Record This! / ¡Graba Esto! - 5 minutes of Spanish + Podcast- (English version)

 

Grabar- to record

Hello, how are you? Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are or what time you are listening to us.

Welcome, and thank you very much for listening. Let's get started with episode 251.

What is today's topic?

Today we are going to talk about a very interesting verb: grabar.

What does grabar, to record, mean exactly?

Grabar means to record sounds or images so that they can be heard or seen later.

 For example: Yo grabo un video. I record a video. I can also say: Yo grabo un mensaje de voz. I record a voice message.

Is it only used for videos and audio?

No. Grabar also means to mark or imprint something on a surface.

 For example:

El anillo tiene mi nombre grabado. The ring has my name engraved. In this case /En este caso, grabar se traduce como to engrave.

So, does grabar have two main meanings?

Yes. One is to record audio or video, to record. And the other is to mark something on metal, wood, or another surface, to engrave.

Botella grabada

Are there other uses?

Yes. In Spanish, we also say que algo se me grabó en la memoria, which means that I remember it very well. For example: Esa canción se me grabó en la memoria. That song got stuck in my memory. Or also: La explicación se me grabó. The explanation stayed in my mind.

What are the most common ways to start?

In class, we use a lot:

grabo – I record
estoy grabando – I am recording
grabé – I recorded
voy a grabar – I am going to record

¿Puedes dar algunos ejemplos más?
Claro./Sure
Hoy voy a grabar una receta. Today I’m going to record a recipe.
Ayer grabé nuestra conversación. Yesterday I recorded our conversation.
Tu nombre está grabado en el anillo. Your name is engraved in the ring.
La frase se me grabó para siempre. The sentence stayed in my mind forever.

What other words come from grabar?

We have grabado, which is a design marked on a surface. Grabación, which is the act of recording sounds or images. Grabadora, the device for recording. Grabador, the person or device that records. And of course, grabar, the action of marking, recording, or storing information.

Artists have a recording studio.

Are there any related words?

Yes. Grafía, which is the way a word is written. And gráfico, which refers to the use of images or drawings. They all come from the idea of writing or marking.

Is there anything important we should remember?

Yes. Don't confuse grabar with b and gravar with v.

Grabar is to record or mark.

Gravar is to impose a tax or a charge. To levy a tax or simply to tax.

Any final recommendations?

Listen to this word when you use the phone, videos, or voice memos. It's very common and very useful in everyday life. And if you want to practice, you can record a short phrase about your day and listen to how your Spanish sounds.

And of course, send it to us on WhatsApp!

If you liked the recording, leave us your comment and your powerful like on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. It helps us a lot and it's free.

We wish our American listeners very fond memories of this Thanksgiving with their families.

Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias

End of episode. Thank you very much for listening.

See you soon.

Bye bye.