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alegrar

ah-leh-GRARaleˈɣɾaɾ

to cheer up

Also: to brighten up, to make someone's day
VerbA2regular ar
General
A child handing a bright yellow flower to a sad-looking friend who starts to smile.
gerundalegrando
infinitivealegrar
past Participlealegrado

📝 In Action

Tu visita va a alegrar mucho a mi abuela.

A2

Your visit is going to cheer my grandmother up a lot.

Unas flores nuevas alegrarán la sala.

B1

Some new flowers will brighten up the living room.

Verte me alegra el día.

A2

Seeing you makes my day.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • animar (to encourage/cheer up)
  • regocijar (to gladden/rejoice)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • alegrar el día – to make someone's day
  • alegrar la vista – to be pleasant to look at
  • alegrar la cara – to look happier

Idioms & Expressions

  • alegrarle el oído a alguien – to tell someone what they want to hear

to be glad

Also: to be happy for someone
VerbA2regular/pronominal ar
A person jumping high in the air with a wide smile and arms raised in celebration.
gerundalegrándose
infinitivealegrarse
past Participlealegrado

📝 In Action

Me alegro mucho de verte.

A1

I'm very glad to see you.

Nos alegramos por tu nuevo trabajo.

A2

We are happy for your new job.

Me alegro de que estés bien.

B1

I'm glad that you are well.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • contentarse (to be satisfied/happy)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • alegrarse de corazón – to be genuinely happy
  • alegrarse mucho – to be very glad

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoalegre
túalegres
él/ella/ustedalegre
nosotrosalegremos
vosotrosalegréis
ellos/ellas/ustedesalegren

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoalegrara
túalegraras
él/ella/ustedalegrara
nosotrosalegráramos
vosotrosalegrarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesalegraran

Indicative

Present

yoalegro
túalegras
él/ella/ustedalegra
nosotrosalegramos
vosotrosalegráis
ellos/ellas/ustedesalegran

Preterite

yoalegré
túalegraste
él/ella/ustedalegró
nosotrosalegramos
vosotrosalegrasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesalegraron

Imperfect

yoalegraba
túalegrabas
él/ella/ustedalegraba
nosotrosalegrábamos
vosotrosalegrabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesalegraban
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: alegrar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I am glad to see you'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
alegría(happiness/joy) — Noun
alegre(happy/cheerful) — Adjective
alegremente(happily) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'alacer', which meant 'lively', 'quick', or 'eager'. It shares roots with the English word 'alacrity'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: allegrareFrench: allégrer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'alegrar' and 'alegrarse'?

'Alegrar' is used when someone or something makes another person happy (e.g., The flowers cheer me up). 'Alegrarse' is used when you are talking about your own feeling of being glad (e.g., I am glad for you).

Is 'alegrar' a regular verb?

Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar, making it quite easy to conjugate.

Can I use 'alegrar' for objects?

Yes. You can say that a bright color 'alegra' a room or that a tie 'alegra' a suit, meaning it makes it look more vibrant and less boring.