recitar (spanish) - meaning, definition, translation, pronunciation

Part of Speech

Verb

Phonetic Transcription

/rɛ.siˈtar/

Translation Options into English

• to recite
• to repeat
• to deliver (a speech or text)

Meaning and Usage

The verb "recitar" primarily means to orally present or deliver a piece of text, poetry, or a speech. It is often used in contexts where someone is memorizing and performing a text for an audience, such as in schools, poetry readings, or theatrical performances. The frequency of use of "recitar" is relatively moderate, and it can be utilized in both oral speech and written context. However, it is more commonly found in oral contexts, especially pertaining to performance or education.

Example Sentences

1. El estudiante tuvo que recitar un poema en clase.

2. The student had to recite a poem in class.

3. Me encanta recitar las canciones de mi artista favorito.

4. I love to recite the songs of my favorite artist.

5. Durante la ceremonia, todos los niños tuvieron que recitar sus votos.

6. During the ceremony, all the children had to recite their vows.

Idiomatic Expressions

The verb "recitar" is often part of idiomatic expressions related to performance, memory, and the arts:

1. Recitar de memoria - to recite from memory.
2. Es importante recitar de memoria para impresionar al jurado.

3. It's important to recite from memory to impress the jury.

4. Recitar líneas - to recite lines (often in reference to acting).

5. Ella se pasó toda la noche recitando líneas de su obra.

6. She spent the whole night reciting lines from her play.

7. Recitar una letanía - to recite a litany (often implying repetitive phrases).

8. El profesor comenzó a recitar una letanía de fechas históricas.

9. The teacher began to recite a litany of historical dates.

10. Recitar como un loro - to recite like a parrot (implying rote memorization without understanding).

11. Algunos estudiantes tienden a recitar como un loro sin entender el significado.
12. Some students tend to recite like a parrot without understanding the meaning.

Etymology

The word "recitar" originates from the Latin term "recitare," which means "to read aloud" or "to recite." The prefix "re-" implies doing something again or back, while "-citare" comes from "citare," meaning to call or summon, emphasizing the act of summoning words from memory.

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms: - Repetir (to repeat) - Exponer (to expose/deliver) - Declarar (to declare)

Antonyms: - Silenciar (to silence) - Olvidar (to forget) - Callar (to quiet/silence)