How to Say "to dedicate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to dedicate” is “dedicar” — use 'dedicar' when referring to spending time or effort on a specific task, activity, or hobby..
dedicar
/deh-dee-kar//deðiˈkaɾ/
Examples
Dedico dos horas al día a estudiar español.
I dedicate two hours a day to studying Spanish.
Tienes que dedicar más tiempo a tus amigos.
You need to spend more time with your friends.
El gobierno decidió dedicar más dinero a la salud pública.
The government decided to devote more money to public health.
The 'A' Connection
When you dedicate something to a person or an activity, you must always use the word 'a' before the recipient or the task. For example: 'Dedico tiempo a mi perro'.
Spelling Change in the Past
In the 'I' form of the past tense (Preterite), the 'c' changes to 'qu' (dediqué) to keep the hard 'k' sound. Without this change, it would sound like 'dedis-ay'.
Wrong Preposition
Mistake: “Dedico tiempo con mi hobby.”
Correction: Dedico tiempo a mi hobby. In Spanish, you dedicate things 'to' (a) something, not 'with' (con) it.
consagrar
/kon-sa-grar//konsaˈɣɾaɾ/
Examples
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.
Choosing Between 'Dedicar' and 'Consagrar'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.