seleccionar
/seleɡθjoˈnaɾ/
To select in Spanish is seleccionar.
Seleccionar means to choose one or more elements from a set. It is often used in technical, digital or formal contexts, such as selecting an item on a computer screen or selecting a candidate for a position.
Meaning: to choose one or more elements from a set (verb)
Which one should you use?
While seleccionar is used for choosing from a set of options, elegir is a more common, everyday synonym for 'to choose'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular preterite (past tense) of seleccionar is seleccioné. The present participle or gerund form of seleccionar is seleccionando.
How do you pronounce it?
/seleɡθjoˈnaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word selección is also the standard term for a national sports team, such as 'la selección española', rather than using the word for 'team' itself.
- While seleccionar is perfect for professional settings, using it to choose a meal at a restaurant might sound overly robotic or clinical to a native speaker.
- In a digital context, you might use seleccionar for a file, but if you are clicking a checkbox, the computer often uses the word marcar to mean 'to select' or 'to check'.
Examples in context
- Sólo tienes tres opciones para seleccionar.You have only three options to select.The sentence is useful for practicing how to use the form seleccionar.Tatoeba #10843186 by janTuki, translation #3581067 by Jesse
- Por favor, elija uno de los tres menús para el evento.Please select one of the three menus for the event.
- Nuestro equipo de expertos seleccionará al candidato más adecuado para el puesto.Our team of experts will select the most suitable candidate for the position.
- Favor de escoger la opción que mejor se adapte a sus necesidades.Please choose/select the option that best suits your needs.
- Pon el canal de televisión que te guste más.Choose/select the TV channel you like the most.
- ¿Por cuál coche optarías en esta lista?Which car would you choose/select from this list?
- Debes seleccionar una fecha para la cita.You must select a date for the appointment.
- Es difícil seleccionar el color adecuado.It is difficult to select the right color.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are looking at a new laptop online.
- LucíaPuedes seleccionar el modelo que más te guste.You can select the model you like most.
- DanielNo sé qué procesador seleccionar.I don't know which processor to select.
- LucíaDaniel, selecciona el que tiene más memoria.Daniel, select the one that has more memory.
- DanielTienes razón, voy a seleccionar ese.You are right, I am going to select that one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “select” translations and entries seleccionar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
