Introduction
Knowing how to ask what someone wants you to check in Spanish is a practical skill for learners. Whether you are at work, helping a friend, or confirming details, this article teaches natural phrases, polite forms, and useful contexts so you can communicate clearly and confidently.
Core phrases to ask what to check
Start with simple, direct questions that are common in everyday conversation. These will help you quickly understand what the other person expects you to verify.
¿Qué quieres que revise?
This is the most direct and widely used way to ask what someone wants you to check. Use it with colleagues, friends, or anyone you are comfortable with. It literally means what do you want me to review.
¿Qué quieres que revise? can be adapted by changing the verb to suit the situation. Below are other common verbs and why you might use them.
Alternate verbs for specific contexts
¿Qué quieres que miré?
Use this when the check is casual or visual, like looking at a document, a screen, or a small problem. Mirar conveys looking rather than deep analysis.
¿Qué quieres que miré?
¿Qué quieres que compruebe?
This is slightly more formal and suggests a verification or technical check, such as confirming numbers, testing a function, or validating facts. Compruebe comes from comprobar, which means to verify or check.
¿Qué quieres que compruebe?
¿Qué quieres que revise contigo?
Add contigo to invite collaboration. This is useful when you want to review something together, such as a report, schedule, or plan.
¿Qué quieres que revise contigo?
Polite and formal alternatives
When speaking with supervisors, clients, or strangers, choose more polite or formal phrasing. These options show respect and are common in professional settings.
¿Qué desea que revise?
Replace quieres with desea to use the formal usted form. This is appropriate for business contexts or when addressing someone older or with higher status.
¿Qué desea que revise?
¿Le puedo revisar algo?
This phrase offers help politely. It literally asks can I check something for you and is a softer way to propose assistance.
¿Le puedo revisar algo?
¿Qué le gustaría que revisara?
Use this for very polite or professional interactions. It uses the conditional gustar construction and the imperfect subjunctive revisara, making the question sound considerate and formal.
¿Qué le gustaría que revisara?
Informal and friendly variations
When talking to friends, family, or close coworkers, more casual language is natural. These options sound warm and conversational.
¿Quieres que lo mire?
A short and friendly offer meaning do you want me to look at it. Lo can be replaced with la or los depending on the object.
¿Quieres que lo mire?
¿Quieres que lo revise?
Slightly more thorough than mirar, but still informal. Use it when you are offering a closer look.
¿Quieres que lo revise?
¿Te echo un vistazo?
A very colloquial way to say can I take a quick look. Echar un vistazo is an idiomatic expression meaning to glance over something.
¿Te echo un vistazo?
Contextual examples by situation
Below are sample dialogues and sentences for common situations, showing how to ask what someone wants you to check and how to respond naturally.
At work: checking a document
Colleague: Hola, tengo el informe listo.
You: ¿Qué quieres que revise?
Colleague: Revisa los números en la página tres y las conclusiones finales.
You: De acuerdo, me concentro en la página tres y vuelvo con comentarios.
Usage note: When checking numbers or facts, prefer compruebe or revise because they imply verification rather than just looking.
At a store or service center
Customer: Mi teléfono no funciona bien.
Technician: ¿Qué quiere que compruebe?
Customer: Que la pantalla táctil responda y que la batería esté bien.
Technician: Perfecto, voy a comprobar la pantalla y la batería.
Usage note: Technical contexts often use formal and precise verbs like compruebe and revisar.
Helping a friend with homework
Friend: No entiendo este ejercicio de gramática.
You: ¿Quieres que lo mire?
Friend: Sí, por favor. Mira la parte de los tiempos verbales.
You: Vale, lo reviso contigo y te explico los tiempos paso a paso.
Usage note: With friends, short and friendly phrases like mirar and echar un vistazo are natural.
How to specify what to check
After asking what to check, you often need to clarify or narrow the focus. Use phrases that specify parts, pages, sections, functions, or details.
Revisa la página + page number
Example: Revisa la página cinco.
Revisa la parte + part name
Example: Revisa la parte de conclusiones.
Comprueba si + clause
Example: Comprueba si los enlaces funcionan.
Mira si + clause
Example: Mira si falta alguna foto.
Usage note: Use la, el, los, or las to match the gender and number of the thing being checked. For neutral or unknown objects, use lo.
Examples with direct objects
Mira el documento en Google Drive.
Revisa las cifras del presupuesto.
Comprueba los enlaces en la página web.
¿Puedes revisar la ortografía del texto?
Confirming after checking
Once you have checked, you may need to report back. These phrases help you summarize your findings or ask if further action is needed.
Todo está bien
Report that everything is fine.
Todo está bien
Encontré un error
Use this when you found an issue and then provide details.
Encontré un error en la sección de fechas. Necesita corrección.
¿Quieres que lo corrija?
Offer to fix the problem you found. This is a helpful follow-up question.
¿Quieres que lo corrija?
Te envío los cambios
Tell the person you will send the corrections or updates.
Te envío los cambios por correo en cuanto termine.
Common mistakes and usage tips
Beginners make a few predictable mistakes when asking what to check. Here are tips to avoid them.
1. Mixing formal and informal forms: Do not combine usted forms with tú vocabulary in the same sentence. Choose ¿Qué quieres que revise? for informal and ¿Qué desea que revise? for formal.
2. Using the wrong verb for the task: Use mirar for quick visual checks, revisar for review or proofreading, and comprobar for technical verification or testing.
3. Forgetting object pronouns: When the object is clear, use lo, la, los, or las. Example: ¿Quieres que lo revise? rather than ¿Quieres que revise?
4. Overusing literal translations: English speakers sometimes say ¿Qué quieres que yo revise? which is grammatically fine but slightly redundant. Native speakers commonly omit the pronoun yo unless emphasizing who will do the action.
Politeness and tone
Adjust tone with modal verbs, conditional forms, and softeners. Phrases like ¿Podrías decirme qué quieres que revise? or ¿Te importaría que lo revisara? add politeness and sound professional or considerate.
¿Podrías decirme qué quieres que revise?
Use this when you need more details before starting.
¿Podrías decirme qué quieres que revise?
¿Te importaría que lo revisara?
A polite way to ask permission to review something, useful in delicate situations.
¿Te importaría que lo revisara?
Useful vocabulary list
Keep this mini-glossary handy when asking or agreeing to check something.
revisar — to review, to check
mirar — to look at, to glance
comprobar — to verify, to check technically
mirar first appearence was marked above
revisar, mirar, and comprobar are the most important verbs for this topic. Also learn direct object pronouns: lo, la, los, las to refer to the thing being checked.
lo, la, los, las
Putting it all together: natural dialogues
Short realistic exchanges help you internalize patterns. Read them aloud to practice rhythm and intonation.
Scenario: Office proofreading
Assistant: Hola, terminé el borrador.
Editor: ¿Qué quieres que revise?
Assistant: Revisa la sección de metodología y las referencias.
Editor: Bien, me enfocaré en la metodología y te aviso si hay cambios.
Scenario: Customer service
Customer: Mi pedido llegó incompleto.
Agent: ¿Qué desea que compruebe?
Customer: Comprueba si falta la funda del teléfono.
Agent: Ahora mismo lo compruebo y le doy una solución.
Conclusion
Asking what someone wants you to check in Spanish is simple once you know the key verbs and polite forms. Use ¿Qué quieres que revise? for general situations, ¿Qué quieres que miré? for casual looks, and ¿Qué quiere que compruebe? for formal or technical checks. Adjust tone with conditional and polite phrases, specify the part to check, and follow up clearly when you finish. With these patterns and examples you will sound natural and confident in many real-life situations.
