¿Cómo se dice?
The Spanish phrase for "how do you say it" is ¿Cómo se dice?
For a more polite request, you can say ¿Podría decirme cómo se dice…? to mean "Could you tell me how to say…?" If you want to ask someone to teach you how to say something, you can use ¿Me podría enseñar cómo se dice…?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally "How is it said?", where se acts as an impersonal pronoun.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify that you are pointing to a particular object or word, you can add esto (this) to the end: ¿Cómo se dice esto? It is also common to add en español at the end to ask for a translation: ¿Cómo se dice en español?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ¿Cómo dices esto? when asking for a translation. While that phrase is grammatically possible, it sounds as if you are asking how a specific person personally pronounces a word. Instead, use ¿Cómo se dice? to ask for the standard or correct way to say something.
Did you know?
- Native speakers often use ¿Cómo se dice? as a 'stalling' phrase when they are struggling to remember a word in their own language, similar to saying 'how do you say' in English.
- The pronoun se has a much more complex history than it appears. It evolved from an Old Spanish form ge, which itself came from the Latin 'illī'.
- Using the impersonal se allows you to ask for a translation politely. It avoids the implication that a specific person is responsible for knowing or not knowing the correct way to say something.
Examples in context
- graciasThank you
- ¡Hola!Hello
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
