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How to say “how do you say ...” in Spanish
“¿Cómo se dice ... en español?” is the most useful sentence for learning. Put the English word in the gap, and the person will tell you the Spanish word. You can also ask what a word means or how to write it.
In Spanish
¿Cómo se dice... en español?
How do you say ... in Spanish?
Say it: KOH-moh seh DEE-seh ... ehn ehs-pah-NYOHL
Other ways to say “how do you say ...”
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¿Qué significa...?
What does ... mean?
Ask about the meaning of a spanish word.
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¿Cómo se escribe?
How do you spell it?
Ask for the written form.
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¿Cómo se pronuncia?
How do you pronounce it?
Ask for the sound.
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¿Puede repetir, por favor?
Can you repeat that, please?
Ask someone to say it again.
Example sentences
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¿Cómo se dice “thank you” en español?
How do you say “thank you” in Spanish?
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¿Qué significa “nevera”?
What does “nevera” mean?
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¿Cómo se escribe “queso”?
How do you spell “queso”?
Good to know
- “Se dice” is impersonal: it literally means “it is said”, so the same question works for every person.
- To learn the English equivalent of a Spanish word, ask “¿cómo se dice ... en inglés?”.
Questions about “how do you say ...” in Spanish
How do you say “how do you say ...” in Spanish?
“how do you say ...” in Spanish is “¿Cómo se dice... en español?” (How do you say ... in Spanish?). It is pronounced KOH-moh seh DEE-seh ... ehn ehs-pah-NYOHL. You can also say “¿Qué significa...?”, “¿Cómo se escribe?”, “¿Cómo se pronuncia?”.
How do you pronounce “¿Cómo se dice... en español?”?
“¿Cómo se dice... en español?” sounds like KOH-moh seh DEE-seh ... ehn ehs-pah-NYOHL. The capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “how do you say ...” in Spanish?
“¿Qué significa...?” (What does ... mean?): ask about the meaning of a Spanish word. “¿Cómo se escribe?” (How do you spell it?): ask for the written form. “¿Cómo se pronuncia?” (How do you pronounce it?): ask for the sound. “¿Puede repetir, por favor?” (Can you repeat that, please?): ask someone to say it again.
Practise it, don't just read it.
Play short games with real Spanish sentences and audio, free on the web and in the Pinglingo app.