Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): ¿Puede usted esperar afuera debido a un problema técnico? - Can you wait outside due to a technical problem?

It uses usted, which is the formal singular you in Latin America for polite or professional situations. Framing it as ¿Puede…? also sounds courteous.

Can I drop the pronoun usted?

Yes. Spanish usually omits subject pronouns. ¿Puede esperar afuera…? still implies usted because the verb is puede (3rd person singular). If you used puedes, that would be informal tú.

How can I make it even more polite or softer?

Use conditional podría, add por favor, and optionally a short time phrase:

¿Podría esperar afuera, por favor?
¿Podría esperar afuera un momento? Tenemos un problema técnico.

How do I say it to more than one person?

Use plural ustedes in Latin America:

¿Pueden esperar afuera…? (neutral polite)
¿Podrían esperar afuera…? (softer/more polite)

Is ¿Puede usted… the only correct word order?

No. All are acceptable:

¿Puede usted esperar…? (very standard in writing)
¿Puede esperar…? (common and natural)
¿Usted puede esperar…? (frequent in speech; a bit less formal-sounding)

Should I use afuera or fuera?

In Latin America, afuera is very common for outside. Fuera also means out/outside and is more common in Spain in this context. After a preposition meaning outside of, use fuera de (everywhere).

When do I use afuera vs afuera de or fuera de?

General outside: esperar afuera
Outside of a specific place: esperar afuera de la oficina or esperar fuera de la oficina. In Latin America, afuera de is widely used; fuera de is the standard option everywhere.

Is debido a the best way to say because of here?

Debido a is clear and somewhat formal, good for announcements. Alternatives:

por: …por un problema técnico (very common and natural)
a causa de: formal
Split into two sentences for a softer tone: ¿Podría esperar afuera? Tenemos un problema técnico.

What if a full clause follows instead of a noun?

Use debido a que + indicative: …debido a que hay un problema técnico. Don’t use debido a directly before a finite verb.

Is por okay here, or is it confusing?

…por un problema técnico is fine and common. Just avoid structures that could be read as waiting for something, since esperar por can mean to wait for in some regions. In your sentence, por is understood as cause because of context.

Does esperar need a preposition or a reflexive pronoun?

Not here. Esperar alone means to wait. Use esperar a before people you are waiting for (esperar a Juan). Esperar por meaning wait for is dialectal (e.g., Caribbean). Colloquially in some areas, esperarse is used to mean wait a bit (espérate tantito), but the neutral form is non‑reflexive esperar.

Could I use an imperative instead of a question?

Yes, with formal usted imperative: Espere afuera, por favor; tenemos un problema técnico. This is direct but still polite, especially with por favor and a reason.

Any punctuation or accent points to watch?

Spanish requires the opening ¿ at the start of questions.
técnico has the stress on the first syllable; keep the accent mark on é.
If you insert por favor mid‑sentence, bracket it with commas: ¿Puede usted, por favor, esperar afuera…?

Are there regional word choices for problema técnico?

Yes. You may hear falla técnica, inconveniente técnico, problemas técnicos (plural), or fallas técnicas. All are common in Latin America; pick what fits your tone and context.

How would this look with vos (voseo) countries?

For informal vos, you’d say: ¿Podés esperar afuera…? Formal address still uses usted: ¿Puede usted esperar afuera…? Use whichever is normal for the relationship and region.