Linda Hall – Help in Times of Need

A DOMESTIC disaster can strike in the best-run and happiest of households, and at this point you are going to need practical help.

That will be a workman, a tricky word from the equality and inclusivity point of view although it must be admitted that when the person who turns up to sort out your wiring or plumbing, 99.9 per cent of the time will be a male.  You can expect the same odds when looking for a mechanic for your car.

So the first thing you’ll say will be:

I’m looking for a plumber/electrician/mechanic/carpenter/builder/ locksmith….busco un fontanero/electricista/mecánico/carpintero/albañil/ cerrajero

So far, so good but although handymen abound here, pinning one down with a specific name is less easy so if you want someone to do a job that you don’t fancy doing yourself, you’ll need to say, as a Spanish person would:

I’m looking for someone to fix a blind/doorknob/canalón…..busco a alguién para arreglar una persiana/un pomo/un canalón

This kind of small job, once carried out, can be described as Una chapuza, an interesting word which can mean an improvised and sometimes virtuoso repair job that can last for years or a shoddy piece of work that immediately collapses or explodes.

If you have found the person you are looking for, ask:

Can you come straight away?…..¿puede venir en seguida?

When can you come?…..¿cuándo puede venir?

What time are you coming?…..¿a qué hora vendrá?

Once they are there:

It’s not working/it’s broken…..no funciona/está roto(a)

Can you mend it now?…..¿podrá arreglarlo ahora mismo?

How long will it take?…..¿cuánto va a tardar?

How long before the spare parts arrive:  ¿cuánto tardarán las piezas en llegar?

Then comes the serious business:

How much is it going to cost…..¿cuánto me va a costar?

I’d like a written estimate…..me gustaría un presupuesto por escrito

Estimado, in contrast, means esteemed and although it sounds as stilted in Spanish as it does in English, it’s used where we say Dear when starting a formal letter.