elegir
“elegir” means “to choose” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to choose, to select
Also: to pick
📝 In Action
¿Qué postre vas a elegir?
A2Which dessert are you going to choose?
Ella siempre elige el camino más difícil.
B1She always chooses the most difficult path.
Elegimos este color para la sala.
A2We selected this color for the living room.
to elect
Also: to appoint
📝 In Action
El pueblo eligió a un nuevo presidente.
B2The people elected a new president.
Debemos elegir a los miembros de la junta directiva.
C1We must elect the members of the board of directors.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: elegir
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the highly irregular 'yo' form of elegir?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin verb *eligere*, which is a combination of *ex-* (meaning 'out, from') and *legere* (meaning 'to gather, to pick, or to read'). Thus, the core meaning is 'to pick out' or 'to gather the best one.'
First recorded: Mid-13th century in Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'elegir' change spelling so much in the present tense?
It has two simultaneous sound changes. First, the 'e' becomes 'i' (a common pattern in 'ir' verbs). Second, the 'g' changes to a 'j' only when it comes immediately before an 'a' or 'o' sound (like in 'elijo' or 'elija'). This is just to ensure the sound stays consistent across the conjugations.
Is 'elegir' a reflexive verb?
No, 'elegir' is almost never used reflexively. You simply choose something ('elegir algo'). You might occasionally hear 'elegirse' to mean 'to choose oneself' but this is rare.