How to Ask for a Word in Spanish

Learn how to ask for a word in Spanish

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Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Can-Do Spanish by SpanishPod101.com.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask how to say something in Spanish.

For example, "How do you say 'book' in Spanish?" is

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

Catalina Hurtado is at a cafe doing a language exchange with her classmate, Silvia Ramírez Arce.

It’s the Spanish portion of the exchange, and she points at the textbook and asks what it's called in Spanish.

Before you hear the conversation, let's preview some of its key components.

español

"Spanish"

español

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

Se dice "libro".

Once more with the English translation.

¿Cómo se dice "book". en español?

"How do you say 'book' in Spanish?"

Se dice "libro".

"You say "book"."

Let's break down the conversation.

Do you remember how Catalina asks,

"How do you say "book" in Spanish?"

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

The standard way to ask for the meaning of a word in Spanish follows a simple pattern.

First, is cómo, translating as "how," in this context. Cómo. Cómo.

Next is se dice. "One says." Se dice.

Se, roughly translating as "one," as in "one says." Se. Se.

Next is the word dice, "says" as in "one says." Dice.

Dice is from the verb, decir, meaning "to say." Decir.

Together, Cómo se dice, "How one says," but translates as, "how one say." Cómo se dice.

After this is the English word, "book."

Last is the phrase en español, meaning "in Spanish." En español.

First is, en, "in." En. En.

After this is, español. "Spanish," as in "the Spanish language." Español. Español.

Note, when the context is clear, you may omit en español.

All together, it's ¿Cómo se dice "book" en español? means something like, "How one says "book" in Spanish?" but translates as "How one say "book" in Spanish?" and in more natural English, "How do you say "book" in Spanish?"

Note the rising intonation of the sentence to mark that it's a question.

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

Let's take a closer look at the response:

Do you remember how Silvia says,

"You say ‘book.’"

Se dice "libro."

First is se dice, literally, "one says," but translates here as "you say." Se dice.

Then comes the answer to the question: libro, "book," in Spanish. Libro. Libro.

All together, it's Se dice "libro." This means "One says, 'libro'," but translates as "You say 'book.'

Se dice "libro".

The pattern is

¿Cómo se dice "ENGLISH WORD" en español?

How do you say "ENGLISH WORD" in Spanish?

¿Cómo se dice "ENGLISH WORD" en español?

To use this pattern, simply replace the {ENGLISH WORD} placeholder with the word you want to know.

Imagine you want to know the Spanish word for "pen."

Ask

"How do you say "pen" in Spanish?"

Ready?

¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español?

"How do you say "pen" in Spanish?"

¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español?

This lesson introduces a grammatically complex, but commonly used, pattern: the impersonal form with se. The se-construction is used to express what people do in general, rather than point to a specific person.

The pattern is se plus a verb in the third person. The example used in the lesson was se dice, "one says." Let’s quickly look at a few more examples.

Se llama, "one calls," as in "one calls it ‘a book.’"

Se come, "one eats," as in "one eats a lot at Christmas."

Se duerme, "one sleeps," as in "one sleeps late on Saturday."

Again, the key pattern is

¿Cómo se dice "ENGLISH WORD" en español?

How do you say "ENGLISH WORD" in Spanish?

¿Cómo se dice "ENGLISH WORD" en español?

Let’s look at some more examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

"How do you say 'book’ in Spanish?"

Se dice "libro".

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español?

"How do you say 'pen’ in Spanish?"

Se dice "pluma".

¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español?

¿Cómo se dice "bag"?

"How do you say 'bag’ in Spanish?"

Se dice "bolsa".

¿Cómo se dice "bag"?

¿Cómo se dice "pencil" en español?

"How do you say "pencil" in Spanish?"

Se dice "lápiz".

¿Cómo se dice "pencil" en español?

¿Cómo se llama esto?

"What do you call this?"

Se llama 'libro.'

¿Cómo se llama esto?

Did you notice how the native speaker used a different pattern?

¿Cómo se llama esto?

"What do you call this?"

¿Cómo se llama esto?

First, is cómo, translating as "what," in this context. Cómo.

