Requesting a Copy of a Stamped Document | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Podría darme una copia de este documento?

   Could I get a copy of this document?

   Podría

   could; would it be possible

   darme

   give me

   copia

   copy

   este

   this

   documento

   document

   More detail

   Podría is the conditional form of poder for first- or third-person singular; the form itself is the same for both. In this question, it makes the request tentative and polite. A useful contrast is puedo (“can I?”), the present-tense form, which is generally more direct. The exact person understood for the request comes from the construction and context, not from podría alone. darme combines the infinitive dar (“to give”) with the attached pronoun me (“me”): dar + me → darme. With an infinitive, this object pronoun is written attached. Example: ¿Puede darme la llave? means “Can you give me the key?” copia is a feminine singular noun meaning “copy.” Its plural is copias. In una copia, una agrees with the noun in the singular feminine form; it introduces the requested item rather than independently emphasizing a numerical count. este is the masculine singular demonstrative “this.” It agrees with documento in este documento. The feminine singular counterpart is esta, as in esta copia (“this copy”). documento is a masculine singular noun meaning “document.” Its plural is documentos; the corresponding plural demonstrative is estos, as in estos documentos (“these documents”). Together, darme una copia expresses obtaining a copy by asking for someone to give it to the speaker, while de este documento identifies the source document. The whole question, ¿Podría darme una copia de este documento?, has the fixed meaning “Could I get a copy of this document?”

2. Necesito ver el original primero.

   I need to see the original first.

   Necesito

   I need

   ver

   to see

   el original

   the original

   primero

   first

   More detail

   Necesito comes from necesitar (“to need”). It is the present-tense first-person singular form: necesito = “I need.” A useful pattern is necesito + infinitive: Necesito descansar. = “I need to rest.” ver is the infinitive “to see.” After necesito, the second verb stays in the infinitive rather than taking a person ending. Its present first-person form is veo, as in Veo el documento. = “I see the document.” el original means “the original.” Here original functions as a noun referring to the original item or document; the sentence does not specify more precisely what that item is. El is masculine singular and agrees with this substantivized use. As an adjective, original can also describe a noun: el documento original = “the original document.” primero means “first” here and modifies the action ver, so it is an adverb of sequence: the speaker needs to see the original before doing something else. Do not confuse this use with the adjective primero/primera, which describes a noun, as in el primer paso = “the first step.” Together, Necesito ver expresses “I need to see,” el original identifies what the speaker needs to see, and primero places that action first. The complete meaning is: “I need to see the original first.”

3. ¿Debo llenar un formulario de solicitud?

   Should I fill out a request form?

   Debo

   I should / must

   llenar

   fill out

   formulario

   form

   solicitud

   request

   More detail

   Debo is the first-person singular present form of deber: debo, “I should/must.” With an infinitive, deber + infinitive expresses what the speaker ought to or needs to do. In this question, the speaker asks whether filling out the form is required or appropriate for them. Compare debes llenar (“you should/must fill out”) and debe llenar (“he/she or you [formal] should/must fill out”); the subject changes the form of deber. Llenar is an infinitive meaning “to fill out” here. After debo, the second verb remains in the infinitive: debo llenar = “I should/must fill out.” Example: Debo llamar mañana. — “I should/must call tomorrow.” The same verb can also mean “to fill” in other contexts, but here the object is a form, so “fill out” is the relevant meaning. Formulario is a masculine singular noun meaning “form.” The indefinite article un agrees with it: un formulario. Here, the article introduces a non-specific form; it does not by itself assert a particular numeric count. Example: Necesito un formulario. — “I need a form.” Solicitud is a feminine singular noun meaning “request” here. In formulario de solicitud, de links the two nouns: the form is associated with a request, giving “request form.” Solicitud can refer to an application in other contexts, but “request” is the meaning supported here. Together, ¿Debo llenar un formulario de solicitud? uses the pattern ¿deber + infinitive + noun phrase? to ask whether the speaker should or must perform the action. Llenar un formulario de solicitud means “fill out a request form,” so the complete utterance is: “Should I fill out a request form?”

4. Por favor, complete el formulario.

   Please complete the form.

   Por favor

   please

   complete

   complete

   formulario

   form

   More detail

   Por favor is a polite request marker meaning “please.” It softens the command but does not change who the command addresses. complete is the affirmative command form of completar for one usted listener. The verb means “to complete” or “to fill out” when the object is a form. Compare completa for an affirmative command to one tú listener. Example: Complete la solicitud. — “Please complete the application.” formulario means “form.” It is a masculine noun, so the singular definite article is el: el formulario. Its plural is los formularios. In this sentence, formulario refers to the form being requested, without adding a more specific type than the sentence states. Together, Por favor + complete + el formulario means “Please complete the form.” The polite marker comes first, followed by the formal singular command and its direct object.

5. Entonces puedo hacer la copia.

   Then I can make the copy.

   Entonces

   Then

   puedo

   I can

   hacer

   to make; to do

   copia

   copy

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here: it connects this utterance to what was said previously and presents the action as a consequence or next step. Example: Entonces, empezamos. — “Then, we’ll start.” puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder, “to be able to” or “can.” In this sentence, it expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility: “I can.” The pattern puedo + infinitive is reusable: Puedo esperar. — “I can wait.” The form puedo identifies the speaker; it is not the same as puede, used with él, ella, or usted. hacer is the infinitive “to make” or “to do.” After puedo, Spanish uses an infinitive: puedo hacer = “I can make.” In this sentence, hacer refers to producing the copy, not to a general unspecified activity. Example: Quiero hacer una copia. — “I want to make a copy.” copia is a feminine singular noun meaning “copy.” Its article is la: la copia. The noun is singular in the fixed sentence, and copias is its plural form. Example: Necesito dos copias. — “I need two copies.” Together, Entonces marks the action as the next step, puedo expresses the speaker’s ability, hacer supplies the action in the infinitive, and la copia identifies the object. The whole utterance means: “Then I can make the copy.”

