gradúo

Gradúo is a Spanish verb that primarily means to confer a degree or title on someone, i.e., to graduate a student or to grant a degree. It is used mainly in formal or institutional contexts, where a university or another awarding body performs the act of awarding academic credentials. The related reflexive form graduarse describes the act of a person completing their own studies and receiving a degree.

Morphology and usage notes: Gradúo is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb graduar, which is a regular -ar verb. In present tense the forms are: yo gradúo, tú gradúas, él gradúa, nosotros graduamos, vosotros graduáis, ellos gradúan. The verb can be used transitively with a direct object referring to the recipients (for example, "La universidad gradúa a los estudiantes") or reflexively to indicate the subject completes their own studies (for example, "Me gradúo este año"). In many everyday contexts, speakers prefer phrases like “otorgar un título” or “conferir un grado.”

Nuances and regional use: While widely understood across Spanish-speaking regions, gradúo is more common in formal or administrative language. In everyday speech, people may use synonyms such as graduar (to graduate someone) or graduarse (to graduate oneself), and refer to the event as la graduación rather than the act of graduar.

Etymology and related terms: Gradúo derives from gradus, degree or step, linked to grado and graduation-related terms. Related concepts include graduación (the act or ceremony of graduating), título (degree), and universidad (university). See also: Graduación, Título, Graduación ceremonial.

Note: Gradúo is a verb form; the noun for the event or the person is typically graduación or graduado, respectively.