How to Say "to reduce" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to reduce” is “bajar” — use 'bajar' when you want to decrease volume, speed, prices, or a physical level.
bajar
ba-HARbaˈxaɾ
Examples
Por favor, baja el volumen de la música, está muy alto.
Please, lower the volume of the music, it's too high.
Dicen que van a bajar los impuestos este año.
They say they are going to lower taxes this year.
Confusing 'bajar' and 'reducir'
Mistake: “Using 'reducir' for volume/light: 'Voy a reducir la luz.'”
Correction: Use 'bajar' for levels and intensities, as in 'Voy a bajar la luz/el volumen.' 'Reducir' is better for size or complexity.
rebajar
re-ba-HARreβaˈxaɾ
Examples
Han rebajado los precios de los zapatos.
They have lowered the prices of the shoes.
Quiero rebajar tres kilos antes del verano.
I want to lose (reduce) three kilos before the summer.
El arquitecto tuvo que rebajar la altura del techo.
The architect had to lower the height of the ceiling.
Bajar vs. Rebajar
Use 'bajar' for general downward movement (going downstairs). Use 'rebajar' specifically when you are making a value, size, or level smaller than it was before.
Weight Loss Confusion
Mistake: “Quiero bajar de peso.”
Correction: Both 'bajar de peso' and 'rebajar' are correct, but 'rebajar' is often used alone as a verb for slimming down: 'Estoy rebajando'.
limitar
lee-mee-TAHRlimiˈtaɾ
Examples
Debes limitar el consumo de azúcar.
You should limit your sugar intake.
El director decidió limitar el presupuesto del proyecto.
The director decided to restrict the project's budget.
Las nuevas leyes van a limitar la libertad de prensa.
The new laws are going to limit freedom of the press.
Regular -ar verb
Limitar follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar', you already know how to conjugate this one!
Limitar vs Limitarse
Mistake: “Me limito comer chocolate.”
Correction: Me limito a comer chocolate. (When using the verb to say you 'confine yourself' to an action, you must use the word 'a' before the next verb.)
disminuir
dees-mee-nwee-eerdismiˈnwiɾ
Examples
Debes disminuir el consumo de sal.
You should reduce your salt intake.
La lluvia comenzó a disminuir por la tarde.
The rain began to let up in the afternoon.
La empresa quiere disminuir los gastos este año.
The company wants to decrease expenses this year.
The 'Y' spelling change
For verbs ending in -uir, the letter 'i' often changes to a 'y' when you say things like 'I decrease' (disminuyo) or 'they decrease' (disminuyen) to keep the pronunciation smooth.
Talking about percentages
When you want to say something decreased BY a certain amount, use the word 'en'. For example: 'Disminuyó en un 20%' (It decreased by 20%).
Avoid 'disminuó'
Mistake: “Él disminuó el precio.”
Correction: Él disminuyó el precio. Remember to use a 'y' for the 'he/she/it' form in the past (preterite) and present tenses.
recortar
rreh-kohr-TAHRrekorˈtar
Examples
La empresa tiene que recortar gastos este trimestre.
The company has to cut back on expenses this quarter.
El corredor recortó la distancia con el líder.
The runner reduced the distance between himself and the leader.
Han recortado el presupuesto de educación.
They have cut the education budget.
Recortar distance
When talking about races or chasing someone, 'recortar distancias' means you are making the gap between you and the person in front smaller.
Reducing prices
Mistake: “Voy a recortar el precio.”
Correction: Usually, we use 'rebajar' or 'bajar' for prices. 'Recortar' is used more for larger budgets, costs, or time.
General vs. Specific Reductions
Related Translations
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