contactar
/kontaɡˈtaɾ/
To reach out in Spanish is to say contactar.
The verb contactar is used to mean reaching out to someone to initiate communication. While it is a direct translation for 'to contact', it can sound more formal or professional than the English 'reach out', which is often used as a softer euphemism in business settings.
Meaning: to attempt to initiate communication (verb)
Which one should you use?
While contactar is a direct translation for 'to contact', it can sound more formal or professional than the English 'reach out'. Another common and natural way to express this idea is the phrase ponerse en contacto con, which translates closer to 'to get in touch with'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the term comunicarse is used to mean 'reach out'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using contactar to mean reaching out to a person, it is often followed by the preposition con, as seen in the phrase contactar con.
How do you pronounce it?
/kontaɡˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- The English word 'contact' and the Spanish word contacto are linguistic cousins, both descending from the Latin 'tangere', which means 'to touch'.
- In professional settings, Spanish speakers might say escribirle ('write to them') to 'reach out' even if they actually plan to make a phone call.
- While a person in Spain would likely say contactar con alguien, a person in Mexico would typically say contactar a alguien.
Examples in context
- Voy a contactar con el departamento de ventas.I am going to reach out to the sales department.
- No dudes en ponerte en contacto conmigo.Don't hesitate to reach out to me.
- Debes contactar al soporte técnico.You should contact technical support.
- Voy a contactar al profesor hoy.I am going to contact the professor today.
- ¿Puedes contactar a la agencia?Can you contact the agency?
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are discussing a work problem.
- ElenaDaniel, ¿puedes contactar al cliente?Daniel, can you contact the client?
- DanielSí, voy a contactar al cliente ahora mismo.Yes, I am going to contact the client right now.
- ElenaPerfecto, avísame cuando lo hagas.Perfect, let me know when you do it.
- DanielEstá bien, Elena.Okay, Elena.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry contactar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries contactar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
