Cancelar vs. anular
In Spanish, both cancelar and anular can be translated as to cancel, but they carry slightly different nuances depending on the context. The verb cancelar is the most general and common term used for calling off planned events like meetings or appointments. On the other hand, anular carries a more formal tone of invalidation or voiding, often used when dealing with official tickets, contracts, or reversing system transactions.
Cancelar
The verb cancelar is the most common and direct way to say to cancel, primarily used when you want to call off a scheduled event, activity, or plan so that it no longer takes place.
Decidieron cancelar la reunión debido a la tormenta de nieve.
(They decided to cancel the meeting due to the snowstorm.)
La aerolínea tuvo que cancelar mi vuelo a Madrid por problemas técnicos.
(The airline had to cancel my flight to Madrid due to technical problems.)
Llamé al restaurante para cancelar nuestra reserva de esta noche.
(I called the restaurant to cancel our reservation for tonight.)
Vamos a cancelar la suscripción a la revista porque ya no la leemos.
(We are going to cancel the magazine subscription because we no longer read it.)
El dentista me cobró una tarifa por cancelar la cita a última hora.
(The dentist charged me a fee for canceling the appointment at the last minute.)
Anular
The verb anular translates to to annul, to void, or to cancel, and it is used when you are invalidating a formal agreement, a ticket, an official reservation, or a financial transaction.
Tuve que anular la reserva del hotel mediante la plataforma de internet.
(I had to cancel the hotel reservation through the internet platform.)
El sistema va a anular tu billete de tren si no completas el pago hoy.
(The system will cancel your train ticket if you do not complete the payment today.)
Pedí al banco anular la tarjeta de crédito tras darme cuenta del robo.
(I asked the bank to cancel the credit card after realizing the theft.)
Puedes anular el pedido en línea antes de que el paquete salga del almacén.
(You can cancel the online order before the package leaves the warehouse.)
El juez decidió anular el contrato de alquiler por un incumplimiento grave.
(The judge decided to cancel the rental contract due to a serious breach.)
Summary
In short, use cancelar as your everyday word for calling off plans, meetings, flights, and appointments. Switch to anular when you need to emphasize the voiding or invalidation of something more formal, such as reversing a transaction, voiding a ticket, or legally terminating a contract.