Inklingo

How to Say "reject" in Spanish

English → Spanish

negar

neh-GAHR/neˈɣaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'negar' when you mean to deny a statement, a claim, or a fact, essentially saying 'no' to something that is being asserted.
A friendly cartoon character firmly shaking their head 'no' with a strong, decisive expression, their hand held up in a stopping gesture, illustrating the act of denying a statement.

Examples

Él niega haber recibido el pago.

He denies having received the payment.

Ella niega haber estado en la fiesta.

She denies having been at the party.

El banco me negó el préstamo.

The bank refused me the loan.

La empresa le negó la entrada a la fábrica.

The company denied him entry to the factory.

Stem Change Alert (e → ie)

In the present tense, the 'e' in the middle changes to 'ie' (like 'nIEgo'), except for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms, which stay regular (negamos, negáis).

Spelling Change in Preterite

To keep the 'g' sounding hard (like the 'g' in 'go') before the 'e' in the 'yo' form of the past tense, you must add a 'u': 'negué'. This is a common spelling rule for all -gar verbs.

Using Subjunctive After Denying

Mistake:Él niega que *sea* el culpable.

Correction: When denying a fact, Spanish typically uses the standard verb form (Indicative) in the second part: 'Él niega que *es* el culpable.' (He denies that he is the culprit).

rechazado

reh-chah-ZAH-doh/retʃaˈθaðo/

nounC1general
Use 'rechazado' when referring to a person or thing that has been refused, dismissed, or cast out; it describes someone or something that is an outcast or has been rejected.
A single, slightly bruised red apple sitting alone on the ground, clearly separated from a nearby basket overflowing with perfect, shiny apples.

Examples

El perro es un rechazado del refugio.

The dog is a reject from the shelter.

La novela narra la vida de un rechazado social.

The novel recounts the life of a social outcast.

Los rechazados del grupo formaron su propio club.

The rejects of the group formed their own club.

Adjective as Noun

In Spanish, the adjective form ('rechazado') can often be used directly as a noun by placing an article (like 'el' or 'un') in front of it, referring to the person or thing itself.

Negar vs. Rechazado

Learners often confuse 'negar' and 'rechazado' because 'reject' can imply both denial and dismissal in English. Remember that 'negar' is a verb used for denying claims or facts, while 'rechazado' is a noun referring to the entity that has been rejected.

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