postular
“postular” means “to apply” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to apply
Also: to nominate, to run for office
📝 In Action
Me quiero postular para el puesto de gerente.
B1I want to apply for the manager position.
El partido decidió postular a una candidata joven.
B2The party decided to nominate a young female candidate.
Juan se postuló a la presidencia del club.
B2Juan ran for the presidency of the club.
to postulate
Also: to hypothesize
📝 In Action
Einstein postuló la teoría de la relatividad.
C1Einstein postulated the theory of relativity.
Los científicos postulan que el clima cambiará drásticamente.
C1Scientists postulate that the climate will change drastically.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: postular
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence is the best way to say 'I am applying for the job'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'postulare', which means 'to ask, demand, or request'.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'postular' more common than 'aplicar'?
Yes, for job applications in Spanish. 'Aplicar' is often a direct translation from English that doesn't sound natural to native speakers.
Do I always need to use 'se' with postular?
Only if you are the one applying. Use 'me postulo' (I apply) or 'se postuló' (he applied). If you are nominating someone else, you don't need 'se'.
Can I use 'postular' for university entries?
Absolutely! It's very common to say 'postular a la universidad' when you are trying to get into a degree program.