Spanish Phrase
¿Me das un tenedor limpio?
Meaning
The speaker is politely asking someone to hand over a fork that is clean. It’s a typical request you might hear in a restaurant, at a family dinner, or any setting where utensils are shared.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need a clean fork and you are speaking informally (tú) to the person who can give it to you. It works well in casual dining situations, at home, or in a café where the staff address you with ‘tú’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Medasuntenedorlimpio?
Me (indirect object pronoun)
‘Me’ indicates that the action of the verb is directed toward the speaker, functioning as an indirect object.
Das (present of dar)
‘Das’ is the second‑person singular (tú) present form of ‘dar’ (to give). It is used for informal requests.
Un tenedor (indefinite article + noun)
‘Un’ is the masculine singular indefinite article; it pairs with ‘tenedor’ (fork).
Limpio (adjective after noun)
In Spanish, adjectives can follow the noun for emphasis or descriptiveness; here ‘limpio’ describes the fork.
Question marks
Spanish uses an opening (¿) and closing (?) question mark to frame a question.
🗨In Conversation
¿Me das un tenedor limpio?
Can you give me a clean fork?
Claro, aquí tienes.
Sure, here you go.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Me das un tenedor limpia?
The adjective must match the masculine noun ‘tenedor’, so use ‘limpio’.
¿Me das un limpio tenedor?
While adjectives can precede nouns, the natural order here is noun‑then‑adjective; ‘un tenedor limpio’ sounds more idiomatic.
¿Me das un tenedor limpio?
If you want a more formal tone, use ‘¿Podría darme…?’ instead of the informal ‘das’.
↔Alternatives
¿Podrías darme un tenedor limpio?
Could you give me a clean fork?
¿Me pasas un tenedor limpio?
Could you pass me a clean fork?
¿Me traes un tenedor limpio?
Will you bring me a clean fork?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries it’s common to ask for utensils with ‘dar’, ‘pasar’ or ‘traer’. Adding ‘por favor’ (e.g., ‘¿Me das un tenedor limpio, por favor?’) makes the request even more courteous. Remember that ‘tenedor’ is masculine, so the adjective must agree in gender (limpio, not limpia).