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Baja el volumen del altavoz, por favor.

Baja el volumen del altavoz, por favor.
Turn down the speaker volume, please.
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Questions & Answers about Baja el volumen del altavoz, por favor.

Why is baja used here—what tense or mood is it?

Baja is the affirmative imperative (a command) for tú (informal you) from the verb bajar (to lower / to bring down). It’s telling someone: Lower the volume.

Does baja mean go down or lower? How do I know which meaning applies?

Bajar can mean both to go down (intransitive) and to lower something (transitive). Here it’s transitive because it has a direct object: el volumen. So it means lower/turn down.

Is this sentence informal or formal? How would I say it formally?

As written, it’s informal because baja is the tú command.
Formal (usted) would be: Baje el volumen del altavoz, por favor.
Plural forms:

  • Bajen el volumen... (ustedes / plural you, common in Latin America)
  • Bajad... (vosotros, mainly Spain)
How would I say this with vos (common in some Latin American countries)?

With voseo, the command is typically: Bajá el volumen del altavoz, por favor.
Spelling often includes the accent: bajá.

Why is it del and not de el?

Del is the mandatory contraction of de + el.
So del altavoz = de el altavoz (but Spanish normally contracts it to del).

What exactly does altavoz refer to? Is it the same as speaker?

Yes. Altavoz commonly means a speaker (a loudspeaker). Depending on the country, you may also hear parlante or bocina for a speaker, especially in everyday Latin American usage.

Why is it el volumen (masculine)? Is volumen always masculine?

Yes, volumen is typically masculine: el volumen.
So you say sube el volumen (turn it up) / baja el volumen (turn it down).

Could I replace baja el volumen with another common phrase like turn down?

Yes, very common alternatives include:

  • Bájale al volumen, por favor. (very conversational; uses an indirect object pronoun)
  • Baja el sonido, por favor. (lower the sound)
  • Baja la música, por favor. (lower the music)
What’s the difference between Baja el volumen... and Bájale el volumen... or Bájale al volumen...?
  • Baja el volumen...: straightforward command with a direct object (el volumen).
  • Bájale el volumen...: adds le (often meaning to it/to him/to her, depending on context). In practice it often feels like turn it down.
  • Bájale al volumen...: very common in speech; it’s like turn it down (the volume), with al volumen behaving like the target of the action.

All can be natural; which one people prefer varies by region and style.

Where can por favor go in the sentence? Does placement change the meaning?

You can place por favor in several spots without changing the core meaning:

  • Baja el volumen del altavoz, por favor.
  • Por favor, baja el volumen del altavoz.
  • Baja, por favor, el volumen del altavoz. (less common, but possible)

Placement mostly changes tone/emphasis, not meaning.

How do I make it negative, like Don’t turn down the volume or Don’t turn it up?

To say Don’t turn down the volume (tú):

  • No bajes el volumen del altavoz.

To say Don’t turn it up (tú):

  • No subas el volumen del altavoz.

Formal (usted):

  • No baje... / No suba...