reseña
/reˈseɲa/feminine
The English word "review" (in the sense of a critical evaluation) is translated into Spanish as reseña.
reseña is commonly used to describe a review or review-like content, particularly for books, music or media.
Meaning: account intended as a critical evaluation of a text or a piece of work (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use reseña for a written critical evaluation or summary of a book, movie or article, rather than revisión which refers to the act of checking something for errors.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, reseña might be more commonly used than crítica when referring to book reviews.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
reseña is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/reˈseɲa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use revisión to mean a critical book or movie review, but revisión actually refers to the process of inspecting or correcting something.
Did you know?
- The word reseña is built from the root seña, which means 'sign' or 'mark'. Etymologically, a review is seen as something that leaves a 'mark' or a distinctive sign upon a work.
- If a student is asked to 'review' their notes before an exam, they should use repasar the notes. Using reseñar in this context would be nonsensical, as it would mean they are writing a critical essay about their own notes.
- If you are 'reviewing' a car or a gadget for a YouTube video, you might use the verb analizar instead of reseñar. In modern tech circles, reseñar can sometimes feel slightly too formal or academic.
Examples in context
- ¿Podrías proporcionar una revisión del informe financiero?Could you please provide a review of the financial report?
- El profesor nos entregó una evaluación de nuestras presentacionesThe teacher gave us an evaluation of our presentations
- ¿Cuál es tu opinión sobre el nuevo álbum?What's your opinion of the new album?
- Escribió una crítica dura de la película.He wrote a harsh critique of the movie
- Acabo de leer una reseña del libro que elogiaba la narrativa del autor.I just read a book review that praised the author's storytelling
- Danos tu opinión sobre la película.Give us your opinion about the movie.
- ¿Podrías revisar este documento por favor?Could you review this document for me?
- Escribí una reseña sobre el nuevo libro.I wrote a review about the new book.
- La reseña de la película fue muy positiva.The movie review was very positive.
- Necesito leer una reseña antes de comprarlo.I need to read a review before buying it.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are discussing a book at a cafe.
- Sofía¿Leíste la reseña de este libro, Mateo?Did you read the review of this book, Mateo?
- MateoNo, ¿qué dice la reseña?No, what does the review say?
- SofíaDice que la historia es increíble.It says the story is incredible.
- MateoEntonces, me lo compraré ahora mismo.Then, I will buy it right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “review” translations and entries reseña, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries reseña, CC BY-SA 4.0.
