Spanish Phrase
¿Me traes unas papas fritas aparte?
Meaning
A polite, informal request asking someone to bring the speaker a portion of fries that are served separately from the main dish. The tone is friendly and typical of a casual dining setting.
When to use
Use this phrase in restaurants, cafés, or at a friend's house when you want a side of fries that isn’t mixed with other food. It works best with people you address as ‘tú’. For formal situations, switch to ‘¿Me trae…?’
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Metraesunaspapasfritasaparte?
Indirect object pronoun (Me)
‘Me’ indicates that the action of the verb is directed toward the speaker.
Present tense of traer (traes)
‘Traes’ is the second‑person singular (tú) present form of ‘traer’, used for informal requests.
Indefinite article (unas)
‘Unas’ is the feminine plural form of ‘un/una’, used before a plural noun to mean ‘some’.
Noun phrase (papas fritas)
‘Papas fritas’ means ‘fried potatoes’, i.e., French‑style fries.
Adverb (aparte)
‘Aparte’ means ‘separately’ or ‘on the side’, indicating a side order.
🗨In Conversation
¿Me traes unas papas fritas aparte?
Could you bring me some fries on the side?
Claro, en un momento.
Sure, in a moment.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Me trae unas papas fritas aparte?
‘Trae’ is third‑person singular; with ‘tú’ you need ‘traes’. Use ‘¿Me trae…?’ only with formal ‘usted’.
¿Me traes una papas fritas aparte?
The article must agree in gender and number with the noun; use ‘unas papas’ for plural.
¿Me traes unas papas fritas a parte?
‘Aparte’ is one word meaning ‘separately’; ‘a parte’ would be interpreted as ‘to part’.
↔Alternatives
¿Podrías traerme unas papas fritas aparte?
Could you bring me some fries on the side?
¿Me das papas fritas por separado?
Can you give me fries separately?
¿Me sirves papas fritas aparte?
Will you serve me fries on the side?
Cultural Tip
In most Latin American countries ‘papas fritas’ is the standard term for French‑style fries, while in Spain you’ll often hear ‘patatas fritas’. The word ‘aparte’ is commonly used in menus to indicate a side dish, so ordering ‘papas fritas aparte’ is perfectly natural. Remember to match the verb form to the level of formality: ‘traes’ for tú, ‘trae’ for usted.