Breakdown of Pase al consultorio nomás, siéntese un ratito.
un
a, an (masculine)
a
to
pasar
to come in / to pass / to spend / have (time)
el rato
while (period of time)
sentarse
to sit down
el consultorio
doctor's office / clinic
nomás
just (simply) / go ahead
Questions & Answers about Pase al consultorio nomás, siéntese un ratito.
What exactly is nomás doing in this sentence? Doesn't it usually mean 'just' or 'only'?
Could I say Entre al consultorio instead of Pase al consultorio?
Yes, entrar means 'to enter,' but pasar is the standard, polite way to invite someone into a room or home. When welcoming a guest or a patient, native speakers almost always use Pase or Pasa instead of Entre.
Why does consultorio translate to 'office'? Is it the same as oficina?
No, they are used differently! An oficina is a standard workplace or business office. A consultorio specifically refers to a doctor's office, a clinic room, or a therapist's space where medical or professional consultations happen.
Why does siéntese have an accent mark?
When you attach the pronoun se to the end of the command siente, you add an extra syllable to the word. The written accent mark is required on the e to keep the natural spoken stress in its original place, so it does not accidentally shift to the next syllable.
Does un ratito mean something different than un rato here?
Adding the diminutive -ito here is not just about the exact amount of time. Like nomás, un ratito is used as a softener (pragmatic attenuation) to make the instruction feel less demanding, more casual, and friendlier to the patient.
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