Inklingo

How to Say "to cite" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to cite” is “mencionar” — use 'mencionar' when you want to refer to something or someone in a general or informal way, without necessarily providing a source or detailed reason.

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mencionar

men-sio-NARmenθjoˈnaɾ

verbA2formal reference
Use 'mencionar' when you want to refer to something or someone in a general or informal way, without necessarily providing a source or detailed reason.
A colorful illustration of two children talking to each other. One child is speaking and pointing slightly toward a simple, stylized red apple that is floating in the air next to them, symbolizing the subject they are mentioning.

Examples

Por favor, no menciones mi nombre en la reunión.

Please, don't mention my name in the meeting.

Ella mencionó que iba a viajar a Chile el próximo mes.

She mentioned that she was going to travel to Chile next month.

El informe menciona varios errores en el proceso.

The report mentions several errors in the process.

Regular -AR Verb

This is a regular verb, meaning its endings follow the standard pattern for all verbs that end in -ar. Once you know the pattern, you can conjugate 'mencionar' in any tense easily.

Direct Object Needed

In Spanish, you almost always need to mention what is being mentioned. 'Menciono' (I mention) is usually followed by the thing or person: 'Menciono el problema' (I mention the problem).

Using 'a' unnecessarily

Mistake: “Voy a mencionar a esto.”

Correction: Voy a mencionar esto. ('Mencionar' does not usually take the preposition 'a' unless you are mentioning a person, which is optional: 'Menciona (a) Juan.')

citar

see-TAHRθiˈtaɾ

verbB2referencing a source or author
Use 'citar' specifically when you are referencing a written or spoken source, like quoting an author or citing a study.
A public speaker at a podium with a speech bubble showing a small icon of a book to represent quoting a source.

Examples

El estudiante citó a Shakespeare en su ensayo.

The student quoted Shakespeare in his essay.

Es importante citar todas las fuentes en la bibliografía.

It is important to cite all sources in the bibliography.

El político citó varios ejemplos de éxito.

The politician mentioned several examples of success.

Direct Quotation

When quoting 'textually' (exactly), use the word 'textualmente' after 'citar'.

False Cognate Confusion

Mistake: “Él cotizó a Neruda.”

Correction: Él citó a Neruda. 'Cotizar' means to quote a price, whereas 'citar' means to quote words.

alegar

ah-leh-GARaleˈɣaɾ

verbB2to mention a reason or authority
Use 'alegar' when someone is formally stating a reason, excuse, or claim, often in a legal or argumentative context.
A person standing with one hand raised, pointing confidently at a mysterious locked wooden chest.

Examples

El sospechoso alega que estaba en casa a esa hora.

The suspect claims he was at home at that time.

No puedes alegar ignorancia de la ley.

You cannot claim ignorance of the law.

Alegaron falta de presupuesto para cancelar el proyecto.

They cited a lack of budget to cancel the project.

The Hard 'G' Spelling Rule

In the 'yo' past form (alegué) and throughout the subjunctive (alegue), we add a 'u' after the 'g'. This is just to make sure the 'g' still sounds like 'goat' rather than 'hot'.

Use with Reasons

When you want to say you are 'using something as an excuse,' follow 'alegar' directly with the reason: 'Alega cansancio' (He claims tiredness).

Alegar vs. Discutir

Mistake: “Usar 'alegar' para una pelea de pareja en España.”

Correction: In Spain, use 'discutir' for arguing. 'Alegar' is usually for formal reasons or legal claims.

invocar

een-boh-KAHRimboˈkaɾ

verbC1mentioning a law or rule
Use 'invocar' when you are formally calling upon or using a specific right, law, or principle, especially in a legal setting.
A person in a formal suit pointing toward a thick, heavy book resting on a wooden podium.

Examples

El acusado decidió invocar su derecho a guardar silencio.

The defendant decided to invoke his right to remain silent.

No puedes invocar esa ley porque ya no está vigente.

You cannot cite that law because it is no longer in effect.

Invocaron razones humanitarias para permitir la entrada del barco.

They appealed to humanitarian reasons to allow the ship to enter.

Formal Object Use

In this formal sense, you usually 'invocar' a thing (a law, a right, a reason) directly without using 'a'.

Confusing 'citar' and 'mencionar'

Learners often confuse 'citar' and 'mencionar.' Remember that 'citar' is for direct references to sources (like books or authors), while 'mencionar' is a more general term for simply bringing something up or referring to it briefly.

Related Translations

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