verb

calificar

grade

Poner una nota o un número a un trabajo o examen para decir si está bien o mal.

Definition & meaning

The verb calificar has several distinct meanings in Spanish depending on the context:

To grade or score: This is the most common use in educational settings. It refers to the act of assigning a numerical or qualitative value to an exam, project, or student performance.
To characterize or describe: It is used when someone attributes a specific quality or adjective to a person, action, or thing. For example, describing an action as "heroic" or "irresponsible."
To qualify: In legal or administrative contexts, it means to determine if something meets the necessary requirements or to legally categorize a fact (such as a crime).

Grammar & Word origin

The word calificar comes from the Medieval Latin word qualificare, which is a combination of qualis (of what kind) and the suffix -ficare, derived from facere (to make or do). Essentially, it means "to make or determine of what kind something is."

In terms of grammar, it is a regular verb ending in -ar. However, it follows the common orthographic change for verbs ending in -car: the "c" changes to "qu" when followed by the letter "e" to maintain the hard "k" sound. This occurs in the first person singular of the Preterite Indefinite (yo califiqué) and in all forms of the Present Subjunctive (yo califique, tú califiques, etc.).