How Do You Say It in Spanish?
¿Cómo se dice...? lets you borrow the vocabulary you need at the exact moment. Insert an English word or point to the idea, then repeat the answer.
Learning objective
Ask ¿Cómo se dice...? to fill a useful vocabulary gap.
When you know the idea but lack its Spanish label, ask ¿Cómo se dice “receipt” en español?, meaning How do you say “receipt” in Spanish? Cómo is the accented question word how. For one target, se dice is a fixed neutral frame that names no particular speaker and here means one says or is said.
Insert an English word, a name, or a clearly indicated idea in the gap. The phrase en español means in Spanish. A direct answer can mirror the frame: Se dice recibo means You say recibo or It is called recibo. Repeat the Spanish answer aloud before returning to the larger conversation.
This question differs from ¿Qué significa...?, What does ... mean? Use ¿Cómo se dice...? when you start with an English idea and need Spanish output. Use ¿Qué significa...? when you encounter Spanish input and need its meaning. Choosing the direction prevents two useful repair tools from becoming confused.
Some everyday concepts have regional alternatives. Mobile phone may be móvil in much of Spain and celular in many parts of Latin America, with further variation. If you ask about several plural words, you may also hear ¿Cómo se dicen...?, with a plural verb. Record the region or context rather than labelling one familiar form correct and the other wrong.
Examples
¿Cómo se dice “receipt” en español?
How do you say “receipt” in Spanish?
The English item fills the vocabulary gap.
Se dice recibo.
You say recibo.
This general answer names no particular speaker.
¿Cómo se dice “key” en español?
How do you say “key” in Spanish?
A useful answer is llave.
móvil / celular
mobile phone / cell phone
These common choices illustrate regional vocabulary variation.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- ¿Cómo dice “receipt” en español?
- Try
- ¿Cómo se dice “receipt” en español?
¿Cómo dice...? can ask one person addressed as usted how they say something in an appropriate context, so it is not categorically defective. It does not express the intended general vocabulary question here. For that purpose, keep se in the neutral frame ¿Cómo se dice...?
Practice
Try it yourself
Make two arrow cards. Card A points English to Spanish with key; Card B points Spanish to English with salida. Ask the correct repair question for each direction, answer it, and explain why the questions differ.