What does ¿Quién da la vez? mean?
Literally who gives the turn: it is what you ask on walking into a Spanish bakery or market stall where people wait spread around the shop rather than in a line. Someone answers Yo, you go after that person and watch only them; when the next customer asks, say out loud that you are the last.
How a Spanish queue works
- entrar Walk in and ask People are standing around the shop, not in a line. Say: Buenos días. ¿Quién da la vez? — or ¿Quién es el último?
- Yo Somebody answers A hand goes up, or someone says Yo. You go after that person.
- vigilar Watch one person You no longer need to watch the queue, only the person ahead of you. Look in the window, sit down for a moment.
- el último Answer the next one When the next customer comes in and asks, now you are the last: say so out loud. A silent last person is how it goes wrong.
- me toca Your turn The assistant asks ¿A quién le toca? Say Me toca a mí. If there is any doubt: ¿Iba usted antes?
- In a neighbourhood market or bakery there is often no straight line; people wait spread around the shop, and even so everybody knows whose turn it is.
- The question asked on walking in is ¿Quién da la vez? — literally who gives the turn — or ¿Quién es el último? Both are understood all over Spain.
- Tocar here means to be somebody's turn, not to touch: Me toca a mí. The same verb is used for winning the lottery.
- In Spain people say hacer cola even when no queue is visible; in much of Latin America the everyday phrase is hacer fila.
Buenos días. ¿Quién da la vez?Good morning. Who's last?
Alguien levanta la mano o contesta: "Yo".Somebody raises a hand or answers: "Me".
Me toca a mí.It's my turn.
Aun así, todo el mundo sabe a quién le toca.Even so, everybody knows whose turn it is.
More about Who's last? The queue without a line
- How do you keep your place in a Spanish queue if you step out?
- What happens if you push in a queue in Spain?
- Who's last? The queue without a line