How to Say "to focus" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to focus” is “concentrar” — use this word when referring to applying mental effort or directing your attention towards a specific task or subject..
concentrar
/kon-sen-TRAR//kon.senˈtɾaɾ/
Examples
Necesito concentrarme en mi tarea para terminar pronto.
I need to focus on my homework to finish soon.
Es difícil concentrarse cuando hay mucho ruido.
It is difficult to concentrate when there is a lot of noise.
Debes concentrar toda tu energía en este proyecto.
You must focus all your energy on this project.
Using 'en' to show focus
When you want to say what you are focusing on, always use the word 'en' (on/in). For example: 'Me concentro en la música'.
Actions you do to yourself
When using this word to mean 'to focus your mind,' you must add small words like 'me,' 'te,' or 'se' before the verb because you are focusing yourself.
Missing the 'self' word
Mistake: “Yo concentro en el libro.”
Correction: Yo me concentro en el libro. (Because you are focusing yourself, you need 'me').
Using the wrong connector
Mistake: “Me concentro de mi trabajo.”
Correction: Me concentro en mi trabajo. (Always use 'en' after this word to indicate the subject of focus).
enfocar
/en-fo-kar//em.foˈkaɾ/
Examples
Tienes que enfocar la cámara antes de sacar la foto.
You have to focus the camera before taking the photo.
Mis ojos no pueden enfocar bien sin mis gafas.
My eyes cannot focus well without my glasses.
Enfocaron las luces hacia el escenario.
They aimed the lights toward the stage.
The 'C' to 'QU' Spelling Change
To keep the hard 'K' sound, the letter 'c' changes to 'qu' whenever the next letter is an 'e' (like in the 'Yo' form of the past tense: enfoqué).
Confusing focus (lens) with focus (mind)
Mistake: “Usar 'enfocar' sin 'se' para concentración personal.”
Correction: Use 'enfocar' for things (cameras) and 'enfocarse' for people focusing their minds.
centrar
/sen-TRAR//senˈtɾaɾ/
Examples
Debemos centrar nuestra energía en el proyecto.
We must focus our energy on the project.
Me cuesta centrarme cuando hay mucho ruido.
It's hard for me to focus when there is a lot of noise.
La película se centra en la vida de un artista.
The movie focuses on the life of an artist.
The 'Self' version (Reflexive)
When talking about people focusing themselves, we add 'se' to make it 'centrarse'. For example: 'Yo me centro' (I focus myself).
Focus 'on' vs 'en'
Mistake: “Me centro sobre mis estudios.”
Correction: Me centro en mis estudios. Spanish uses 'en' where English uses 'on' for focusing.
concentrarme
/kon-sen-TRAR-meh//konsenˈtɾaɾme/
Examples
Necesito silencio para concentrarme en mi examen.
I need silence to focus on my exam.
No puedo concentrarme con esa música tan alta.
I can't focus with that music so loud.
Voy a intentar concentrarme más a partir de ahora.
I'm going to try to focus more from now on.
What is the 'me' at the end?
The 'me' is a little word that shows you are doing the action to yourself. In Spanish, when you use a verb after words like 'quiero' (I want) or 'necesito' (I need), you stick that 'me' right onto the end of the base verb.
Using 'en' instead of 'on'
In English, you concentrate 'on' something. In Spanish, you always use 'en'. Think of it as concentrating 'in' the task.
Missing the 'me'
Mistake: “Necesito concentrar.”
Correction: Necesito concentrarme. If you are the one focusing, you must include the 'me' to show the action stays with you.
Focusing on 'Concentrar' vs. 'Enfocar'
Related Translations
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