Spanish · Greetings & Essentials
"How do you say…?" in Spanish: ¿Cómo se dice…?
¿Cómo se dice…?
How do you say…? in Spanish is ¿Cómo se dice…? (KOH-moh seh DEE-seh). Put the English word after dice. ¿Cómo se dice "bread"? is the pattern.
Vocabulary hunt
¿Cómo se dice "pillow" en español?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ¿Cómo se dice…?
Say it
KOH-moh seh DEE-seh
/ˈkomo se ˈdise/
KOH-moh seh DEE-seh. Stress KOH and DEE. Accent cómo.
"How do you say…?" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cómo se dice…? | How do you say…? Default learner question. | Default learner question. |
| ¿Cómo se dice esto? | How do you say this? Pointing at a thing. | Pointing at a thing. |
| ¿Cómo se llama esto? | What is this called? Naming objects. | Naming objects. |
| ¿Qué significa…? | What does … mean? Opposite direction: Spanish to English. | Opposite direction: Spanish to English. |
How to use ¿Cómo se dice…? in real life
- 1Vocabulary hunt
¿Cómo se dice "pillow" en español?
How do you say "pillow" in Spanish?
Classic cómo se dice frame.
- 2Pointing at food
¿Cómo se dice esto en español?
How do you say this in Spanish?
Esto fills the blank after dice.
- 3Chat with a tutor
Profe, ¿cómo se dice "I miss you"?
Teacher, how do you say "I miss you"?
Quote the English after cómo se dice.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¿Cómo se dice…?
Incorrect: ¿Cómo dice "water"?
Correct: ¿Cómo se dice "water"?
Keep the impersonal se: cómo se dice.
Incorrect: How do you say pan?
Correct: ¿Cómo se dice "bread"?
Ask with cómo se dice, then the English word.
Good to know
Good to know¿Cómo se dice…? is the learner's best friend. Locals answer with one word or a short phrase. Follow with ¿cómo se escribe? if you need spelling.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Naming kitchen tools
ChatPal
¿Cómo se dice "fork"?
How do you say "fork"?
You
Tenedor. ¿Cómo se dice "spoon"?
Fork. How do you say "spoon"?
ChatPal
Cuchara. ¿Cómo se dice "knife"?
Spoon. How do you say "knife"?
You
Cuchillo. ¡Bien!
Knife. Nice!
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FAQ
Common questions about "How do you say…?" in Spanish
Why se in cómo se dice?
Se makes it impersonal: how does one say.
Cómo or qué?
Use cómo se dice for how do you say.
Do I accent cómo?
Yes. Cómo asks how in ¿cómo se dice…?
Formal version?
Same phrase. Add por favor if you like.
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