tratar (abordar)
verbCEFR B2
What does “tratar (abordar)” mean in English?
to treat, to address
to treat, to address (tratar — deal with a topic, manage a situation, or handle medically)
Example sentences
El informe trata la desigualdad educativa desde una perspectiva comparada, analizando diez países europeos.
The report addresses educational inequality from a comparative perspective, analysing ten European countries.
La reunión tratará principalmente de las propuestas para reducir la huella de carbono del sector industrial.
The meeting will deal mainly with proposals to reduce the carbon footprint of the industrial sector.
Los médicos trataron la infección con antibióticos y el paciente se recuperó en menos de una semana.
The doctors treated the infection with antibiotics and the patient recovered in under a week.
How to use it
Tratar (in the sense of 'address/deal with a topic or situation') is used as: el texto trata de... (the text deals with / is about), tratar un asunto (address a matter), tratar una enfermedad (treat a condition). The preposition de follows when the subject of discourse is introduced: tratar de + noun/infinitive. Without de, tratar + direct object means to treat/handle: trataron el tema (they addressed the topic). At B2, the discourse/topic sense is the key one.
Common mistake
Tratar de + topic (be about/deal with a topic) vs. tratar + direct object (treat/handle). 'The book is about...' = El libro trata de... or El libro trata sobre... 'They treated him well' = Lo trataron bien. Don't confuse with intentar (try to) — tratar de + infinitive can mean either 'be about' or 'try to' depending on context. Use abordar when you want to be unambiguous about 'addressing a topic'.