Inklingo

cuelga

kwell-gahˈkwel.ɣa

cuelga means hangs in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

hangs, hangs upAlso: is hanging

Verb (Conjugated Form)A2Irregular (Stem-Changing) ar
A vibrant red coat is suspended from a simple wooden hook mounted on a white wall.
infinitivecolgar
past Participlecolgado
gerundcolgando

📝 In Action

Mi madre siempre cuelga la ropa en el patio.

A2

My mother always hangs the clothes in the patio.

Cuando él se enoja, cuelga sin decir adiós.

B1

When he gets angry, he hangs up without saying goodbye.

¿Quién cuelga el cartel? Yo no lo hice.

A2

Who is hanging the poster? I didn't do it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • descolgar (to unhook/pick up (the phone))

Common Collocations

  • cuelga el teléfonohangs up the phone
  • cuelga la ropahangs the clothes

Hang up!, Hang it!Also: Put it up!

B1Irregular (Stem-Changing) arneutral/informal
A close-up shot of a hand actively placing a bright blue towel onto a chrome towel rack.

📝 In Action

¡Cuelga la chaqueta en el perchero ahora mismo!

B1

Hang the jacket on the coat rack right now!

Te llamo después. ¡Cuelga!

B1

I'll call you later. Hang up!

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocolgara/colgase
colgaras/colgases
él/ella/ustedcolgara/colgase
nosotroscolgáramos/colgásemos
vosotroscolgarais/colgaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedescolgaran/colgasen

Present Subjunctive

yocuelgue
cuelgues
él/ella/ustedcuelgue
nosotroscolguemos
vosotroscolguéis
ellos/ellas/ustedescuelguen

Indicative

Preterite

yocolgué
colgaste
él/ella/ustedcolgó
nosotroscolgamos
vosotroscolgasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescolgaron

Imperfect

yocolgaba
colgabas
él/ella/ustedcolgaba
nosotroscolgábamos
vosotroscolgabais
ellos/ellas/ustedescolgaban

Present

yocuelgo
cuelgas
él/ella/ustedcuelga
nosotroscolgamos
vosotroscolgáis
ellos/ellas/ustedescuelgan

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cuelga" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cuelga

Question 1 of 2

Which of these sentences correctly uses 'cuelga' as a command?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
colgar(to hang)Verb
colgador(hanger)Noun
colgante(pendant / hanging)Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes
huelgajuerga
📚 Etymology

The verb 'colgar' comes from Vulgar Latin *collocāre*, meaning 'to place together' or 'to arrange.' Over time, its meaning shifted specifically to 'placing something high up' or 'suspending it.'

First recorded: Medieval Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: colgarCatalan: colgar

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if 'cuelga' means 'He/She hangs' or 'Hang up!'?

You need context! If the sentence has a subject (like 'Él cuelga...'), it's a statement. If it stands alone or starts a sentence with an exclamation mark (like '¡Cuelga la toalla!'), it is usually a command.

Why does the 'nosotros' form of 'colgar' not use 'ue'?

In Spanish stem-changing verbs like 'colgar,' the vowel change (o to ue) only happens when the stress falls on the root vowel. In the 'we' (nosotros) form, the stress is on the ending (-gámos), so the 'o' stays the same: 'colgamos'.