¿cómo se dice?
The Spanish phrase for "how do I say" is ¿cómo se dice?
You use ¿cómo se dice…? to ask for the translation of a word or phrase. To ask for a specific translation, you can place the word you are curious about between the phrase and the target language, for example: ¿cómo se dice [word] en español?
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ¿cómo se dice? translates to "how is it said?" rather than "how do I say?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the impersonal se construction in se dice, which makes the subject an unspecified "one" or "people" in general.
Did you know?
- The word cómo evolved from the Latin word quōmodo, which was originally a non-literary or colloquial form.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the impersonal se is used to create a sense of politeness or distance, making the question feel less demanding than asking 'how do you say'.
- Depending on the region, if someone cannot remember a word, they might pause and say ¿cómo se dice…? to themselves as a filler phrase while searching for the term.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo se dice "hello" en español?How do I say "hello" in Spanish?
- ¿Me puedes decir cómo se dice "goodbye" en español?Can you tell me how to say "goodbye" in Spanish?
- ¿Cómo se dice "I'm sorry" en español?How do you say "I'm sorry" in Spanish?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
