Inklingo

How to Say "cancel" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cancelar

/kahn-seh-LAHR//kan.seˈlaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'cancelar' when you need to stop or annul an event, appointment, or plan that was previously scheduled.
A colorful event ticket being ripped exactly in half, symbolizing the event's cancellation.

Examples

Tuvimos que cancelar el viaje por la lluvia.

We had to cancel the trip because of the rain.

¿Podemos cancelar mi reservación para esta noche?

Can we cancel my reservation for tonight?

La reunión se canceló a última hora.

The meeting was canceled at the last minute. (Uses the reflexive form 'cancelarse')

The Reflexive Form

You can use 'cancelarse' (like 'se canceló') when the event cancels itself, or when you don't mention who did the canceling. This is common for passive sentences.

Using 'Cancelar' for Subscriptions

Mistake: “Using 'cancelar' when you mean 'unsubscribe' from an email list.”

Correction: Use 'darse de baja' or 'anular la suscripción' instead of 'cancelar' for digital services.

eliminar

/eh-lee-mee-NAR//eli.miˈnaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'eliminar' when you want to remove, delete, or get rid of something, such as a file, an account, or a subscription.
A small blue square representing a digital file being dropped into a round, gray trash can, symbolizing deletion.

Examples

Por favor, elimina ese archivo de tu computadora, es demasiado viejo.

Please, delete that file from your computer, it is too old.

Tu cuenta de usuario será eliminada si no la usas en seis meses.

Your user account will be deleted if you don't use it in six months.

Using the Reflexive

To say something 'got deleted' or 'was deleted' without saying who did it, Spanish often uses the reflexive form: 'Se eliminó la foto' (The photo was deleted).

Overusing 'Eliminar'

Mistake: “Quiero eliminar este error en mi texto.”

Correction: Quiero borrar/corregir este error en mi texto. ('Borrar' is more natural for erasing small mistakes.)

Canceling vs. Eliminating

The most common mistake is using 'cancelar' when you mean to delete or remove something. Remember, 'cancelar' is for stopping an event or plan, while 'eliminar' is for getting rid of something entirely.

Related Translations

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