Inklingo

How to Say "to mark" in Spanish

English → Spanish

marcar

MAR-cahˈmaɾka

verbA2General
Use 'marcar' when you are physically making a sign on something to indicate a point, an error, or a selection, like underlining words or putting an 'X' on a form.
A close-up of a hand holding a sharp tool, carving a visible, simple line into the side of a wooden fence post.

Examples

Ella marca los errores en el papel.

She marks the errors on the paper.

Tienes que marcar el número antes de hablar.

You have to dial the number before speaking.

El delantero marcó un gol en el último minuto.

The striker scored a goal in the last minute.

The 'Car' Change Rule

Verbs ending in -car (like marcar) must change the 'c' to 'qu' when followed by an 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past tense (marqué) and in the special verb forms (subjunctive and commands) to keep the hard 'k' sound.

Preterite Error

Mistake: “Yo marcí (instead of marqué)”

Correction: The correct past tense 'I marked' is 'Yo marqué'. If you used 'marcí', it would change the sound, which is incorrect.

calificar

kah-lee-fee-kahrkalifiˈkaɾ

verbA2Academic/Formal
Use 'calificar' specifically when assigning a grade or score to an academic work, such as tests, essays, or assignments.
A hand using a red pen to mark a checkmark and a large letter grade on a paper.

Examples

El profesor todavía tiene que calificar nuestros exámenes de historia.

The teacher still has to grade our history exams.

Me calificaron con un ocho en el proyecto final.

They gave me a score of eight on the final project.

Es difícil calificar el desempeño de un artista.

It is difficult to score an artist's performance.

The 'C' to 'QU' Swap

When 'c' is followed by 'e' in Spanish, it sounds like an 's' or 'th'. To keep the hard 'k' sound in the past tense (Preterite) 'I' form, we change 'c' to 'qu': 'califiqué' instead of 'calificé'.

Spelling the Past Tense

Mistake: “Yo calificé la tarea.”

Correction: Yo califiqué la tarea. Always use 'qu' before 'e' to keep that hard 'k' sound from the original word.

notar

no-TARnoˈtaɾ

verbB2Formal/Administrative
Use 'notar' when the act of marking involves adding written notes, comments, or annotations to a document, often for clarification or record-keeping.
A hand holding a pencil and writing a small mark on a piece of paper.

Examples

El secretario notó los nombres de los asistentes.

The secretary noted the names of the attendees.

Choosing between 'marcar' and 'notar'

Learners often confuse 'marcar' and 'notar' because both can involve adding marks to a document. Remember, 'marcar' is for simple signs (like errors with a pen), while 'notar' implies adding more detailed written annotations or notes.

Related Translations

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