Inklingo

How to Say "citation" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cita

/SEE-tah//ˈsita/

nounB1formal academic
Use 'cita' when referring to a direct quote or a specific passage taken from a source that you include in your own writing.
A simple illustration of a large open book resting on a stand, with an empty speech bubble floating directly above the pages, symbolizing a quotation.

Examples

El profesor nos pidió que incluyéramos tres citas en nuestro ensayo.

The professor asked us to include three quotations in our essay.

Esta cita de Cervantes es muy famosa: 'No hay rosas sin espinas'.

This quote from Cervantes is very famous: 'No roses without thorns.'

Debes poner entre comillas las citas textuales.

You must put direct quotes in quotation marks.

Cita is the noun, citar is the verb

'Cita' = the quote itself. 'Citar' = the action of quoting. Example: 'Esta es una cita' vs 'Voy a citar al autor'.

Forgetting quotation marks

Mistake: “Writing a quote without 'comillas' (quotation marks).”

Correction: Always use quotation marks for direct quotes: “Así se escribe una 'cita textual'.”

referencia

reh-feh-REHN-syah/refeˈrenθja/

nounB1formal academic
Use 'referencia' when talking about the bibliographic information or the source itself, rather than the quoted text.
A large, sturdy, open book resting on a wooden stand, symbolizing a definitive source of knowledge or a standard reference point.

Examples

Necesito la referencia bibliográfica para terminar mi ensayo.

I need the bibliographic reference to finish my essay.

Este mapa es nuestra única referencia para encontrar el camino.

This map is our only reference for finding the way.

Toma esta foto como referencia de cómo debe verse el pastel.

Take this photo as a reference for how the cake should look.

Gender Alert

Remember that 'referencia' is always feminine, so you must use 'la referencia' or 'una referencia'.

Cita vs. Referencia

Learners often confuse 'cita' and 'referencia'. Remember that 'cita' is the quote itself, while 'referencia' is the source information. Think of 'cita' as the 'citation' you insert, and 'referencia' as the 'reference' in your bibliography.

Related Translations

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