Inklingo

How to Say "to total" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sumar

soo-MAHRsuˈmaɾ

verbA1general
Use 'sumar' when you are performing the action of adding numbers together to find a final amount, especially in an educational or mathematical context.
A wooden table with two red apples on one side and three green apples on the other, being pushed together into a single pile.

Examples

Los niños están aprendiendo a sumar en la escuela.

The children are learning to add in school.

Si sumas dos y dos, el resultado es cuatro.

If you add two and two, the result is four.

Los gastos del mes suman quinientos euros.

The month's expenses add up to five hundred euros.

Using 'y' vs. 'más'

When doing math out loud, you can use 'y' (and) or 'más' (plus). For example: 'Dos y dos son cuatro' or 'Dos más dos son cuatro'.

Agreement with Totals

When the result of a sum is the subject, the verb 'sumar' matches the total. If the total is one, use 'suma'; if it is more than one, use 'suman'.

Adding ingredients

Mistake: “Voy a sumar sal a la sopa.”

Correction: Voy a añadir sal a la sopa. Use 'añadir' or 'agregar' for physical things like food; use 'sumar' for numbers and abstract values.

ascender

ah-sen-DEHRasθenˈdeɾ

verbB2formal
Use 'ascender a' when referring to a total amount, cost, or bill that reaches a specific figure.
A large pile of gold coins stacked high on a wooden table.

Examples

La factura del hotel asciende a quinientos dólares.

The hotel bill amounts to five hundred dollars.

Los daños del terremoto ascienden a millones.

The earthquake damage totals millions.

El número de víctimas asciende a veinte.

The number of victims has risen to twenty.

Numbers follow 'a'

When using this word for totals, you must use 'a' before the number or amount.

contar

cohn-TARkonˈtaɾ

verbA1general
Use 'contar' when the act of counting individual items is the focus, or when simply enumerating things, rather than calculating a sum.
A child's hand is pointing sequentially at a row of five bright red apples on a simple wooden table, illustrating the action of counting.

Examples

El niño está aprendiendo a contar hasta diez.

The child is learning to count up to ten.

¿Puedes contar cuántas sillas tenemos en total?

Can you count how many chairs we have in total?

Contamos veinte invitados, ni uno más.

We counted twenty guests, not one more.

The O-UE Change

In the present tense, the 'o' turns into 'ue' when the stress falls on the syllable, except for the 'we' (nosotros) and 'you all' (vosotros) forms.

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: “Yo conto (incorrect).”

Correction: Yo cuento (correct). Remember that 'o' changes to 'ue' in the singular forms.

Sumar vs. Ascender

Learners often confuse 'sumar' and 'ascender'. Remember that 'sumar' describes the action of adding, like in math class. 'Ascender a' is used to state the final amount or cost of something, like a bill.

Related Translations

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