# faz favor/por favor



## jess oh seven

I have only recently taken up Portuguese, and in my studying I've come across both "faz favor" and "por favor" to mean "please". Having studied Spanish for a long time, I'm inclined to use "por favor", but I'd like to get it right! Could you tell me when each is used? I'm going to a language school in Lisbon in May and would like to at least have a knowledge of the basics before I get there! Obrigada!

Sorry this post is in English! I couldn't have written it in Portuguese if I'd tried!!


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## lampiao

the use of "faz favor" has the word "se" (if) implied at the begining: "Se faz favor" -> +/- = "if you please"
Both are correct.

To reply to your question, you could use either one, despite the situation.


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## jess oh seven

Muito obrigada 
I always forget that "se" means "if", due to the influence of Spanish....


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## Outsider

However, when people talk fast they do say just "faz favor", or very near that. "Por favor" is a little more formal than "(se) faz favor", but you can use either of them.


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## Heredianista

Hi, 

I am out of practice with Portuguese entirely. 

Do people not also say, "...faça favor de..." ?

Here is my source: 

"If you are using Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 please be sure you are logged on as an administrator account when installing the game."  

And my intent:

"Se você roda no Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, faça favor de verificar que está  usando uma conta administrador* *ao instalar o jogo."

Does that work? 

Thank you so much for your time!

~H.


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## almufadado

jess oh seven said:


> I have only recently taken up Portuguese, and in my studying I've come across both "faz favor" and "por favor" to mean "please". Having studied Spanish for a long time, I'm inclined to use "por favor", but I'd like to get it right! Could you tell me when each is used? I'm going to a language school in Lisbon in May and would like to at least have a knowledge of the basics before I get there! Obrigada!
> 
> Sorry this post is in English! I couldn't have written it in Portuguese if I'd tried!!



A slight difference with the spanish pronunciation. In spanish one says "pôr fávor" and in portugal we say "pur fâvor". 

Also when talking directly to a person and asking to some sort of favour, one says:

- Por favor, podia-me dizer onde fica a escola de linguas ?

- Podia-me passar o sal, por favor !

- Olhe, se faz favor, o que quer dizer isto ?

- Se faz favor, aqui é que é a escola de linguas ?


Heredianista, 	 		about this
"Se você roda no Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, faça favor de verificar *se*  está  usando uma conta administradorao instalar  o jogo."

If you ask please for something to be checked that you do not know the outcome, you must include a "se" so it can either way, yes or no. 

In this case it more of a recommendation the user must be sure of:
"Se você roda no Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, certifique-se por favor *que*  está  usando uma conta administradorao instalar  o jogo."


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## Heredianista

Dear almufadado, 

Thank you SO much!!!

That's incredibly helpful. 

Best,
~H.


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## andre luis

My try:
"Se você roda no Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, certifique-se por favor *que* está usando uma conta de administrador ao instalar o jogo."


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## Vanda

... que esteja.... se está...de estar usando


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## Heredianista

Dear Vanda,

Great quotation you've got there!

Thank you very much. 

I appreciate you all for responding. 

It seems to me that perhaps "faça favor de" is not used that often. Is that true? Is it too formal? 

Or is it simply not appropriate *here*? 

I _really_ ought to have mentioned that I am writing for a Brazilian readership, here. 

Best regards,
~H.


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## anaczz

"Faça o favor de" sounds a bit authortarian, at least in Brazil.


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## Heredianista

Excellent to know. Thank you, anaczz!


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## Carfer

Heredianista said:


> Excellent to know. Thank you, anaczz!


 
In Portugal too. '_Faça_' is imperative, so no wonder it sounds authoritarian. There's a way of softening it a bit though: '_Faça-*me *o favor de..._'. Still imperative and formal, it sounds more like a request than '_Faça o favor de..._', which, in most cases, is actually a polite order.
Slightly less imperative than '_Faça'_ is '_Fará o favor de..._' or '_Far-me-á o favor de..._' (future) but, again, it's quite formal.


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## Heredianista

Fabulous.

Thank you all of you for these excellent clarifications.

Sincerely,
~H.


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## almufadado

Other forms to "soften" the request is to add :

possibility 
Se me fizer o favor de -> If you please can 
Se me fizesse o favor, eu agradecia -> if you could make this favor,

availability
Podia-me fazer o favor -> can/could you do me this favor
Há possibilidade de me fazer este favor -> Is there any chance you could ...

Using  "fazer um favor a alguém" as "to do somebody a  favor", that is by exchanging pleasantries or more.


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## Sonhadora

Aproveito para perguntar se "(se) faz favor" é tão usado no Brasil como em Portugal (sinónimo de "por favor")? Nunca ouvi dizer.


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## anaczz

Nāo. Essa forma (se faz favor) nāo é usada.
É mais provável ouvir:
Faz favor de...
Faz o favor de...
Por favor, ...
..., por favor.


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## Sonhadora

Obrigada!)


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## Bdazzle

I was in the Algarves last year and the waiter told me that por favor sounds like you’re begging. Faz favor is much more casual and normal way of asking


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## Carfer

Bdazzle said:


> I was in the Algarves last year and the waiter told me that por favor sounds like you’re begging. Faz favor is much more casual and normal way of asking



_'Por favor_' is slightly more formal in Portugal than '_faz favor_' (and then it depends on the person and circumstances, frequently there's no difference between them). As to sounding like you are begging, I agree if the way you say it takes the particular tone of begging, otherwise that makes no sense.


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