Wait… “Realizar” Doesn’t Mean “To Realize”?
I swear I’m not making this up. If you’re learning Spanish and proudly said something like: “¡Yo realicé que dejé mi café en el carro!” …and got blank stares or polite nods from native speakers… I hate to break it to you, but realizar doesn’t mean to realize.
And I know what you’re thinking right now: “Really? Are you sure? That sounds fake.” Yes. Really. I promise I’m not making this up.
This is not a drill. In Spanish, realizar means to carry out, to execute, or to accomplish. It’s like when you complete a task, not when you suddenly remember it existed.
Realizamos una investigación muy importante. We carried out a very important investigation.
Yo realicé que era martes. You did what to Tuesday?
So… what do you say when you realize something in Spanish? Say hello to “darse cuenta”. Literally: to give oneself account of something. It sounds philosophical, but it’s just how Spanish rolls.
Me di cuenta de que era martes. I realized it was Tuesday.
Nos dimos cuenta de que el jefe estaba escuchando. We realized the boss was listening.
So next time someone looks at you funny when you say realicé, don’t worry. Just smile, correct yourself, and say: ¡Me di cuenta! And yes… it’s weird. But it’s true. I swear.
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