dominar
verbCEFR B1
What does “dominar” mean in English?
to master, to have command of
to master, to have command of (a language, skill, or subject)
Example sentences
Después de cuatro años de inmersión total en Francia, Carmen domina el francés a un nivel casi nativo, aunque todavía comete algunos errores con las excepciones.
After four years of total immersion in France, Carmen has mastered French to a near-native level, though she still makes some mistakes with exceptions.
Para dominar cualquier lengua, no basta con estudiarlo; también hay que escuchar, hablar, y cometer muchos errores sin vergüenza.
To master any language, studying alone is not enough; you also have to listen, speak, and make many mistakes without embarrassment.
El entrevistador le preguntó si dominaba el portugués y ella respondió que lo hablaba con fluidez pero que todavía estaba mejorando la escritura formal.
The interviewer asked her whether she had mastered Portuguese and she replied that she spoke it fluently but was still improving her formal writing.
How to use it
Dominar in the context of language and education means 'to master' or 'to have a thorough command of' a language, skill, or subject area. It is transitive: dominar un idioma, dominar una técnica, dominar el subjuntivo. At B1, it expresses a high level of competence that goes beyond simple knowledge — implying fluent, confident, and reliable use. It is a stronger claim than saber or conocer. Common collocations: dominar el inglés, dominar la materia, dominar los contenidos. Notably, it does not carry the sense of 'to dominate' (people) in this educational context.
Common mistake
Don't confuse dominar (to master/have command of) with saber (to know how) or conocer (to know/be familiar with). 'Domino el inglés' is a strong claim — it implies near-native fluency. If you want to be less absolute, use 'tengo un buen nivel de inglés' or 'me defiendo bien en inglés'. Dominar is also transitive — it takes the language as a direct object, not a preposition.