Inklingo

How to Say "erase" in Spanish

English → Spanish

borrar

boh-RRAHR/boˈraɾ/

verbA1general
Use 'borrar' when you are physically erasing something, like writing on a surface with a pencil or marker.
A close-up view of a hand holding a pink rectangular eraser rubbing away a light gray pencil line on a white piece of paper, showing the physical act of removal.

Examples

Por favor, borra lo que escribiste en la pizarra.

Please, erase what you wrote on the whiteboard.

El lápiz se borra fácilmente, pero la tinta no.

Pencil is erased easily, but ink is not.

Tienes que borrar los errores antes de entregar el examen.

You have to rub out the mistakes before handing in the test.

A Regular Verb

'Borrar' follows the standard pattern for all -AR verbs. Once you know how to conjugate 'hablar' (to speak), you know how to conjugate 'borrar'!

Confusing 'borrar' and 'limpiar'

Mistake: “Usar 'borrar' para decir 'limpiar la mesa'.”

Correction: 'Borrar' is for removing specific marks (writing, digital files). Use 'limpiar' for general cleaning (dust, spills). 'Voy a limpiar la mesa' (I am going to clean the table).

eliminar

/eh-lee-mee-NAR//eli.miˈnaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'eliminar' when you are removing or deleting something digital, like a file, an email, or an application.
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.)

Borrar vs. Eliminar

Learners often confuse 'borrar' and 'eliminar' because both can translate to 'erase' or 'delete'. Remember that 'borrar' is typically for physical marks, while 'eliminar' is for digital items or removing something completely from existence.

Related Translations

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