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ligar

lee-GAHR/liˈɣaɾ/

“ligar” means “to flirt” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to flirt

Also: to pick someone up, to hook up
VerbB1regular arinformal
Spain
Two people sitting on a park bench, smiling warmly at each other and blushing.
gerundligando
past Participleligado
infinitiveligar

📝 In Action

Fuimos a la discoteca para ligar.

A2

We went to the club to flirt/pick someone up.

Él siempre intenta ligar con la camarera.

B1

He is always trying to flirt with the waitress.

Anoche ligué con un chico muy guapo.

B1

Last night I hooked up with a very handsome guy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • ligar con alguien – to flirt with someone
  • tener un ligue – to have a fling/hookup

to bind, to link

Also: to thicken
VerbB2regular ar
A thick brown rope tying two wooden poles together with a strong knot.
gerundligando
past Participleligado
infinitiveligar

📝 In Action

Su éxito está ligado a su esfuerzo.

B2

His success is linked to his effort.

Tienes que ligar bien los ingredientes.

B2

You have to bind the ingredients well.

Añade un poco de harina para ligar la salsa.

C1

Add a bit of flour to thicken the sauce.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • unir (to unite/join)
  • espesar (to thicken (sauce))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • intrínsecamente ligado – intrinsically linked

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesligaran
yoligara
túligaras
vosotrosligarais
nosotrosligáramos
él/ella/ustedligara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesliguen
yoligue
túligues
vosotrosliguéis
nosotrosliguemos
él/ella/ustedligue

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesligaron
yoligué
túligaste
vosotrosligasteis
nosotrosligamos
él/ella/ustedligó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesligaban
yoligaba
túligabas
vosotrosligabais
nosotrosligábamos
él/ella/ustedligaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesligan
yoligo
túligas
vosotrosligáis
nosotrosligamos
él/ella/ustedliga
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ligar" in Spanish:

to bind→to flirt→to link→to thicken→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ligar

Question 1 of 3

If you are 'ligando con alguien' at a party, what are you doing?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
ligado(linked/bound) — Adjective
ligadura(binding/tie) — Noun
ligue(a hookup/fling) — Noun
aliado(ally) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'ligare', which means 'to tie, bind, or fasten'. This root also gave us English words like 'obligation' and 'league'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: liaisonFrench: lierItalian: legare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'ligar' always romantic?

Not always. While usually social, it can mean 'to bind' or 'to link' in technical or culinary settings.

Can I use 'ligar' with my friends?

Only if you are talking about someone else you find attractive. If you say 'Ligo con mis amigos,' it implies you are flirting with your friends!

Is 'ligar' vulgar?

No, it's informal but perfectly safe for general conversation. It's not considered 'bad language'.