A clear boundary describes what you need and can leave room for another plan.

The idea

Say what you need or prefer, then offer an alternative you can genuinely accept. After a request for another person to act, use the subjunctive in prefiero que me preguntes.

Examples

  • Necesito descansar los domingos.I need to rest on Sundays.
  • Podemos vernos el sábado.We can meet on Saturday.
  • Prefiero que me preguntes antes de compartir mis fotos.I prefer that you ask me before sharing my photos.
  • No puedo prestarte dinero, pero puedo ayudarte a buscar otra solución.I cannot lend you money, but I can help you find another solution.
  • Necesito que respetes mi tiempo de trabajo.I need you to respect my work time.
  • Hoy no quiero hablar de eso; podemos dar un paseo.I do not want to talk about that today; we can go for a walk.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not use preguntas after prefiero que here: the request concerns someone else’s action.

Try it yourself

  1. Complete the request. Prefiero que me ___ antes de publicar la foto. (preguntes / preguntas)

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    preguntes

    preguntes follows the expression of preference about the other person’s action.

  2. Offer an alternative. No puedo salir hoy, pero ___ vernos mañana. (podemos / debemos)

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    podemos

    podemos offers a possible meeting tomorrow without imposing it.

  3. Express a need for more time. Necesito ___ tiempo para descansar. (más / menos)

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    más

    más specifies that additional rest time is needed.

Use it today

Tell a friend when you need quiet time and suggest another time to meet.