narrate
gb/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/ us/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/
C1
English
elmesél, narrál, ismertet
VERB
C1
1
elmesél
A2
Usage pattern:
narrate [something] (to [someone])
He narrated the whole adventure from start to finish.
Az egész kalandot elmesélte elejétől a végéig.
She narrated what happened at the meeting, step by step.
Lépésről lépésre elmesélte, mi történt a megbeszélésen.
The book narrates the family's journey across the country.
Learner examples
I will narrate my trip to my friends.
Elmesélem az utazásomat a barátaimnak.
He narrated the story to the class.
Elmesélte a történetet az osztálynak.
Common mistake:
Learners may use *narrate* where *say* or *tell* is more natural in casual speech; *narrate* often sounds more formal or story-like.
Meaning
tell a story or events
Collocations
narrate a story
|narrate a tale
|narrate events
|narrate what happened
|narrate the plot
|narrate an incident
|narrate an experience
|narrate in detail
|narrate chronologically
|narrate the story of [someone/something]
Synonyms
tell (More general and much more common in everyday speech.)
|
recount (Emphasizes giving events in order, often in more detail.)
|
relate (Slightly formal; focuses on connecting events as a story.)
Antonyms
withhold (To keep information back rather than tell it.)
|
conceal (To hide facts instead of describing them.)
Themes
communication
|storytelling
|media
Definition
to tell a story or say what happened
To tell a story or describe a series of events, usually in a clear order.
VERB
C1
2
narrál
B2
Usage pattern:
narrate [a documentary/film/audiobook/video]
She narrated the documentary in a calm, clear voice.
Nyugodt, tiszta hangon narrálta a dokumentumfilmet.
The audiobook is narrated by the author.
A hangoskönyvet a szerző narrálja.
A well-known actor was hired to narrate the series.
Learner examples
He narrates children’s audiobooks.
Gyerekeknek szóló hangoskönyveket narrál.
This film is narrated by a famous actor.
Ezt a filmet egy híres színész narrálja.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *narrate* (provide the spoken narration) with *narrate* meaning 'write the story' (more like *compose* or *write*).
Meaning
provide voice-over for media
Collocations
narrate a documentary
|narrate a film
|narrate a video
|narrate an audiobook
|narrate a series
|narrate an episode
|narrate a nature program
|narrate the opening sequence
|narrate the trailer
|narrate the audio guide
Synonyms
do a voice-over (Common phrase focusing on the recorded voice track.)
|
read (Often used for audiobooks; emphasizes reading text aloud.)
|
voice (Industry term meaning to provide the voice for a production.)
Themes
media
|film
|audio
Definition
to read or speak the words for a film or recording
To speak the narration for a film, documentary, audiobook, or other recorded media.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
3
ismertet
B2
Usage pattern:
narrate [events/facts/history]
The report narrates the events that led to the accident.
A jelentés ismerteti a balesethez vezető eseményeket.
In his statement, he narrated the facts as he remembered them.
A vallomásában emlékezete szerint ismertette a tényeket.
The article narrates the rise of the company over two decades.
Learner examples
The report narrates the events of that day.
A jelentés ismerteti az aznapi eseményeket.
Common mistake:
In academic writing, learners may overuse *narrate* where *describe* or *explain* would fit better; *narrate* suggests an account of events unfolding.
Meaning
formally describe facts in writing
Collocations
narrate the history
|narrate the events leading up to [something]
|narrate the circumstances
|narrate the background
|narrate the proceedings
|narrate the facts
|narrate the case
|narrate the sequence of events
|narrate the development of [something]
|narrate the incident
Synonyms
describe (More general; not necessarily a sequence of events.)
|
detail (Emphasizes giving many specific facts.)
|
set out (Formal; focuses on presenting information clearly and systematically.)
Antonyms
omit (To leave information out rather than include it in an account.)
Themes
education
|writing
|law
Definition
to describe facts or events in a formal way
To describe or set out facts or events in a written or spoken account, especially in a formal style.
Grammar
Dictionary form
narrate
IPA
GB/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/
US/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
nar - rate (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (nar)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: narrate
- 3rd Person Singular: narrates
- Present Participle: narrating
- Past: narrated
Word family
Expressions
be narrated by [someone]
1/bˈi nˈɛɹˌeɪtɪd bˈaɪ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
have a specific narrator
(about a film or audiobook) to have a narrator
Examples
- The documentary is narrated by David Attenborough.
- The audiobook is narrated by the author herself.
- The series was narrated by a different actor each season.
Learner examples
- This audiobook is narrated by a famous actor.
narrate in the first person
1/nˈɛɹˌeɪt ˈɪn ðə fˈɚst pˈɚsən/
fixed phrase
tell using “I”
to tell a story using “I”
Examples
- The novel is narrated in the first person, so we only know what she knows.
- He chose to narrate the memoir in the first person.
- Try narrating the scene in the first person to make it feel more personal.
Learner examples
- She narrates the story in the first person.
narrate in the third person
1/nˈɛɹˌeɪt ˈɪn ðə θˈɚd pˈɚsən/
fixed phrase
tell using “he/she/they”
to tell a story using “he/she/they”
Examples
- Most of the book is narrated in the third person.
- The director decided to narrate the story in the third person to widen the perspective.
- If you narrate in the third person, you can follow more than one character.
Learner examples
- The story is narrated in the third person.