Inklingo

How to Say "to list" in Spanish

English → Spanish

enumerar

/eh-noo-meh-rahr//enumeˈɾaɾ/

verbB1general
Use this when you are mentioning items in a sequence, like reading out a list of ingredients or points.
A friendly person pointing at a row of different fruits on a table, highlighting them one by one.

Examples

Ella empezó a enumerar los ingredientes de la paella.

She started to list the ingredients for the paella.

El profesor nos pidió enumerar las capitales de Europa.

The teacher asked us to list the capitals of Europe.

Podemos enumerar varias ventajas de este nuevo plan.

We can list several advantages of this new plan.

A Regular '-ar' Verb

Good news! This verb follows the exact same pattern as 'hablar' or 'cantar,' so you don't have to worry about any unexpected spelling changes.

Direct Listing

You don't need a preposition like 'of' or 'to' after it. You simply say 'enumerar' followed by the things you are listing.

Counting vs. Listing

Mistake: “Using 'contar' when you mean to name items in a list.”

Correction: Use 'contar' for numbers (1, 2, 3) and 'enumerar' when you are naming specific things or reasons.

catalogar

/kah-tah-loh-GAR//kata'loɣar/

verbB1general
Choose this when you are systematically organizing items into a list, often for reference or by category, like a librarian or archivist would.
A librarian placing books onto organized wooden shelves with small tags.

Examples

El bibliotecario está catalogando los libros nuevos.

The librarian is cataloging the new books.

Es difícil catalogar todas las especies de este bosque.

It is difficult to classify all the species in this forest.

Debemos catalogar estas facturas por fecha.

We must list these invoices by date.

The 'G' to 'GU' Spelling Change

To keep the hard 'g' sound (like in 'go'), the 'g' changes to 'gu' when it comes before an 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past tense and throughout the special 'subjunctive' forms.

Organizing with 'Por'

When saying how you are cataloging something (by date, by name), use the word 'por'. For example: 'catalogar por tamaño' (to catalog by size).

Spelling the Past Tense

Mistake: “Yo catalogé los libros.”

Correction: Say 'Yo catalogué los libros'. Without the 'u', the 'g' would sound like a raspy 'h'.

numerar

/noo-meh-RAHR//numeˈɾaɾ/

verbB2general
Use this when you are assigning a number to each item in a sequence, essentially numbering them from first to last.
A person pointing to a line of different fruits on a table one by one.

Examples

El profesor empezó a numerar las causas de la guerra.

The professor began to enumerate the causes of the war.

Podemos numerar diversos factores que influyen en el clima.

We can list various factors that influence the climate.

No voy a numerar todos tus errores ahora.

I'm not going to list all your mistakes right now.

Formal Listing

In high-level Spanish, this verb is a more sophisticated way to say 'hacer una lista' (make a list).

Enumerar vs. Numerar

Learners often confuse 'enumerar' and 'numerar'. Remember that 'enumerar' is about mentioning items in order (like listing points), while 'numerar' is specifically about assigning a number to each item in a sequence.

Related Translations

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