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How to Say "judge" in Spanish

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juez

/hwehs//xweθ/ (Spain) or /xwɛs/ (Americas)

nounB1formal
Use 'juez' when referring to the official legal authority who presides over a court and makes rulings, or to someone evaluating performances in a competition.
A serious person wearing a black robe sitting behind a large wooden bench in a simplified courtroom setting, holding a wooden gavel in one hand, symbolizing a legal official.

Examples

El juez dictó sentencia después de escuchar todas las pruebas.

The judge handed down the sentence after hearing all the evidence.

Necesitamos un juez imparcial para resolver este conflicto.

We need an impartial judge to resolve this conflict.

Mi hermana quiere estudiar derecho para ser jueza en el futuro.

My sister wants to study law to be a judge in the future.

Los jueces de patinaje le dieron una puntuación perfecta.

The skating judges gave him a perfect score.

Masculine vs. Feminine

This word is the standard form for a male judge. If you are referring to a female judge, the preferred and most common form is 'la jueza'.

Using the Plural

To talk about more than one judge, you just add '-ces' to the end: 'jueces'. The stress stays on the 'e'.

Using 'Juez' for Sports Referees

Mistake: “Using 'juez' when referring to a soccer referee.”

Correction: While sometimes accurate in a general sense, the specific term for a referee in sports like soccer or basketball is usually 'árbitro'.

juez

/hwehs//xweθ/ (Spain) or /xwɛs/ (Americas)

nounB1informal
Use 'juez' when referring to someone who evaluates performances or decides winners in artistic or competitive settings like diving or cooking shows.
A serious person wearing a black robe sitting behind a large wooden bench in a simplified courtroom setting, holding a wooden gavel in one hand, symbolizing a legal official.

Examples

Los jueces de patinaje le dieron una puntuación perfecta.

The skating judges gave him a perfect score.

El juez dictó sentencia después de escuchar todas las pruebas.

The judge handed down the sentence after hearing all the evidence.

Necesitamos un juez imparcial para resolver este conflicto.

We need an impartial judge to resolve this conflict.

Mi hermana quiere estudiar derecho para ser jueza en el futuro.

My sister wants to study law to be a judge in the future.

Masculine vs. Feminine

This word is the standard form for a male judge. If you are referring to a female judge, the preferred and most common form is 'la jueza'.

Using the Plural

To talk about more than one judge, you just add '-ces' to the end: 'jueces'. The stress stays on the 'e'.

Using 'Juez' for Sports Referees

Mistake: “Using 'juez' when referring to a soccer referee.”

Correction: While sometimes accurate in a general sense, the specific term for a referee in sports like soccer or basketball is usually 'árbitro'.

jurado

hoo-RAH-doh/xuˈɾa.ðo/

nounB2formal
Use 'jurado' when referring to an individual member of a group (a jury) responsible for making a judgment, especially in a legal trial or a competition.
A close-up illustration of a single person sitting alone at a small desk, appearing deep in thought, representing an individual juror.

Examples

Cada jurado debe mantener la imparcialidad.

Each juror must maintain impartiality.

Yo fui jurado en un concurso de pastelería el año pasado.

I was a judge in a baking contest last year.

Gender and Person

If you are talking about a female juror, you can say 'la jurado' or 'la miembro del jurado', depending on local preference, although the official title is generally masculine because the original noun 'el jurado' is masculine.

Juez vs. Jurado

Learners often confuse 'juez' and 'jurado'. Remember that 'juez' is the single authority figure (like a judge in a courtroom or a competition official), while 'jurado' refers to an individual member of a group decision-making body, like a jury member.

Related Translations

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