Spanish Phrase
Por favor, espera un momento.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘Please wait a moment.’ It is a courteous way to ask someone to pause briefly while you finish something, retrieve information, or prepare a response.
When to use
Use it in everyday situations—on the phone, in a shop, at a restaurant, or any conversation where you need a short pause. It works both in informal (friends, colleagues) and semi‑formal contexts, as long as you keep the informal imperative ‘espera’. For formal settings switch to ‘espere’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Porfavor,esperaunmomento.
Por favor
A fixed expression meaning 'please', placed before or after the request to add politeness.
Imperative (tú) – espera
The verb 'esperar' in the informal second‑person singular imperative. Use 'espere' for formal situations.
Indefinite article + noun – un momento
‘Un’ is the masculine singular indefinite article; ‘momento’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘moment’.
🗨In Conversation
Por favor, espera un momento.
Please wait a moment.
Claro, dime en un segundo.
Sure, tell me in a second.
✕Common Mistakes
Por favor, esperas un momento.
‘Esperas’ is the present indicative (you wait). The request needs the imperative ‘espera’.
Por favor, espera un minutos.
‘Momento’ is singular; ‘minutos’ changes the meaning and sounds less natural in this set phrase.
Por favor, espere un momento.
‘Espere’ is formal; using it with the informal ‘por favor’ creates a register clash. Choose either fully informal or fully formal.
↔Alternatives
Espere un momento, por favor.
Please wait a moment.
Un momento, por favor.
One moment, please.
Dame un segundo, por favor.
Give me a second, please.
Cultural Tip
In Spanish‑speaking cultures politeness is expressed with ‘por favor’ and the appropriate level of formality. ‘Espera’ is informal; use ‘espere’ when speaking to strangers, elders, or in professional settings. Adding a brief pause after ‘por favor’ sounds more natural, e.g., ‘Por favor… espera un momento.’