You’ll usually say transmitir for sending a TV, radio, or live signal, and difundir for spreading news to many people.
You’ll see “broadcast” used in a few different ways in English. It can mean sending a live signal (“They broadcast the game”), airing a recorded show (“The episode was broadcast last night”), or spreading a message widely (“The alert was broadcast to phones”). Spanish doesn’t rely on one single word for all of that, so the clean move is to pick the Spanish verb that matches what’s being sent and how it’s reaching people.
This guide gives you the Spanish options that native speakers use, when to choose each one, and ready-to-copy sentences that sound natural in school, work, and media settings.
What “Broadcast” Means Before You Translate It
Start by naming what’s being shared. Is it a signal, a show, an announcement, or a rumor? Next, name the channel. Is it TV, radio, streaming, social media, email, or a phone alert? Once you’ve got those two details, the Spanish choice gets simple.
Three Common Meanings You’ll Run Into
- Airing media: a TV program, a radio show, a match, a concert.
- Sending a signal: a live feed, a satellite signal, a stream.
- Spreading a message: news, warnings, announcements, updates.
How To Say Broadcast In Spanish In Media And Streaming
If you mean “broadcast” in the sense of airing or sending a program to an audience, two verbs handle most situations: transmitir and emitir. They overlap, yet they don’t feel identical.
Use “Transmitir” For Sending A Signal Or Live Content
Transmitir matches the idea of transmitting a signal. It’s a strong fit for live sports, live news, live events, and streaming.
- Van a transmitir el partido en vivo. (They’re going to broadcast the match live.)
- La universidad transmitió la ceremonia por internet. (The university broadcast the ceremony online.)
- ¿Qué canal transmite las noticias esta noche? (What channel is broadcasting the news tonight?)
Fast conjugation help for “Transmitir”
It’s an -ir verb, and the “yo” form changes: yo transmito. Common forms you’ll use:
- Presente: transmito, transmites, transmite, transmitimos, transmiten
- Pretérito: transmití, transmitiste, transmitió, transmitimos, transmitieron
- Gerundio: transmitiendo (broadcasting)
Use “Emitir” For Airing Programs Or Official Output
Emitir often appears with TV and radio programming, reports, and official communications. It can feel a bit more “broadcast station” than “streamer,” though both are correct depending on context.
- La cadena emitió el documental a las ocho. (The network broadcast the documentary at eight.)
- La radio emite música todo el día. (The radio station broadcasts music all day.)
- El canal emitirá un comunicado. (The channel will broadcast a statement.)
Fast conjugation help for “Emitir”
Emitir behaves like many -ir verbs with a vowel change in some forms: yo emito, tú emites, él/ella emite.
Choosing The Best Spanish Word For “Broadcast” By Situation
When you’re stuck between options, use a quick decision rule: if a signal is being sent, lean toward transmitir. If a station is airing a program on a schedule, emitir fits. If the goal is wide sharing of news or info, difundir is often the smoothest choice.
A simple test helps when English feels fuzzy: ask yourself whether you could replace “broadcast” with “air” or with “send.” If “air” works, Spanish tends to like emitir. If “send” works, Spanish tends to like transmitir. When the action is closer to “spread” or “circulate,” you’re back in difundir or divulgar territory. This tiny swap keeps you from picking a verb that sounds off, even when your English sentence is short.
Another quick cue is the noun that follows. With emitir, you’ll often see programa, episodio, señal, boletín, or comunicado. With transmitir, you’ll see partido, ceremonia, conferencia, señal, or en directo. With difundir, you’ll see noticia, aviso, mensaje, or información.
Spanish also has nouns tied to these verbs. You’ll see them in headlines, essays, and class readings.
| English “broadcast” use | Spanish choice | When it fits best |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcast a live game | transmitir / transmisión | Live signal, stream, real-time coverage |
| Broadcast a TV episode | emitir / emisión | Scheduled airing on TV or radio |
| Broadcast the news | transmitir / emitir | Choose by channel: live feed vs. scheduled program |
| Broadcast a public alert | difundir / divulgar | Mass sharing to many people, official notices |
| Broadcast a message (to many) | difundir | Spreading info across platforms |
| Broadcast a rumor | difundir / propagar | Wide spread, often informal or negative tone |
| Broadcasting (industry/field) | radiodifusión | Radio/TV broadcasting as a sector |
| Broadcast rights | derechos de transmisión | Sports/media licensing wording |
| Broadcast network | cadena / red de televisión | Networks and affiliates |
Words That Also Translate “Broadcast” In Spanish Writing
In essays and news-style Spanish, you’ll run into a few extra verbs. They aren’t always the first pick for TV or radio, yet they can be the best pick for “broadcast” in the sense of spreading information.
Use “Difundir” For Spreading News To A Wide Audience
Difundir means to spread or circulate. It’s common for press releases, public notices, and general distribution.
- El ministerio difundió la noticia por redes sociales. (The ministry broadcast the news on social media.)
- Difundieron un aviso de seguridad. (They broadcast a safety notice.)
