How and when to use "a ver" in Spanish
In Spanish it's very common for "a ver" to be used with an idiomatic meaning. The most common translation for it is "let's see...", but depending on the context it can mean different things and imply extra meaning.
Let's see it with more detail:
A ver: let's see
A ver qué tienes ahí escondido..., enséñamelo.Let's see what you have hidden there... show it to me.
Yo no soy un experto pero a ver cómo te puedo ayudar.I'm not an expert but let's see how I can help you.
- El dibujo me está saliendo muy bien, mamá. - ¿Sí? ¿A ver?- The drawing is turning out very well, mummy. - Really? Let's see.
A ver si: I wonder if
Sometimes when used with si it can imply "wondering if", as in requesting something from someone, for example:
A ver si le puedes pedir a tu jefa que te de una mañana libre.I wonder if you could ask your boss to let you have a morning off.
A ver si nos pudiera usted ayudar. Es que nos hemos perdido.I wonder if you could help us. The thing is we are lost.
A ver si/si no: fear, worry
This is used to express certain concern about something that might or might not happen, for example:
A ver si no nos cancelan el vuelo al final con esta tormenta.Let's hope they don't/ I'm afraid they may end up cancelling our flight because of this storm.
A ver si no aceptan nuestra oferta.I am worried they may not accept our offer.
A ver: requesting, encouraging
A ver cuándo nos regalas una visita, que hace mucho que no te vemos.Come on, come and visit us, we haven't seen you for ages.
A ver: clarification
This is used when after having talked about something and there is an extra clarification to add, or a need to go back to the subject, for example:
A ver, yo lo que quise decir antes es que ...Look, [to clarify], what I meant to say before is that...
A ver, señora, como le decía, el descuento ya no se puede aplicar.Again, madam, as I was saying, the discount is no longer applicable.
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