prefer they bring their own version—e.g., at a potluck, a group study, or when borrowing equipment. It’s also handy in casual settings where you want to keep the interaction friendly.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Notraeeltuyoporfavor
Imperative (tú) of traer
‘trae’ is the affirmative command for ‘tú’, meaning ‘bring’. It drops the subject pronoun and uses the verb stem directly.
Possessive with article
‘el tuyo’ combines the definite article ‘el’ with the possessive pronoun ‘tuyo’, translating to ‘yours’ (the thing that belongs to you).
Polite phrase ‘por favor’
Adding ‘por favor’ softens commands, making them courteous. It literally means ‘for favor’ but functions like ‘please’.
Negation with ‘No’
Placing ‘No’ before the command negates the request, equivalent to ‘No, … please’ in English.
🗨In Conversation
¿Puedes traer una botella de agua?
Can you bring a bottle of water?
No, trae el tuyo, por favor.
No, bring yours, please.
✕Common Mistakes
No, traiga el tuyo, por favor.
‘Traiga’ is the formal (usted) imperative; using it with a friend sounds overly formal.
No, trae tu, por favor.
When the noun is omitted, you need the article ‘el’ before the possessive pronoun.
No, trae el tuyo, porfavor.
‘Por favor’ is two words; writing it as one is a spelling error.
↔Alternatives
No, lleva el tuyo, por favor.
No, take yours, please.
No, trae el tuyo, gracias.
No, bring yours, thanks.
Prefiero que traigas el tuyo, por favor.
I’d prefer you bring yours, please.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, adding ‘por favor’ after a command is considered essential for politeness, especially when refusing or redirecting a request. Also, the combination ‘el tuyo’ is more natural than just ‘tuyo’ when the noun is omitted, mirroring English ‘yours’.