Inklingo

How to Say "excerpt" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “excerpt” is “extracto” — use 'extracto' when referring to a concentrated essence or a specific piece taken from a larger text, especially for practical or scientific purposes, like an ingredient or a summary.

English → Spanish

extracto

ex-TRAK-toheksˈtɾakto

nounB1general
Use 'extracto' when referring to a concentrated essence or a specific piece taken from a larger text, especially for practical or scientific purposes, like an ingredient or a summary.
A small glass dropper bottle with a single drop of brown liquid falling into a bowl of water.

Examples

Necesitamos una cucharadita de extracto de vainilla.

We need a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

He leído un extracto de su nueva novela.

I have read an excerpt from her new novel.

El extracto del informe resume los puntos clave.

The summary of the report outlines the key points.

It's always masculine

Regardless of whether you are talking about vanilla or a book, 'extracto' is always a masculine noun, so use 'el' or 'un'.

Using 'de' for origin

Just like in English, we use 'de' (of/from) to say what the extract is made of or where it was taken from.

Extracto vs. Resumen

Mistake: “Using 'extracto' when you mean a school essay summary.”

Correction: Use 'resumen' for a general summary you wrote; use 'extracto' for a specific piece directly taken from the original text.

fragmento

frahg-MEHN-tohfɾaɣˈmento

nounB1general
Choose 'fragmento' for a short, often incomplete, piece of a larger written or artistic work like a book, film, or musical composition.
An open book with a single paragraph highlighted by a bright yellow glow.

Examples

Leímos un fragmento de 'Don Quijote' en clase.

We read an excerpt from 'Don Quixote' in class.

Escuché un fragmento de su nueva canción en la radio.

I heard a snippet of her new song on the radio.

El documental muestra un fragmento de la entrevista original.

The documentary shows a passage from the original interview.

Describing the excerpt

When describing the type of excerpt, the adjective comes after: 'fragmento seleccionado' (selected excerpt).

Confusing with 'fracción'

Mistake: “Una fracción del libro.”

Correction: Un fragmento del libro. 'Fracción' is mostly used for math or percentages, while 'fragmento' is for content.

pasaje

pah-SAH-hehpaˈsa.xe

nounB2general
Use 'pasaje' specifically for a short piece of writing within a larger text, often when discussing its content or meaning, like a paragraph or a section of a book.
A bright, curving segment of abstract sound waves floating against a simple background, representing a musical passage.

Examples

El profesor nos pidió analizar este pasaje del libro.

The professor asked us to analyze this passage from the book.

Ese pasaje musical es mi parte favorita de la sinfonía.

That musical passage is my favorite part of the symphony.

Figurative Meaning

This is a figurative meaning—it treats the text itself as a 'passageway' or segment you move through when reading.

Extracto vs. Fragmento vs. Pasaje

The most common confusion is between 'fragmento' and 'pasaje.' Use 'fragmento' for any short piece of a work, while 'pasaje' is more specific to a section of text being analyzed or discussed for its content. 'Extracto' is generally for a concentrated essence or a specific taken piece, not usually a literary excerpt.

Related Translations

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