Inklingo

How to Say "to control" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dominar

/doh-mee-NAHR//domiˈnar/

verbB2general
Use 'dominar' when you need to express mastering or gaining mastery over something, especially emotions, impulses, or difficult situations.
A person sitting calmly in a meditative pose while stormy clouds gather in the distance.

Examples

El atleta debe dominar su cuerpo para ganar la carrera.

The athlete must control their body to win the race.

Tienes que aprender a dominar tus nervios.

You have to learn to control your nerves.

El equipo local dominó el partido desde el principio.

The home team dominated the match from the beginning.

Reflexive use for self-control

When you want to say 'to control oneself,' you add 'se' to the end: 'dominarse'. For example, 'No pudo dominarse' (He couldn't control himself).

regular

/rreh-goo-LAHR//reɣuˈlaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'regular' when referring to the act of managing, organizing, or setting rules for something, like traffic, processes, or systems.
A large red hand grips and turns a bright blue valve wheel on a silver pipe, illustrating the action of controlling a flow.

Examples

Es importante regular la temperatura de la habitación.

It is important to control the temperature of the room.

El gobierno necesita regular mejor el tráfico en la ciudad.

The government needs to better regulate traffic in the city.

Tienes que regular la temperatura del horno antes de cocinar.

You have to adjust the oven temperature before cooking.

La ley regula los derechos de los consumidores.

The law governs consumer rights.

Regular Verb Pattern

'Regular' is a perfectly normal '-ar' verb. Once you know the pattern for verbs like 'hablar' or 'cantar', you can easily conjugate 'regular'.

Mastery vs. Management

Learners often confuse 'dominar' and 'regular'. Remember, 'dominar' implies gaining control over something internal or challenging (like emotions), while 'regular' is about managing external systems or processes.

Related Translations

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