Inklingo

intriga

een-TREE-gahinˈtɾiɣa

intriga means mystery in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

mystery, intrigue

Also: plot, suspense
NounfB1
A mysterious old wooden door slightly ajar with a bright golden light glowing from the crack in a dark room.

📝 In Action

La película está llena de intriga de principio a fin.

B1

The movie is full of mystery from beginning to end.

Me muero de la intriga por saber qué hay en la caja.

A2

I'm dying of curiosity to know what's in the box.

Descubrieron una intriga política para ganar las elecciones.

C1

They discovered a political plot to win the elections.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • lleno de intrigafull of suspense
  • mantener la intrigato keep the suspense going
  • novela de intrigamystery novel

Idioms & Expressions

  • quedarse con la intrigato be left wondering or in suspense

to intrigue, to pique someone's interest

Also: to scheme
VerbB1regular with spelling change ar
A curious cat peering intensely into a colorful, gift-wrapped box with a lifted lid.
gerundintrigando
past Participleintrigado
infinitiveintrigar

📝 In Action

Ese hombre me intriga; nunca habla de su pasado.

B1

That man intrigues me; he never talks about his past.

Me intriga saber cómo terminó el libro.

B1

I'm curious to know how the book ended.

Los políticos intrigaron para cambiar la ley.

C1

The politicians plotted to change the law.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • aburrir (to bore)
  • desinteresar (to make uninterested)

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yointrigara
intrigaras
él/ella/ustedintrigara
nosotrosintrigáramos
vosotrosintrigarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesintrigaran

Present Subjunctive

yointrigue
intrigues
él/ella/ustedintrigue
nosotrosintriguemos
vosotrosintriguéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintriguen

Indicative

Preterite

yointrigué
intrigaste
él/ella/ustedintrigó
nosotrosintrigamos
vosotrosintrigasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintrigaron

Imperfect

yointrigaba
intrigabas
él/ella/ustedintrigaba
nosotrosintrigábamos
vosotrosintrigabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesintrigaban

Present

yointrigo
intrigas
él/ella/ustedintriga
nosotrosintrigamos
vosotrosintrigáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintrigan

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "intriga" in Spanish:

intriguemysteryplotsuspenseto intrigueto scheme

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: intriga

Question 1 of 3

How would you say 'I am curious/intrigued' using the verb form?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
intrigar(to intrigue)Verb
intrigante(intriguing)Adjective
intrigado(intrigued)Adjective
intriguista(schemer)Noun
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Latin 'intricare', meaning 'to entangle or perplex'. It shares the same roots as the word 'intricate'.

First recorded: 16th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: intrigueFrench: intrigueItalian: intrigo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'intriga' always negative, like a bad plot?

Not at all! While it can mean a secret scheme, it's very often used just to mean deep interest or curiosity about something mysterious.

What's the difference between 'misterio' and 'intriga'?

'Misterio' is something unknown. 'Intriga' usually involves a 'hook' that makes you want to find out more, or a human element of plotting.

Can I use 'intriga' for a person?

Yes! You can say 'Esa mujer me intriga' to mean you find her mysterious and interesting.