Aprende cuándo usar hacer frente a realizar en español, con ejemplos prácticos, diferencias de matiz y uso correcto en contextos cotidianos y formales para mejorar tu precisión al hablar y escribir.
Learn when to use hacer versus realizar in Spanish, with practical examples, nuance differences, and correct usage in everyday and formal contexts to improve your accuracy when speaking and writing.
In Spanish, hacer and realizar both translate as "to do" or "to make," but they serve different functions: use hacer for general actions and realizar for completing or carrying out tasks.
Hacer
Use hacer for broad activities, physical actions, creations, and when asking for or giving general tasks; it is the more versatile and frequent verb in everyday speech.
Examples
Common Expressions
hacer la tarea
Utiliza hacer para actividades amplias, acciones físicas, creaciones, y cuando pides o das tareas generales; es el verbo más versátil y frecuente en el habla cotidiana.
Realizar
Use realizar to emphasize the execution, completion, or fulfillment of a specific task, plan, project, or goal; it sounds more formal and is common in professional contexts.
Examples
Formal Contexts
realizar el informe
Utiliza realizar para enfatizar la ejecución, culminación o cumplimiento de una tarea, plan, proyecto o meta específica; suena más formal y es común en contextos profesionales.
Differences
Remember that hacer covers general "to do" and "to make" uses, while realizar highlights the actual carrying out of an action; you usually cannot swap them without changing nuance or sounding unnatural.
Summary
Use hacer for general actions and everyday tasks and reserve realizar for stressing the completion or execution of specific activities, especially in formal or work-related contexts.
Suggested Reading

Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Spanish by Dorothy Richmond

No Nonsense Spanish Workbook by Eric W. Vogt & My Daily Spanish

The Everything Learning Spanish Book by Julie Gutin

Collins Easy Learning: Spanish Conversation by Collins Dictionaries

Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Conversation by Jean Yates

Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal

Spanish All-In-One For Dummies by Susana Wald & Cecie Kraynak

Easy Spanish Step-By-Step by Barbara Bregstein

Barron’s 501 Spanish Verbs by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris

Complete Spanish Step-By-Step by Barbara Bregstein

Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Spanish Grammar by Gilda Nissenberg
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