How to Say "to christen" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to christen” is “bautizar” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Mañana van a bautizar a mi sobrino.
Tomorrow they are going to baptize my nephew.
Sus amigos lo bautizaron como 'El Flaco'.
His friends nicknamed him 'The Skinny One'.
El capitán bautizó el barco con una botella de champán.
The captain christened the ship with a bottle of champagne.
The 'Z' to 'C' Spelling Change
In Spanish, the letter 'z' usually changes to a 'c' before the letter 'e'. This is why the 'yo' form in the past is 'bauticé' and not 'bautizé'. It sounds the same, it's just a spelling rule!
Using 'a' with People
When you baptize a person, you must use the 'personal a'. For example: 'Bautizar a María' (to baptize Maria).
Spelling Error in Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo bautizé al bebé.”
Correction: Yo bauticé al bebé. Remember that 'z' becomes 'c' before 'e'.
Related Translations
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