How to Say "to detail" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to detail” is “describir” — use 'describir' when you want to give a general account or paint a picture with words, focusing on the overall characteristics rather than specific points.
describir
deh-skree-BEERdes.kɾiˈβiɾ
Examples
Ella describió el paisaje con mucha emoción.
She described the landscape with a lot of emotion.
¿Puedes describir al ladrón a la policía?
Can you describe the thief to the police?
El informe describe los problemas económicos del país.
The report details the country's economic problems.
Regular -IR Pattern
This verb follows the standard conjugation pattern for most verbs ending in -IR (like vivir or abrir). If you know those, you know describir.
The Irregular Past Participle
Mistake: “Hemos describido la casa.”
Correction: Hemos descrito la casa. (We have described the house.) 'Descrito' is irregular, even though the rest of the verb is regular. Memorize it!
detallar
deh-tah-yahrde.taˈʝaɾ
Examples
El informe detalla todos los gastos del viaje.
The report details all the travel expenses.
Por favor, detalla los pasos que debemos seguir.
Please, list the steps we must follow in detail.
No es necesario detallar cada pequeña conversación.
It is not necessary to detail every little conversation.
It's an 'action' word for thoroughness
Use 'detallar' when you aren't just telling a story, but explaining every small part of it. It's like taking a big picture and zooming in on the small pieces.
Easy conjugation pattern
This verb is perfectly regular. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar' (to speak), you can conjugate 'detallar' exactly the same way.
Confusing the noun and the verb
Mistake: “Él quiere detalle el plan.”
Correction: Él quiere detallar el plan.
especificar
es-peh-see-fee-KAHRespeθifiˈkaɾ
Examples
Por favor, especifica el color que quieres para la camiseta.
Please specify the color you want for the t-shirt.
El contrato especifica que el pago debe hacerse antes del lunes.
The contract specifies that payment must be made before Monday.
No especificaste las condiciones del trato en el correo electrónico.
You didn't specify the terms of the deal in the email.
The Spelling Swap
When a verb ends in '-car', the 'c' changes to 'qu' in the 'yo' form of the past tense and in the special 'wish' forms (subjunctive). This keeps the 'k' sound consistent.
No extra words needed
In English, we sometimes 'specify about' something, but in Spanish, you just specify the thing directly. You don't need 'de' or 'en' after it.
The 'Yo' Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo especificé (written as especificé but meant to sound like specifying).”
Correction: Say 'especifiqué'. If you write it with a 'c', it would sound like 'especific-eh' (like the 's' in city).
Using 'en' incorrectly
Mistake: “Tienes que especificar en el color.”
Correction: Say 'Tienes que especificar el color.' Spanish treats the thing you specify as the direct target of the verb.
puntualizar
poon-twah-lee-tharpuntu̯aliˈθaɾ
Examples
El director puntualizó que los cambios serían obligatorios.
The director specified that the changes would be mandatory.
Antes de terminar, me gustaría puntualizar algunos detalles técnicos.
Before finishing, I would like to clarify some technical details.
Ella puntualizó los puntos clave del contrato.
She detailed the key points of the contract.
Spelling Change Alert
When you use 'yo' in the past (preterite) or any form of the 'wishing' verb (subjunctive), the 'z' changes to a 'c' because Spanish spelling rules prefer 'ce' over 'ze'. Example: 'puntualicé'.
Adding Clarification with 'Que'
You often follow this verb with the word 'que' (that) when you are pointing out a specific fact or idea.
Punctuality Confusion
Mistake: “Using 'puntualizar' to mean 'to arrive on time'.”
Correction: Use 'ser puntual' (to be punctual) or 'llegar a tiempo' (to arrive on time) for being on schedule. 'Puntualizar' is about words, not the clock.
General Description vs. Specific Points
Related Translations
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