cómo se escribe
/komo se eskɾibe/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "how do you write" is cómo se escribe.
This phrase is used to ask for the correct spelling of a specific word or phrase.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how it is written".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking how to write multiple words or a plural noun, you must change the verb to the plural form: cómo se escriben.
What mistakes should you avoid?
While ¿Cómo escribes…? is grammatically correct, it is much more common and natural to use the impersonal ¿Cómo se escribe…? when asking for the spelling of a word.
Did you know?
- The 'se' in cómo se escribe actually evolved from the Latin word 'illī', which meant 'to him' or 'to her'.
- While cómo se escribe asks for spelling, Spanish speakers often use the verb deletrear to specifically ask someone to spell a word out letter by letter.
- In Spanish, the word cómo is written with an accent mark only when it is used in a question or an exclamation.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo se escribe "pretty"?How do you write "pretty"?This example is useful for asking for the spelling of the word "pretty" using cómo se escribe.Tatoeba #2731 by Shishir, translation #1077708 by keira_n
- ¿Cómo se escribe Cleopatra en jeroglíficos?How do you write Cleopatra in hieroglyphs?This example is useful for asking how to write Cleopatra in hieroglyphs using cómo se escribe.Tatoeba #2740738 by emanuel81, translation #2740259 by Hybrid
- ¿Cómo se escribe tu apellido?How do you write your last name?This example is useful for asking how to write a last name using cómo se escribe.Tatoeba #968643 by hundo, translation #914377 by CK
- ¿Cómo se escribe eso?How do you write that?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is asking Alejandro for help with a word in a text.
- Lucía¿Cómo se escribe "estrés"?How do you write "stress"?
- AlejandroSe escribe con una sola 'r'.It is written with a single 'r'.
- LucíaGracias, ¿cómo se escribe "psicología"?Thanks, how do you write "psychology"?
- AlejandroCon 'p' al principio.With a 'p' at the beginning.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