Use “Divulgar” For Publishing Or Making Information Known
Divulgar works well for releasing information to the public, especially reports, data, and results. It often sounds a touch more formal than difundir.
- La agencia divulgó los resultados del estudio. (The agency broadcast the study results.)
- Divulgaron el calendario de exámenes. (They broadcast the exam schedule.)
Use “Propagar” When The Spread Feels Like It’s Spinning Out
Propagar is common for things that spread fast, like rumors or misinformation. It can carry a negative vibe, so use it with care.
- Se propagó un rumor en minutos. (A rumor was broadcast in minutes.)
- No propagues información sin verificar. (Don’t broadcast unverified info.)
Ready-To-Use Sentences For School, Work, And Media
If you’re learning Spanish, sample sentences are gold because they lock in which verb goes with which setting. Here are sets you can reuse with small swaps.
TV And Radio
- El programa se emite de lunes a viernes.
- La emisora transmitirá la entrevista mañana.
- La emisión terminó a medianoche.
Streaming And Online Events
- Transmitimos la clase en directo.
- La conferencia se transmitió por Zoom.
- Están transmitiendo desde el estadio.
Announcements And Notices
- Difundieron el aviso en todos los grupos.
- Divulgaron la lista de admitidos.
- El mensaje se difundió por SMS.
Common Mistakes Learners Make With “Broadcast”
These slip-ups pop up in homework, translations, and captions. Fixing them early makes your Spanish feel smoother.
Mixing Up “Emitir” And “Emisora”
Emitir is the verb (to broadcast). Emisora is often the station (radio station). You can say La emisora emite (The station broadcasts).
Using “Publicar” When You Mean A Live Or Scheduled Airing
Publicar is “to publish,” like posting an article or releasing a document. If you mean airing a show, stick with emitir. If you mean sending a live feed, stick with transmitir.
Translating “Broadcast” As A Noun Without Context
English uses “a broadcast” broadly. In Spanish, choose the noun that matches the setting: transmisión for a transmission, emisión for an airing, or difusión for distribution. In radio/TV as a field, radiodifusión is common.
Quick Mini-Checklist Before You Write Or Speak
Run this checklist when you’re writing a caption, translating a line, or answering a Spanish question in class.
- Name the channel: TV/radio, streaming, phone alert, social media.
- Name the thing being shared: show, signal, news, notice, rumor.
- Pick the verb: emitir (air), transmitir (send a signal), difundir/divulgar (spread info).
- Pick the noun if needed: emisión, transmisión, difusión, radiodifusión.
- Write one full sentence, then read it out loud to catch tense errors.
| What you mean in English | Spanish sentence that fits | Swap-in words |
|---|---|---|
| They broadcast the match live. | Transmitieron el partido en vivo. | el concierto / la final / la ceremonia |
| The network broadcast the episode. | La cadena emitió el episodio. | el documental / la serie / el especial |
| They broadcast a safety notice. | Difundieron un aviso de seguridad. | un comunicado / una alerta / un mensaje |
| The results were broadcast to the public. | Divulgaron los resultados al público. | las fechas / la lista / los datos |
| A rumor was broadcast fast. | Se propagó un rumor rápido. | una mentira / una noticia falsa |
| Broadcasting is my major. | Mi carrera es la radiodifusión. | la producción / el periodismo |
| Broadcast rights are expensive. | Los derechos de transmisión son caros. | de televisión / de radio / de streaming |
Short Practice Drills That Stick
You don’t need long study sessions to get this right. A few tight drills can lock the pattern in your head.
Drill 1: One English Line, Three Spanish Versions
Take “They broadcast it” and write three lines:
- Lo transmitieron. (signal/live)
- Lo emitieron. (aired on TV/radio)
- Lo difundieron. (spread the message)
Drill 2: Change Only The Channel
Write one sentence, then swap the channel phrase:
- Transmitieron la clase por internet.
- Transmitieron la clase por radio.
- Transmitieron la clase por televisión.
Drill 3: Say It In Past, Present, And Future
Pick one verb and cycle the tense:
- La radio emite noticias.
- La radio emitió noticias.
- La radio emitirá noticias.
Pronunciation And Handy Grammar Notes
Spanish pronunciation is friendly once you know where the stress lands. In transmitir, the stress is on the last syllable: trans-mi-TIR. In emitir, it’s e-mi-TIR. In difundir, it’s di-fun-DIR. In divulgAR, it’s di-vul-GAR. When you add nouns like transmisión or emisión, the accent mark shows the stressed syllable: trans-mi-SIÓN, e-mi-SIÓN, di-fu-SIÓN. Say the stressed part a bit longer, not louder, and your speech will sound clean.
If you’re writing, these verbs take direct objects: transmitir algo, emitir algo, difundir algo. Add the channel with por or en: por radio, por televisión, en línea, en directo, en clase.
One Clean Translation You Can Reuse
If you want a single Spanish line that covers most everyday uses without sounding odd, try this pattern: “Se transmitió…” for live or signal-based sharing, and “Se emitió…” for scheduled airing. When the meaning is mass distribution of information, swap to “Se difundió…” or “Se divulgó…”. Those four lines handle most learner writing.