How to Say "to consecrate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to consecrate” is “bendecir” — use 'bendecir' when you mean to bless something or someone, often in a religious but also a general good-wish context, like blessing water or a home..
bendecir
/ben-deh-SEER//ben.deˈsiɾ/
Examples
El sacerdote bendijo el agua antes de la ceremonia.
The priest blessed the water before the ceremony.
Que Dios te bendiga hoy y siempre.
May God bless you today and always.
El sacerdote bendijo la nueva casa de la familia.
The priest blessed the family's new house.
Bendigo el momento en que decidí viajar por el mundo.
I bless the moment I decided to travel the world.
The 'Yo' Form Mystery
In the present tense, the 'yo' form changes to 'bendigo' (I bless), which is different from the rest of the forms.
A Regular Future
Even though it comes from the word 'decir' (to say), 'bendecir' is regular in the future. We say 'bendeciré' instead of 'bendiré'.
Bendecido vs. Bendito
Mistake: “He bendito la casa.”
Correction: He bendecido la casa. Use 'bendecido' when it's an action (after the word 'have'), and 'bendito' as a description (like 'agua bendita').
consagrar
/kon-sa-grar//konsaˈɣɾaɾ/
Examples
Los monjes consagran sus vidas al estudio y la meditación.
The monks consecrate their lives to study and meditation.
Ella decidió consagrar su vida a ayudar a los más necesitados.
She decided to dedicate her life to helping those most in need.
El sacerdote consagró el pan y el vino durante la misa.
The priest consecrated the bread and the wine during the mass.
Ese papel en la película lo consagró como una estrella mundial.
That role in the movie established him as a global star.
Doing it to yourself
When you want to say someone 'devotes themselves' to something, you add 'se' to the end: 'Ella se consagró a la música'. This changes the focus to the person doing the action to themselves.
The 'a' connection
When using this word to mean 'dedicating to,' you almost always need the little word 'a' before the thing or person receiving the dedication (e.g., consagrar tiempo a los estudios).
Misusing 'Dedicarse'
Mistake: “Consagrarse a mi trabajo (when talking about a normal 9-5 job).”
Correction: Dedicarse a mi trabajo. Use 'consagrar' for much deeper, more passionate, or life-long commitment.
Bendecir vs. Consagrar
Related Translations
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