alegar
“alegar” means “to allege” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to allege, to claim
Also: to plead, to cite
📝 In Action
El sospechoso alega que estaba en casa a esa hora.
B2The suspect claims he was at home at that time.
No puedes alegar ignorancia de la ley.
C1You cannot claim ignorance of the law.
Alegaron falta de presupuesto para cancelar el proyecto.
C1They cited a lack of budget to cancel the project.
to bicker, to talk back
📝 In Action
¡Deja de alegar y limpia tu cuarto!
B1Stop talking back and clean your room!
Esas vecinas siempre están alegando por nada.
B2Those neighbors are always bickering over nothing.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: alegar
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the correct 'yo' form in the past tense (Preterite)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Latin 'allegare', which means 'to send a message' or 'to bring forward as evidence.' It combines 'ad' (to) and 'legare' (to send/depute).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'alegar' the same as 'discutir'?
In formal Spanish, 'alegar' is providing reasons or evidence, while 'discutir' is having an argument. In some Latin American countries, they can be used interchangeably for bickering.
Does 'alegar' imply that the person is lying?
Not necessarily, but it often implies that what they are saying hasn't been proven true yet—just like the English word 'allege'.
Why is there a 'u' in 'alegué'?
Spanish spelling rules: the letter 'g' followed by 'e' or 'i' sounds like 'h'. To keep the hard 'g' sound of the original word 'alegar', we must insert a silent 'u'.