How to Say "to credit" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to credit” is “atribuir” — use 'atribuir' when giving someone credit for an accomplishment or success, similar to 'to attribute'..
atribuir
/ah-tree-bwee-r//atɾiˈβwiɾ/
Examples
Muchos expertos atribuyen el éxito a la constancia.
Many experts attribute the success to consistency.
No puedes atribuirle a ella toda la culpa del error.
You can't blame her for the whole mistake.
Esta obra se atribuye a un pintor anónimo del siglo XVII.
This work is attributed to an anonymous 17th-century painter.
The 'Y' Rule
For verbs ending in '-uir', the 'i' changes to a 'y' when it sounds like it's stuck between two other vowels (e.g., 'atribuyo' instead of 'atribuio').
Connecting with 'a'
Always use the word 'a' to connect what you are attributing to the person or thing receiving the credit/blame.
Spelling it with 'i'
Mistake: “Yo atribuio.”
Correction: Yo atribuyo. Remember that between two vowels, the 'i' becomes a 'y'.
Missing the recipient link
Mistake: “Atribuyo el problema el clima.”
Correction: Atribuyo el problema AL clima. You need the 'a' to show where the attribution is going.
datar
/dah-TAHR//daˈtaɾ/
Examples
El administrador debe datar las partidas de descargo en la cuenta.
The administrator must credit the discharge items in the account.
Business context
This meaning is almost never used in daily conversation. You will only see it in historical accounting documents or high-level legal Spanish.
Attributing vs. Accounting
Related Translations
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