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How to Say "writing" in Spanish

English → Spanish

escribiendo

es-kree-BYEN-dohes.kɾiˈβjen.do

verbA1general
Use this when referring to the ongoing action of writing at the present moment, similar to the English '-ing' form.
A close-up view of a simplified cartoon hand holding a blue pen, actively tracing a curving line on a blank sheet of white paper.

Examples

Estoy escribiendo un correo electrónico.

I am writing an email.

Estoy escribiendo una carta a mi abuela.

I am writing a letter to my grandmother.

¿Qué estás escribiendo? Parece importante.

What are you writing? It looks important.

Ella estuvo escribiendo toda la noche para terminar su ensayo.

She was writing all night to finish her essay.

Creating Continuous Actions

This word is always used with a form of estar (to be) to show that an action is happening right now, like 'Estoy escribiendo' (I am writing).

The '-iendo' Pattern

Verbs that end in '-er' or '-ir' (like escribir) change their ending to '-iendo' to become the 'doing' form. Verbs ending in '-ar' use '-ando'.

Mixing up the English and Spanish 'ing'

Mistake: “Using 'escribiendo' as a standalone noun, like 'Escribiendo es divertido' (Writing is fun).”

Correction: Use the infinitive for the noun form: 'Escribir es divertido' (Writing is fun). 'Escribiendo' only describes an ongoing action.

escritura

es-kree-TOO-raheskɾiˈtuɾa

nounA1, B2general, literary
Use this to refer to the general act or skill of writing, or a specific author's style or collected works.
A person's hand holding a bright red pen, actively writing on a blank sheet of paper resting on a wooden desk.

Examples

Me gusta la escritura de Gabriel García Márquez.

I like Gabriel García Márquez's writing.

Practico mi escritura todos los días para mejorar.

I practice my writing every day to improve.

Su escritura es pequeña pero muy clara.

Her handwriting is small but very clear.

La escritura modernista se caracteriza por su experimentación.

Modernist writing is characterized by its experimentation.

Gender Alert

Even though it ends in '-a', remember that this word is feminine: 'la escritura' (the writing).

redacción

nounB1formal, general
Use this for the act of composing or drafting text, especially for formal documents or pieces of writing like essays or reports.

Examples

La redacción de la tesis fue un desafío.

The writing/drafting of the thesis was a challenge.

texto

TEK-stohˈteksto

nounA1general
Use this to refer specifically to the content or the words written down in a document, article, or message.
A stack of white papers resting on a desk, with simple horizontal lines drawn on the top sheet to represent unreadable written content.

Examples

No entiendo el texto de esta señal.

I don't understand the text on this sign.

El texto del artículo era muy largo.

The text of the article was very long.

Hay que traducir el texto completo al inglés.

We have to translate the complete text into English.

La profesora nos pidió analizar un texto literario.

The teacher asked us to analyze a literary text.

Masculine Noun Rule

'Texto' is always a masculine word, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it. (e.g., El texto, Un texto).

Action vs. Skill vs. Content

Learners often confuse 'escritura' and 'redacción' when referring to the act of writing. Remember that 'escritura' is the general skill or style, while 'redacción' implies the process of composing or drafting specific content, often for a particular purpose.

Related Translations

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