Learn How To Summarize in Spanish
How do you say “summarize” in Spanish? The verb resumir means “to summarize.” A summary is el resumen.
More importantly, how do you summarize in Spanish? Keep reading to find out how it works, what it looks like, and how it can improve your Spanish fluency!
En resumen, ¡vamos a estudiar cómo resumir!
In summary, we’re going to study how to summarize!
Benefits of Summarizing in Spanish
The cool thing is, if you truly learn a subject, you’ll be able to summarize it not only today but also months and years from now. In other words, creating summaries of material helps store it in your long-term memory.
If you’re a Spanish learner, it’s helpful to monitor understanding of a text by summarizing as you read texts in Spanish. Simply writing a sentence or two summaries of each chapter or section after reading it is a solid sign that you understood it.
On the other hand, if you can’t summarize the main idea, that’s a signal that comprehension has broken down and you need to refocus on understanding. Consider choosing a text that is not so difficult.
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Just like in English, there are many varieties of Spanish, from the formal style of official documents to the informal language and slang of blog posts. It’s important to be aware of this and to choose the level of language appropriate to the context in which you are writing.
The language in essays, articles, and reports tends to be more formal in Spanish than it is in English. Make sure to use the language to clearly convey what you want to say as concisely as possible. Aim to write short paragraphs and sentences.
Remember that each paragraph should ideally develop a single idea. Think of the first and last sentences in a paragraph as the introduction and conclusion. Being able to write simple and readable summaries in Spanish is helpful in both educational and business contexts.
Basic Summary Writing Guidelines
Escribe el resumen con tus propias palabras.
Write the summary in your own words.
Un resumen contiene sólo las ideas del texto original.
A summary contains only the ideas of the original text.
Al escribir un resumen, recuerde escribirlo en la forma de un párrafo.
When writing a summary, remember that it should be in the form of a paragraph.
No incluyas tus propias opiniones, interpretaciones o comentarios en un resumen.
Do not include your own opinions, interpretations, or comments in a summary.
Debido a que es una condensación de las ideas y la información, no se pueden incluir todos los detalles.
As it is a condensation of ideas and information, not all details can be included.
Resumir es buscar lo esencial de los hechos, personajes o ideas indispensables para la comprensión de un texto.
Summarizing is looking for the essential facts, characters, or ideas essential for understanding a text.
3 Tips To Summarize in Spanish
No matter what you’re summarizing, knowing how to write an effective one-paragraph summary is a key skill for every Spanish learner. Check out these four tips on how to write a high-quality summary.
1. Find the Main Idea – Encuentra la idea principal
A good summary distills the source material down to its most important point to inform the reader. Cover the main points and focus on the key ideas and big picture rather than the details.
2. Keep It Brief – Que sea breve
A summary is a brief summation of the original text, video, audiobook, and the like. A summary paragraph runs anywhere from 4 to 8 sentences.
Keep it short and stick to the point. This eliminates redundancy and repetition and keeps your summary in Spanish clear and concise.
3. Let Your Writing Flow – Deja que tu escritura fluya
Transitions help build momentum in your writing and keep it flowing. Connect your sentences with transition words to ensure they flow together into a clear summary.
Examples of transition words:
- additionally – además
- however – sin embargo
- finally – finalmente
Summarize in Spanish: Relevant Vocabulary
Use these words to write your clear, concise summaries in Spanish!
| English | Spanish |
| but | pero |
| but (rather) | sino que; sino |
| even though, even if | aunque |
| in addition, also, moreover | además |
| in conclusion | en conclusión |
| in reality | en realidad |
| in short | en fin |
| in summary, to summarize | en resumen |
| in the first place | en primer lugar |
| nevertheless | sin embargo |
| on the one hand | por un lado |
| on the other hand | por otro lado |
| the important thing is | lo importante es |
| then | entonces |
| therefore | por lo tanto |
| to conclude | para concluir |
| also | también |
| while | mientras |
Follow These 6 Steps To Summarize in Spanish
The best way to summarize in Spanish is by following the steps below.
1. Lee silenciosamente el texto.
Read the text silently.
2. Sepáralo en párrafos.
Separate it into paragraphs.
3. Lee cada párrafo subrayando las ideas más importantes de cada uno. Si es necesario, escribe notas al margen.
Read each paragraph, underlining the most important ideas of each. If necessary, write notes in the margin.
4. Todo lo subrayado, escríbelo en tu cuaderno.
Write everything you underlined in your notebook.
5. Ordena lo escrito y redacta el resumen tratando de ser claro, exacto y coherente.
Order what is written and write the summary trying to be clear, exact, and coherent.
6. Revisa lo escrito y corrige la puntuación y la ortografía.
Review your writing and correct punctuation and spelling.
Summarize and Speak Spanish
Summarizing what you read, listen to, and watch in Spanish is an excellent practice for learners. However, gaining authentic fluency requires a balanced diet of all four language skills: writing, reading, listening and speaking. To get serious about your Spanish and engage in real-life conversations, sign up for a free trial class at Homeschool Spanish Academy.
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