Inklingo

How to Say "to underline" in Spanish

English → Spanish

subrayar

/soo-brah-yahr//subraˈʝar/

verbA2general
Use this word when you are literally drawing a line under text, such as a title, a word, or a phrase.
A thick blue line drawn underneath a row of simple colorful shapes on a white background.

Examples

Debes subrayar el título de cada capítulo.

You should underline the title of each chapter.

He subrayado las palabras que no entiendo.

I have underlined the words that I don't understand.

Si subrayas todo el libro, no sabrás qué es lo más importante.

If you underline the whole book, you won't know what is most important.

A regular 'ar' verb

This verb follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in 'ar,' so if you know how to conjugate 'hablar,' you already know how to use this word!

Used with objects

This word usually describes an action you do to something (like a word or a sentence), so you will often see it followed by a noun.

Thinking it means 'to highlight'

Mistake: “Usar un 'subrayador' para pintar sobre el texto.”

Correction: Technically, 'subrayar' means to draw a line UNDER, whereas 'resaltar' is used for using a highlighter marker. However, in casual talk, people sometimes use them interchangeably.

recalcar

/reh-kahl-KAHR//re.kalˈkaɾ/

verbB1general
Use this word when you want to emphasize or stress a point, idea, or piece of information, similar to 'to stress' or 'to highlight' in English.
A bright yellow highlighter marking a bold black line on a piece of paper.

Examples

Quiero recalcar que esta es una oportunidad única.

I want to emphasize that this is a unique opportunity.

El director recalcó la importancia de trabajar en equipo.

The director stressed the importance of working as a team.

No hace falta que lo recalques, ya lo entendí.

You don't need to stress it, I already understood.

Spelling Change Alert

When you say 'I emphasized' (recalqué), the 'c' changes to 'qu'. This is just to keep the hard 'K' sound, because in Spanish, 'ce' would sound like 'se'.

Using it with 'que'

If you want to emphasize a full sentence or idea, follow 'recalcar' with the word 'que' (e.g., Recalco que es tarde).

Avoiding 'sobre'

Mistake: “Él recalcó sobre la importancia.”

Correction: Él recalcó la importancia. In Spanish, you emphasize 'the thing' directly, without adding 'on' or 'over'.

Literal vs. Metaphorical Underlining

Learners often confuse 'subrayar' and 'recalcar' by using the literal word for a metaphorical meaning. Remember: 'Subrayar' is for drawing a line, while 'recalcar' is for stressing a point verbally.

Related Translations

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