Inklingo

How to Say "to name" in Spanish

English → Spanish

llamar

/ya-mar//ʝaˈmaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'llamar' when you are assigning an official name or nickname to a person, pet, place, or thing.
A parent holding a baby and pointing to it lovingly, symbolizing the act of giving a name.

Examples

Decidieron llamar al perro 'Fido'.

They decided to name the dog 'Fido'.

En el trabajo me llaman 'el nuevo'.

At work they call me 'the new guy'.

A eso yo lo llamo una buena idea.

That's what I call a good idea.

'llamar' vs. 'llamarse'

Mistake: “Él llama Juan.”

Correction: Él se llama Juan. Use 'llamar' when you are actively calling someone a name ('Le llaman Juan'). Use 'llamarse' to say what someone's name IS ('His name is Juan').

identificar

/ee-den-tee-fee-KAR//i.ðen.ti.fiˈkaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'identificar' when you are recognizing or establishing the identity of something or someone, often by applying a label or category.
A close-up view of a child using a large magnifying glass to examine the intricate wing pattern of a brightly colored butterfly resting on a green leaf.

Examples

Pudimos identificar la causa del problema rápidamente.

We were able to identify the cause of the problem quickly.

La policía identificó al sospechoso por las cámaras de seguridad.

The police identified the suspect using the security cameras.

Necesitas identificar tu equipaje antes de salir del aeropuerto.

You need to identify (tag/claim) your luggage before leaving the airport.

The 'c' to 'qu' Spelling Rule

In the Preterite 'yo' form (identifiqué) and the Subjunctive, the 'c' changes to 'qu' to keep the hard 'k' sound that the verb has in its base form. This is very common for -car verbs!

Forgetting the Spelling Change

Mistake: “Yo identificé (Incorrect spelling in preterite)”

Correction: Yo identifiqué. The 'c' must change to 'qu' before 'e' to maintain the correct pronunciation.

Llamar vs. Identificar

Learners often confuse 'llamar' and 'identificar' because both can involve labeling. Remember, 'llamar' is for *giving* a name (like naming a baby), while 'identificar' is for *recognizing* or labeling something that already exists or has a characteristic.

Related Translations

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