Spanish Phrase
¿Me das una caja para llevar?
Meaning
A polite request for a take‑out container, usually asked at a restaurant, café or fast‑food place when you want to keep the food for later. The speaker asks the listener (the staff) to give them a box that can be used to carry the food away.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’ve finished your meal and want the leftovers packed, or when you order something to eat later and need a container. It works in casual and semi‑formal settings, and the ‘¿Me das…?’ construction sounds friendly and slightly informal.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Medasunacajaparallevar?
Indirect object pronoun (Me)
‘Me’ replaces the person who receives the action, equivalent to ‘to me’ in English.
Present tense of dar (das)
‘Das’ is the second‑person singular (tú) present form of ‘dar’ meaning ‘you give’.
Indefinite article (una)
‘Una’ is the feminine singular indefinite article, matching the gender of ‘caja’.
Purpose clause with para + infinitive
‘Para llevar’ uses ‘para’ + infinitive to express purpose: ‘to take away’.
Question marks
Spanish uses an opening (¿) and closing (?) question mark for all questions.
🗨In Conversation
¿Me das una caja para llevar?
Can you give me a box to take away?
Claro, aquí tienes.
Sure, here you go.
✕Common Mistakes
Me das una caja llevar?
Missing the preposition ‘para’; ‘para llevar’ is needed to express purpose.
Me das una caja para llevar?
In Spanish a question must have opening and closing marks; add ‘¿’ at the start.
Dame una caja para llevar.
Using the imperative ‘Dame…’ is possible but less polite in a restaurant setting.
↔Alternatives
¿Me puedes dar una caja para llevar?
Could you give me a box to take away?
¿Podrías darme una caja para llevar?
Would you be able to give me a take‑out box?
Quisiera una caja para llevar, por favor.
I would like a box to take away, please.
¿Me das un envase para llevar?
Can you give me a container for take‑out?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries it’s common to ask for a ‘caja’ or ‘envase’ for leftovers. Some places may charge a small fee for the container, especially in tourist areas, so be prepared for that. Using the polite ‘¿Me das…?’ or ‘¿Me puedes dar…?’ shows respect and usually gets a friendly response.