Why Escribir Is More Than "To Write"
Escribir is the verb of spelling a word, texting a friend, sending an email, and putting a promise on paper. Its participle is irregular: escrito, "written". And because Spanish spelling is so regular, ¿cómo se escribe? is one of the most useful questions you can ask.
Learn these six patterns as whole chunks and you will spell, message, and write with confidence.
Pattern 1: ¿Cómo se escribe…? — "How do you spell…?"
The impersonal se turns this into "how is it written?", which is the standard way to ask about spelling. Use it with names, words, and addresses. For more on se patterns, see Reflexive Verbs Chunks.
- ¿Cómo se escribe tu apellido? — How do you spell your last name?
- ¿Cómo se escribe «hacer»? — How do you spell "hacer"?
- ¿Cómo se escribe eso? — How do you spell that?
Chunk to learn:
¿Cómo se escribe + [word / name]?
Pattern 2: Se escribe con… — "It is spelled with…"
This is the answer to the question above. Name the letter or the accent after con, and say sin for what is missing. To ask someone to repeat or spell something politely, see [Pedir] Chunks.
- Se escribe con be de burro. — It is spelled with a "b" as in "burro".
- Se escribe con hache. — It is spelled with an "h".
- Se escribe con tilde en la «o». — It is written with an accent on the "o".
Chunk to learn:
Se escribe con + [letter / tilde] / sin + [letter]
Pattern 3: Escríbeme — "Write to me"
Spanish puts the person who gets the message into the verb: an indirect pronoun. Attach it to the command (escríbeme) or use it before the verb. It works for texts, emails, and letters alike.
- Escríbeme cuando llegues. — Text me when you arrive.
- Me escribió ayer. — She wrote to me yesterday.
- ¿Me escribes tu número? — Can you write down your number for me?
Chunk to learn:
Escríbeme / Me escribió + [when]
Pattern 4: Escribir un correo / un mensaje — "Write an email / a message"
Escribir pairs with the usual written things: emails, messages, reports. Add a mano for handwriting and en el móvil for typing on the phone. For more verbs that go with objects, see [Abrir] Chunks.
- Tengo que escribir un correo. — I have to write an email.
- Escribo a mano para estudiar. — I write by hand to study.
- Estoy escribiendo un informe. — I am writing a report.
Chunk to learn:
Escribir + [un correo / un mensaje / un informe] / a mano
Pattern 5: Por escrito — "In writing"
The irregular participle appears in por escrito, "in writing", the phrase of contracts, instructions, and complaints. Poner por escrito means to put something in writing.
- ¿Me lo puede dar por escrito? — Can you give it to me in writing?
- Ponlo por escrito para evitar problemas. — Put it in writing to avoid problems.
- Está escrito en el contrato. — It is written in the contract.
Chunk to learn:
Por escrito / Poner por escrito / Estar escrito en + [document]
Pattern 6: Nos escribimos — "We write to each other"
The reflexive plural works as a reciprocal: people writing to one another. It is the natural way to say you keep in touch by message, and it fits long-distance friendships.
- Nos escribimos todos los días. — We write to each other every day.
- Nos escribimos de vez en cuando. — We write to each other from time to time.
- Siempre nos escribimos por WhatsApp. — We always message each other on WhatsApp.
Chunk to learn:
Nos escribimos + [how often / por WhatsApp]
Escribir vs. Mandar un mensaje
Escribir stresses the act of writing, while mandar un mensaje stresses sending it. In daily speech they overlap: Escríbeme and Mándame un mensaje both mean "message me". For another everyday verb, see [Usar] Chunks.
Start with ¿cómo se escribe? and escríbeme. You will use both the next time you speak Spanish.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.