How to Say ‘Hi, is this seat free?’ in Mexican Spanish
Hola, ¿está libre este lugar?
OH-lah eh-STA LEE-breh ES-teh loo-GAR
[OH-lah eh-STA LEE-breh ES-teh loo-GAR]
🇲🇽 In Mexico: At a bar, this is a normal polite opener before sitting down. In Mexico, asking first reads as considerate, especially if you're approaching someone you don't know.
Phrase Breakdown
Hola
[OH-lah]
hello
A warm, polite greeting to begin talking to someone.
Con una sonrisa dije: «Hola, ¿está libre este lugar?».
With a smile I said, “Hello, is this spot free?”
está
[eh-STA]
is
From estar; used here to ask whether the spot is available.
Primero saludé y luego pregunté si está libre este lugar.
First I said hello and then asked if this spot is free.
libre
[LEE-breh]
free
Means available, not taken, or unoccupied.
Quería saber si libre estaba la silla en «Hola, ¿está libre este lugar?».
I wanted to know whether the chair was free in “Hello, is this spot free?”
este
[ES-teh]
this
Points to something close by, like a nearby seat.
En «Hola, ¿está libre este lugar?», este señala el asiento junto a la persona.
In “Hello, is this spot free?”, this points to the seat next to the person.
lugar
[loo-GAR]
place; spot; seat
A general word for a place, often meaning a seat in a social setting.
En el bar pregunté por un lugar diciendo: «Hola, ¿está libre este lugar?».
At the bar I asked about a spot by saying, “Hello, is this spot free?”
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