How to Say "to mention" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to mention” is “mencionar” — use 'mencionar' when you want to generally refer to or speak about someone or something without going into detail.
Use 'mencionar' when you want to generally refer to or speak about someone or something without going into detail.
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Use 'comentar' when the act of mentioning involves discussing or talking about something, often in a group setting or as part of an analysis.
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Use 'nombrar' when you are specifically bringing up or stating the name of a person or thing in conversation.
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Use 'citar' when you are formally mentioning or quoting someone or something, especially in an academic or legal context.
Learn more →men-sio-NARmenθjoˈnaɾ
Examples
Por favor, no menciones mi nombre en la reunión.
Please, don't mention my name in the meeting.
Ella mencionó que iba a viajar a Chile el próximo mes.
She mentioned that she was going to travel to Chile next month.
El informe menciona varios errores en el proceso.
The report mentions several errors in the process.
Regular -AR Verb
This is a regular verb, meaning its endings follow the standard pattern for all verbs that end in -ar. Once you know the pattern, you can conjugate 'mencionar' in any tense easily.
Direct Object Needed
In Spanish, you almost always need to mention what is being mentioned. 'Menciono' (I mention) is usually followed by the thing or person: 'Menciono el problema' (I mention the problem).
Using 'a' unnecessarily
Mistake: “Voy a mencionar a esto.”
Correction: Voy a mencionar esto. ('Mencionar' does not usually take the preposition 'a' unless you are mentioning a person, which is optional: 'Menciona (a) Juan.')
ko-men-TARkomenˈtaɾ
Examples
Mañana vamos a comentar los resultados del examen.
Tomorrow we are going to discuss the exam results.
Él comentó que no podía venir a la fiesta.
He mentioned that he couldn't come to the party.
Mucha gente está comentando la noticia en las redes sociales.
A lot of people are commenting on the news on social media.
No 'On' Needed
Unlike English where we say 'comment ON something,' in Spanish you usually go straight to the object. For example: 'Comento el libro' (I comment on the book).
Reporting Speech
This word is great for retelling what someone else said. Instead of always using 'decir' (to say), use 'comentar' to sound more natural when reporting information.
Don't use 'sobre' too much
Mistake: “Comentar sobre la película.”
Correction: Comentar la película. While 'sobre' is sometimes used, it's more natural and direct in Spanish to omit it.
nom-BRAHRnomˈbɾaɾ
Examples
Ella no quiso nombrar a sus amigos.
She didn't want to name her friends.
Por favor, nombra tres colores en español.
Please, name three colors in Spanish.
Me olvidé de nombrar ese detalle en la reunión.
I forgot to mention that detail in the meeting.
The Personal 'A'
When you use this verb to talk about a specific person, you must put the word 'a' before their name. For example: 'Nombro a María'.
Nombrar vs. Llamar
Use 'nombrar' when listing names or mentioning someone. Use 'llamar' when you are saying what someone is called or when you are shouting for them.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “No quiero nombrar mi hermano.”
Correction: No quiero nombrar a mi hermano. (In Spanish, specific people who receive an action need 'a' before them.)
see-TAHRθiˈtaɾ
Examples
El estudiante citó a Shakespeare en su ensayo.
The student quoted Shakespeare in his essay.
Es importante citar todas las fuentes en la bibliografía.
It is important to cite all sources in the bibliography.
El político citó varios ejemplos de éxito.
The politician mentioned several examples of success.
Direct Quotation
When quoting 'textually' (exactly), use the word 'textualmente' after 'citar'.
False Cognate Confusion
Mistake: “Él cotizó a Neruda.”
Correction: Él citó a Neruda. 'Cotizar' means to quote a price, whereas 'citar' means to quote words.
Mencionar vs. Comentar
Learners often confuse 'mencionar' and 'comentar.' Remember that 'mencionar' is a general reference, while 'comentar' implies a more active discussion or analysis of the topic mentioned.
Related Translations
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