Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| restablecer | /restableˈθeɾ/ /restableˈseɾ/ |
| resetear | /reseteˈaɾ/ |
The phrase is used to describe the act of setting something back to its initial state.
Which one should you use?
Restablecer is the formal, standard verb used for restoring a state, order or connection. In contrast, resetear is a more colloquial, anglicized term used specifically for technology, such as when performing a hard reset on hardware or software like a router.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Restablecer is a formal term. Resetear is an informal or colloquial anglicism commonly used in technical contexts when referring to electronic devices or software.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, restaurar is a more common word used to mean reset or restore. Additionally, reajustar is an acceptable way to express the concept of resetting in some regions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of the formal verb restablecer is restablecido. The past participle of the colloquial verb resetear is reseteado.
How do you pronounce it?
/restableˈθeɾ/
Did you know?
- The suffix -ear in resetear is a common pattern in Spanish used to turn English verbs into Spanish ones, such as googlear or twittear.
- The verb restablecer can be used to describe a diplomatic 'reset' between two countries, whereas resetear would sound like they are rebooting a computer.
- While resetear is common in tech circles, using it in a formal document might be seen as a linguistic mistake, as many purists consider it a vulgar anglicism.
Examples in context
- Por favor, restablezca las configuraciones predeterminadas del sistema.Please reset the system to its default settings.
- El servidor necesita reiniciarse para aplicar los cambios.The server needs to be restarted to apply the changes.
- ¡Algo anda mal en mi teléfono! Voy a reiniciarlo.Something is wrong with my phone! I'm going to reset it.
- No puedo acceder a Internet, ¿será que necesito resetear el enrutador?I can't access the internet, do I need to reset the router?
- Vamos a restaurar el sistema a su estado original.Let's reset/restore the system to its original state.
- Necesito reajustar mi reloj inteligente.I need to reset my smartwatch.
- Debemos restablecer la conexión de internet.We must reset the internet connection.
- El sistema intentará restablecer la configuración predeterminada.The system will try to reset the default settings.
- ¿Puedes restablecer la contraseña de mi cuenta?Can you reset my account password?
Example conversation
Mateo and María are trying to fix a broken router.
- MateoMaría, el router no funciona.María, the router is not working.
- MaríaIntentaré restablecer los valores de fábrica.I will try to reset the factory settings.
- MateoEspero que eso funcione.I hope that works.
- MaríaSí, ya se está restableciendo.Yes, it is resetting now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “reset” translations and entries restablecer, resetear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
