Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Por favor, dime con tiempo si quieres cambiar la hora. - Please, tell me in advance if you want to change the time.

Both are understood, but in Spain avísame con tiempo is the most idiomatic way to say “give me notice/let me know in advance.” Dime con tiempo is acceptable and heard in speech, especially when the content follows (e.g., dime con tiempo si…). If you front the condition, you’ll more often hear … dímelo con tiempo (with lo referring to “that you want to change it”): Si quieres cambiar la hora, dímelo/avísame con tiempo.

What exactly does con tiempo mean?

It’s an idiomatic way to say “in advance,” “with enough notice,” or “with plenty of time.” It doesn’t mean “with time” literally. It’s about notifying early enough for the other person to reorganize plans.

What’s the difference between con tiempo and a tiempo?

Con tiempo = in advance/with enough notice.
Example: Avísame con tiempo (Let me know well in advance).
A tiempo = on time/punctually.
Example: Llega a tiempo (Arrive on time).

Can I say con antelación instead of con tiempo?

Yes. Con antelación is a bit more formal and very common in Spain. Variants:

con suficiente antelación
con bastante antelación
con tiempo de sobra (more colloquial: “well in advance”)

Where should con tiempo and por favor go, and do I need any commas?

Natural options:
- Por favor, dime con tiempo si quieres cambiar la hora.
- Si quieres cambiar la hora, por favor, dime con tiempo.
- Dime, por favor, con tiempo si quieres cambiar la hora.
Avoid placing con tiempo so far from the verb that it could modify the wrong thing (e.g., Dime si quieres cambiar la hora con tiempo sounds like “change the time early,” which is odd).
Commas: set off por favor with commas when it’s parenthetical. No comma is needed before si when the “if”-clause comes after the main clause. If the si-clause comes first, put a comma after it.

Why is it si without an accent and not sí?

si (no accent) = “if” (conditional): si quieres…
sí (accent) = “yes,” or a reflexive/emphatic pronoun: Sí, quiero; Lo hizo por sí mismo.
In this sentence it’s the conditional si.

Why is it written dime and not di me? Where do the pronouns go with imperatives?

In affirmative commands, object pronouns are attached to the end of the verb: di + me → dime, dímelo. In negative commands, they go before the verb: no me digas, no me lo digas. This rule applies across verbs: hazme/hazmelo vs no me hagas; ponte vs no te pongas.

What are the formal and plural versions in Spain?

Formal (usted): Por favor, dígame con tiempo si quiere cambiar la hora.
Informal plural (vosotros): Por favor, decidme con tiempo si queréis cambiar la hora.
Formal plural (ustedes, used in formal contexts): Por favor, díganme con tiempo si quieren cambiar la hora.

Why does dígame have an accent but dime doesn’t?

Stress rules. dime ends in a vowel and has two syllables (DI-me); the natural stress is already on the penultimate syllable, so no written accent. dígame has three syllables (DI-ga-me); by default it would stress “ga,” so we write dígame to keep the stress on “di.”

Should it be cambiar la hora or cambiar de hora?

Both are used:

cambiar la hora (de X) treats “the time” as a direct object and is very common for rescheduling: ¿Podemos cambiar la hora de la reunión?
cambiar de hora emphasizes switching to a different time: ¿Podemos cambiar de hora y hacerlo a las seis?
Both sound natural in Spain when talking about rescheduling.

Could this be misunderstood as talking about changing the clocks (daylight saving time)?

In context (appointments/meetings), people will understand it’s about rescheduling. If you want to be explicit, add the event: …cambiar la hora de la reunión/clase/llamada. To talk about clocks/DST you’d typically hear: el cambio de hora, cuando cambie la hora, cambiar la hora del reloj.

Should I say la hora or la cita?

la hora = the time of something (meeting, class, call).
Example: cambiar la hora de la reunión.
la cita = the appointment itself.
Example: cambiar la cita (could mean reschedule to another day/time), or more precisely cambiar la hora de la cita if only the time changes.
In Spain, cita is standard for “appointment.”

Is si quisieras… more polite than si quieres…? Is si querrías okay?

si quieres… is already polite and very common.
si quisieras… (imperfect subjunctive) softens it slightly, making it more tentative: Si quisieras cambiar la hora, avísame con tiempo.
Avoid si querrías… in this structure; with si you use the past subjunctive (si quisieras), not the conditional. Another gentle option: Si necesitas/preferís cambiar la hora, avísame con tiempo.

How much notice does con tiempo imply?

It’s context-dependent and intentionally vague—just “early enough.” If you need to be specific, say:

con al menos 24 horas de antelación
con un par de días de antelación
con una semana de antelación