How to Say "to distribute" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to distribute” is “repartir” — use 'repartir' when you are directly giving items out to a specific group of people or when talking about a regular action of delivery, like mail..
repartir
/reh-par-teer//reparˈtir/
Examples
El voluntario reparte comida a los necesitados cada semana.
The volunteer distributes food to the needy every week.
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.
distribuir
/dees-tree-bwee-eer//distriˈβwiɾ/
Examples
La cadena de supermercados distribuye sus productos frescos diariamente.
The supermarket chain distributes its fresh products daily.
La empresa distribuye sus productos por todo el país.
The company distributes its products across the whole country.
El profesor distribuyó los exámenes a los estudiantes.
The teacher handed out the exams to the students.
Necesitamos un camión para distribuir la ayuda humanitaria.
We need a truck to distribute the humanitarian aid.
The 'Y' Spelling Rule
When 'distribuir' has an ending that doesn't start with 'i', we add a 'y' to keep the sound right. For example, it's 'yo distribuyo' instead of 'distribu-o'.
The Gerund (Doing) Form
Because of the spelling rules, the 'ing' form changes the 'i' to a 'y', making it 'distribuyendo'.
Missing the 'Y'
Mistake: “Yo distribuo los papeles.”
Correction: Yo distribuyo los papeles. You must add the 'y' when the verb is followed by an 'o', 'e', or 'a'.
Distribuir vs. Repartir
Related Translations
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