How to Say "to monitor" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to monitor” is “monitorear” — use 'monitorear' when the primary action is to observe or check the progress or condition of something, especially over a period of time.
Use 'monitorear' when the primary action is to observe or check the progress or condition of something, especially over a period of time.
Learn more →
Use 'supervisar' when the focus is on overseeing work, checking the quality of performance, or managing tasks and people.
Learn more →
Choose 'vigilar' when the emphasis is on keeping a close watch, guarding, or paying attention to potential issues or changes in data or processes.
Learn more →mo-nee-toh-reh-ahrmonitoɾeˈaɾ
Examples
El equipo médico va a monitorear al paciente toda la noche.
The medical team is going to monitor the patient all night.
Estamos monitoreando las ventas para ver si la campaña funciona.
We are monitoring sales to see if the campaign is working.
Es necesario monitorear el uso del agua durante la sequía.
It is necessary to track water usage during the drought.
It's a Regular Verb
Monitorear follows the normal pattern for verbs ending in -ar. This means once you know the pattern for a word like 'hablar,' you can conjugate this word too!
The 'Personal a'
When you are monitoring a person (like a patient or a student), you must put the word 'a' before them: 'Monitoreo a mi hijo' (I monitor my son).
Monitorear vs. Monitorizar
Mistake: “Thinking one is 'wrong' and the other is 'right.'”
Correction: Both are correct! 'Monitorear' is the standard in Latin America, while 'monitorizar' is preferred in Spain. Use whichever fits your region.
soo-pehr-bee-SAHRsupeɾβiˈsaɾ
Examples
Mi jefe supervisa mi trabajo todos los días.
My boss supervises my work every day.
Es importante supervisar a los niños cuando están en la piscina.
It is important to supervise the children when they are in the pool.
Ella fue contratada para supervisar la construcción del nuevo puente.
She was hired to oversee the construction of the new bridge.
The 'People A' Rule
When you supervise a person or a pet, you must use the 'personal a' before them. For example: 'Superviso a los estudiantes'.
Pronunciation Tip
In Spanish, the letter 'v' is pronounced exactly like the 'b' in English. This word sounds like 'soo-pehr-bee-SAHR'.
Confusing with 'Survive'
Mistake: “Thinking 'supervisar' means 'to survive'.”
Correction: Use 'sobrevivir' for surviving. 'Supervisar' is strictly for watching over work or people.
Missing the 'a'
Mistake: “Yo superviso los empleados.”
Correction: Say 'Yo superviso a los empleados' because you are talking about people.
vee-hee-LAHRbi.xiˈlaɾ
Examples
La agencia está vigilando de cerca la calidad del agua.
The agency is closely monitoring the water quality.
El director tiene que vigilar que todos los empleados cumplan las normas.
The director has to supervise that all employees follow the rules.
Using 'Que'
When 'vigilar' refers to making sure something happens, it often uses 'que' followed by the verb that describes the action being checked: 'vigilar que + verb'.
Monitorear vs. Supervisar vs. Vigilar
Learners often confuse 'monitorear' and 'supervisar'. Remember that 'monitorear' is about observing progress or a state, while 'supervisar' implies a more active role of overseeing someone's work or a project's quality.
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.