6. Solo necesito la página con el sello.

   I only need the page with the stamp.

   Solo

   only

   necesito

   I need

   página

   page

   sello

   stamp

   More detail

   Solo limits the need to one thing: the speaker needs the page with the stamp, and not additional items. It does not mean that the page is being replaced or excluded. In current Spanish spelling, solo is commonly written without an accent in this meaning. necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar ("to need"). The ending -o identifies the speaker as the subject here. Example: Necesito ayuda. — “I need help.” página means “page.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by the article la; its plural is páginas, as in las páginas (“the pages”). The accent mark is part of the spelling and indicates the stressed syllable. sello means “stamp” here. It is a masculine noun, so the phrase uses el sello when the noun is stated with a definite article. Its plural is sellos (“stamps”). The unselected words connect the selected ones: la página means “the page,” and con el sello means “with the stamp.” Spanish con introduces something accompanying or associated with a noun. Together, la página con el sello means “the page with the stamp.” The full utterance is therefore Solo necesito la página con el sello. — “I only need the page with the stamp.”

7. Copiaré esa página y mantendré juntas las demás páginas.

   I will copy that page and keep the other pages together.

   Copiaré

   I will copy

   esa

   that

   página

   page

   mantendré

   I will keep

   juntas

   together

   demás

   other; remaining

   páginas

   pages

   More detail

   Copiaré is the first-person singular future of copiar: copiar → copiaré. The ending -é shows “I” in the simple future, and the accent is part of this form. Example: Mañana copiaré el documento. — “Tomorrow I will copy the document.” Esa is the feminine singular demonstrative “that,” agreeing with página. The useful contrast is esta “this” and aquella “that one over there”; the choice depends on the speaker’s distance or discourse perspective. Here, esa página identifies the page intended by the fixed translation. Página means “page.” It is a feminine singular noun, so the phrase uses esa, not the masculine singular form ese. Its plural is páginas: una página → unas páginas. Mantendré is the first-person singular future of mantener: mantener → mantendré. This verb has an irregular future stem mantendr-, rather than simply adding the ending to the full infinitive. In this sentence it means “I will keep” or “I will maintain.” Example: Mantendré la puerta abierta. — “I will keep the door open.” Juntas means “together” in this use, describing the pages as being kept together. It is the feminine plural form of the adjective junto: junto, junta, juntos, juntas. The feminine plural form agrees with páginas, the thing being kept together. Demás means “other” or “remaining” here. In las demás páginas, it refers to the pages other than the page identified as esa página. Demás is invariant for gender and number; the definite article and the noun show the phrase’s gender and number. Example: Los demás documentos están aquí. — “The other documents are here.” Páginas is the plural of página, meaning “pages.” The plural ending -s triggers plural agreement in las and juntas in this sentence. Together, Copiaré esa página means “I will copy that page.” Y joins a second coordinated action: mantendré juntas las demás páginas means “I will keep the other pages together.” Thus the whole utterance says: “I will copy that page and keep the other pages together.”

8. Por favor, trate el original con cuidado.

   Please handle the original carefully.

   Por favor

   please

   trate

   handle; treat

   el original

   the original

   con cuidado

   carefully

   More detail

   Por favor is a polite request marker meaning “please.” It does not itself specify who must act; the verb form supplies that information. trate is the affirmative command form of tratar for usted singular. Here tratar means “to handle” or “to treat” something in a particular way. This is not the tú command: the corresponding affirmative tú form is trata. Example: Trate la carta con cuidado. — “Handle the letter carefully.” el original means “the original,” referring here to the original item or document being handled. original is a noun used substantively, with the masculine singular article el; its form is distinct from the plural los originales. The article identifies the grammatical gender and number of this noun phrase, not a numerical count of items beyond the singular form. con cuidado is a manner phrase meaning “carefully,” literally expressing action carried out “with care.” cuidado is a masculine singular noun. Example: Guarde el documento con cuidado. — “Store the document carefully.” Together, Por favor makes the request polite, trate el original asks a singular usted to handle the original, and con cuidado specifies the manner. The complete meaning is: “Please handle the original carefully.”

9. Devolveré todo junto.

   I will return everything together.

   Devolveré

   I will return

   todo

   everything

   junto

   together

   More detail

   Devolveré means “I will return” here. It is the first-person singular future form of devolver (“to return”): devolveré = I will return, devolverás = you will return, and devolverá = he, she, or usted will return. The ending -é marks the future and first-person singular subject, so a separate subject pronoun is unnecessary. Example: Devolveré el libro mañana. — “I will return the book tomorrow.” Todo means “everything” here. It is the masculine singular pronominal form referring to the complete set of things, without naming those things. With a specific noun, todo agrees with that noun: todo el material (“all the material”), toda la información (“all the information”), and todos los documentos (“all the documents”). Example: Lo revisaré todo. — “I will review everything.” Junto means “together” here. In todo junto, it is the masculine singular form of the adjective junto, agreeing with todo and presenting the things as a combined group. With plural nouns, the adjective agrees in number and grammatical gender: Los enviaré juntos. — “I will send them together”; Las enviaré juntas. — “I will send them together.” Together, Devolveré todo junto. means “I will return everything together.” The future verb places the return in the future, todo identifies the complete set of things being returned, and junto presents that set as a combined group.