Spanish Phrase
¿Puedes confirmar la fecha y la hora, por favor?
Meaning
This is a courteous way to ask someone to verify or repeat the scheduled date and time of an event, meeting, or appointment. The question format and the inclusion of ‘por favor’ make it polite and suitable for both spoken and written communication.
When to use
Use this phrase in business emails, phone calls, or face‑to‑face conversations when you need to double‑check the details of a planned activity. It works well in formal settings (e.g., with a client) as well as in semi‑formal contexts (e.g., with a colleague).
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Puedesconfirmarlafechaylahora,porfavor?
Poder (present)
‘Puedes’ is the second‑person singular present indicative of poder, used to ask if someone is able to do something.
Infinitive after poder
When poder is used to request, it is followed by an infinitive verb (here, ‘confirmar’).
Definite articles
Both ‘fecha’ (date) and ‘hora’ (time) are feminine nouns, so they take the article ‘la’.
Coordinating conjunction ‘y’
‘y’ links two noun phrases of the same grammatical type.
Polite formula ‘por favor’
Adding ‘por favor’ softens the request and is considered essential in formal or semi‑formal contexts.
🗨In Conversation
¿Puedes confirmar la fecha y la hora, por favor?
Can you confirm the date and the time, please?
Claro, la reunión es el 12 de mayo a las tres de la tarde.
Sure, the meeting is on May 12th at three p.m.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Puedes confirmar el fecha y la hora, por favor?
‘Fecha’ is feminine; the correct article is ‘la’.
¿Puedes confirmar la fecha y hora, por favor?
When listing two nouns, repeat the article for clarity: ‘la fecha y la hora’. Omitting the second article is common but less formal.
¿Puedes confirmar la fecha y la hora, porfavor?
‘Por favor’ is two separate words; writing it as one word is incorrect.
↔Alternatives
¿Podrías confirmar la fecha y la hora, por favor?
Could you confirm the date and the time, please?
¿Me confirmas la fecha y la hora, por favor?
Will you confirm the date and the time, please?
¿Serías tan amable de confirmar la fecha y la hora?
Would you be so kind as to confirm the date and the time?
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries, politeness is expressed not only through ‘por favor’ but also by choosing softer verbs like ‘podrías’ or ‘serías tan amable de…’. Using ‘¿Puedes…?’ is perfectly acceptable, but ‘¿Podrías…?’ adds an extra layer of courtesy, especially in formal business contexts. Also, remember that the order ‘fecha y hora’ is the standard; swapping them can sound a bit odd.