How to Say "to deal" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to deal” is “repartir” — use 'repartir' when you mean to distribute or hand out items, like playing cards, mail, or gifts.
repartir
reh-par-teerreparˈtir
Examples
El profesor reparte los exámenes a los estudiantes.
The teacher distributes the exams to the students.
El cartero reparte el correo todas las mañanas.
The mailman delivers the mail every morning.
Vamos a repartir los dulces entre los niños.
We are going to distribute the candy among the children.
Es importante repartir las tareas de la casa equitativamente.
It's important to divide up the household chores fairly.
Who gets the items?
Use the word 'entre' (among) or 'a' (to) to show who is receiving what you are distributing. For example: 'Reparto volantes a los peatones' (I hand out flyers to pedestrians).
Working as a Team
When people share things among themselves, we use the reflexive form 'repartirse'. Example: 'Se repartieron el trabajo' (They divided the work among themselves).
Repartir vs. Compartir
Mistake: “Using 'repartir' when you mean 'to share an experience'.”
Correction: Use 'repartir' for dividing physical items or tasks into pieces. Use 'compartir' for sharing a meal, an apartment, or a feeling.
operar
oh-peh-RAHRopeˈɾaɾ
Examples
Los inversores operaron con cautela en el mercado volátil.
The investors traded cautiously in the volatile market.
La compañía decidió operar solo con proveedores locales.
The company decided to deal only with local suppliers.
traficar
tra-fee-KAHRtɾafiˈkaɾ
Examples
La policía detuvo a un hombre que intentaba traficar con animales exóticos.
The police arrested a man who was trying to traffic exotic animals.
Es un delito grave traficar con armas de fuego.
It is a serious crime to deal in firearms.
Antiguamente, muchos mercaderes solían traficar con seda y especias por esta ruta.
In the past, many merchants used to trade in silk and spices along this route.
Spelling Change Alert
When the 'c' in 'traficar' is followed by an 'e' (like in the past 'yo' form), it changes to 'qu' to keep the hard 'K' sound: 'trafiqué'.
The 'With' Connection
In Spanish, you almost always need the word 'con' (with) after this verb to say what is being traded: 'traficar con armas'.
Confusing Traffic and Trafficking
Mistake: “Me molesta mucho traficar por la mañana.”
Correction: Me molesta mucho el tráfico por la mañana.
Confusing 'repartir' with 'operar'
Related Translations
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