Next is se llama. "One calls." Se llama.

Se, "one," as in "one calls." Se.

Next is the word llama, "calls" as in "one calls." Llama.

Llama is from the verb, llamar, meaning "to call." Llamar.

Together, Cómo se llama, "What one calls," but translates as, "how you call." Cómo se llama.

After this is esto, "this." Esto. Esto.

Esto is used when referring to something right in front of you, or which you touch.

All together, ¿Cómo se llama esto? "What you call this?" ¿Cómo se llama esto?

To refer to a thing that has some distance from you, use eso, "that." Eso. Eso.

¿Cómo se llama eso?

"What do you call that?"

These are very useful patterns for using Spanish to learn Spanish, and they are particularly useful for learners in an immersive learning environment.

Did you notice how "en español" was omitted?

By asking in Spanish, the context is clear, and therefore, you can omit the phrase en español, "in Spanish."

The pattern:

¿Cómo se llama {esto/eso}?

"What you call {this/that}?"

Let’s review the key vocabulary.

Bolsa.

"Bag."

Bolsa.

Pluma

"Pen."

Pluma.

Lápiz

"pencil."

Lápiz.

Esto.

"this."

Esto.

Let’s review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then repeat after the native speaker, focusing on pronunciation.

Ready?

Do you remember how to say "in Spanish?"

En español.

And how to say, "one says?"

Se dice.

Do you remember how to say "how?"

Cómo.

Do you remember how Catalina asks,

"How do you say "book" in Spanish?"

¿Cómo se dice "book" en español?

Do you remember how to say "book?"

Libro.

And do you remember how Silvia says,

"You say "book."

Se dice "libro".

Do you remember how to say "bag?"

Bolsa.

And how to say "pen?"

Pluma.

Do you remember how to say "that?"

Eso.

Let's practice.

Imagine you're Valeria Varela and you're at a language-exchange lunch with Alejandra Flores.

You point to the pen and ask, "How do you say "pen" in Spanish?"

Ready?

¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español?

Se dice "pluma."

Listen again and repeat.

¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español?

Now you want to know the word for "bag." Omit "in Spanish"

Ready?

¿Cómo se dice "bag"?

Se dice "bolsa".

Listen again and repeat.

¿Cómo se dice ‘bag'?

¿Cómo se dice "bag"?

Let's try one more.

Imagine you're Lucas Hurtado and you're studying at school with your classmate. Point at a pencil and ask "What do you call that?"

Ready?

¿Cómo se llama eso?

Se llama "lápiz".

Listen again and repeat.

¿Cómo se llama eso?

In this lesson, you learned how to ask how to say something in Spanish. This plays an essential role in the larger skill of asking for clarification. Let’s review.

Do you remember the informal way to say

"Excuse me."

Disculpa.

And how to say “repeat?”

Repetir.

Do you remember how to say "repeat it?"

Repetirlo.

Do you remember how to say,

"Excuse me, can you repeat it?"

Remember she uses informal Spanish.

Disculpa, ¿puedes repetirlo?

Imagine You're Jack Jones , and you're meeting your fellow student Silvia Ramirez Arce for the first time. She introduces herself, but you can't catch her name.

Respond to her introduction, and ask her to repeat it one more time, and slowly.

Ready?

Mucho Gusto. Soy Silvia.

Disculpa, ¿puedes repetirlo?

Listen again, and repeat.

Disculpa, ¿puedes repetirlo?

On a different occasion you're doing a language exchange. In the Spanish portion of it you want to know how to say pencil in Spanish.

Ask Silvia Ramirez Arce how to say "pencil" in Spanish.

¿Cómo se dice "pencil" en español?

Se dice "lápiz".

Listen again, and repeat.

¿Cómo se dice "pencil" en español?

Well done! This is the end of the lesson and the Can Ask for Clarification unit of this course.

Remember, these Can Do lessons are about learning practical language skills.

What's next?

Show us what you can do.

When you're ready, take your assessment.

You can take it again and again, so try anytime you like.

Our teachers will assess it, and give you your results.

Now you know how to ask how you say something in Spanish. That's all there is to it.

Keep practicing — and move on to the next lesson!

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