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realize and Spanish realizar
In English
realize
to suddenly become aware
In Spanish
realizar
llevar a cabo
Spanish "realizar" means: to carry out / to do
Why they get mixed up Spanish "realizar" means to carry out, execute, or accomplish something. English "realize" means to suddenly become aware of or understand something. To carry something out in English is "carry out" or "accomplish."
If you want to say...
- to realize (become aware)darse cuenta
- to carry out a planrealizar o llevar a cabo
- to realize a dreamhacer realidad un sueño
Examples
I didn't realize it was so late.
No me di cuenta de que era tan tarde.
She realized she had forgotten her keys.
Ella se dio cuenta de que había olvidado sus llaves.
When did you realize you were lost?
¿Cuándo te diste cuenta de que estabas perdido?
I finally realized how much she helped me.
Por fin me di cuenta de cuánto me ayudó.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Realicé que había perdido mi cartera.
Correct: Me di cuenta de que había perdido mi cartera.
Realizar means to carry out. To say you realized something, use "darse cuenta de".
Incorrect: Realizamos que el banco estaba cerrado.
Correct: Nos dimos cuenta de que el banco estaba cerrado.
The English verb "realize" maps to "darse cuenta" (also "caer en la cuenta").
Phrases you will hear
- realize a mistakedarse cuenta de un error
- I didn't realize it was late.No me di cuenta de que era tarde.
- carry out a planllevar a cabo un plan
- come to realizellegar a darse cuenta
- make a phone callrealizar una llamada
- realize your potentialdesarrollar tu potencial
In a conversation
- A:
Why are you running?
¿Por qué corres?
- B:
I just realized I left the oven on!
¡Acabo de darme cuenta de que dejé el horno encendido!
- A:
Call your neighbor.
Llama a tu vecino.
- B:
Good idea. I'll make the call now.
Buena idea. Haré la llamada ahora.
Test yourself
"I realized the truth" means...
To remember it
Realize = to suddenly become aware. To carry out/do something (Spanish "realizar") = carry out/do.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "realizar" mean?
Spanish "realizar" means "to carry out / to do". It looks like the English "realize", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "realize" means "to suddenly become aware".
Does English "realize" mean the same as Spanish "realizar"?
Spanish "realizar" means to carry out, execute, or accomplish something. English "realize" means to suddenly become aware of or understand something. To carry something out in English is "carry out" or "accomplish."