juzgado
/hooz-GAH-doh/
court
A courthouse, illustrating 'juzgado' meaning 'court' (as a place or institution).
juzgado(noun)
court
?as a place or institution
,courthouse
?the building where legal trials happen
tribunal
?legal body
📝 In Action
Tuvimos que ir al juzgado para presentar la demanda.
B1We had to go to the courthouse to file the lawsuit.
El juzgado emitió una orden de arresto contra el sospechoso.
B2The court issued an arrest warrant against the suspect.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine Noun
Remember that 'juzgado' is always masculine, so you use 'el juzgado' or 'un juzgado'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Context
This word is used specifically for the legal institution or building. Use 'corte' (court) or 'tribunal' interchangeably, especially in Latin America.
A person being tried, representing the adjective 'juzgado' meaning 'judged' (having been tried).
📝 In Action
El acusado fue juzgado y declarado inocente.
B1The defendant was judged and declared innocent.
Su conducta fue juzgada como inapropiada.
B2His conduct was evaluated as inappropriate.
💡 Grammar Points
Must Agree in Gender and Number
As an adjective, 'juzgado' must match the word it describes. If you are talking about 'la causa' (the case, feminine), you must say 'la causa fue juzgada' (feminine ending -a).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong ending
Mistake: "La persona fue juzgado."
Correction: La persona fue juzgada. (The person was judged.) Remember to change the -o to -a when describing a feminine noun.
The final action of judgment, illustrating 'juzgado' as the past participle 'judged' (used after 'haber').
juzgado(verb)
judged
?used after 'haber' (to have)
assessed
?evaluated
📝 In Action
Ellos han juzgado mal la situación.
A2They have judged the situation poorly.
¿Alguna vez has juzgado a alguien sin conocerlo?
B1Have you ever judged someone without knowing them?
💡 Grammar Points
Spelling Change Alert!
The verb 'juzgar' needs a spelling change in the preterite 'yo' form and all present subjunctive forms (g → gu) to keep the hard 'g' sound. For example, 'yo juzgué' (I judged).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing the Participle and the Adjective
Mistake: "El juez está juzgado la causa."
Correction: El juez ha juzgado la causa. (The judge has judged the case.) Remember, 'juzgado' with 'estar' means 'is judged' (adjective), while with 'haber' it forms the perfect tense (verb).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: juzgado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'juzgado' as a place?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'juzgado' (noun) and 'juicio' (noun)?
'Juzgado' refers to the physical building or the institution (the court itself). 'Juicio' refers to the actual legal process, the trial, or the judgment/opinion reached.
Is 'juzgado' irregular?
Not really! It's generally a regular '-ar' verb, but it has a common spelling change (g to gu) in forms where the 'g' is followed by an 'e' (like in the preterite 'yo' form and the present subjunctive) to keep the hard 'g' sound you hear in 'juzgar'.