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calificar

to grade

verb kah-lee-fee-KAHR Less Common

Also means

to describe as, to rate

Usage Note

Calificar is used both in academic contexts ('to grade, to mark') and in broader discourse ('to describe as, to label'): calificaron el acto de terrorismo = 'they described the act as terrorism'. Note the spelling change in the preterite: califiqué (c → qu before e). The noun form is calificación ('grade, qualification, description').

Examples

"El profesor calificó los exámenes ayer."

Natural Translation

The teacher graded the exams yesterday.

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