Inklingo

How to Say "ruled" in Spanish

English → Spanish

mandó

verbA2general
Use this when 'ruled' means someone in authority gave an order or command.

Examples

El rey mandó construir un gran palacio.

The king ruled that a great palace be built.

fallado

fah-YAH-doh/faˈʎaðo/

past participleA2legal
This is used in compound verb forms, most commonly for a judge or jury's formal decision or verdict in a legal case.
A small, frustrated cartoon character standing next to a tall pole, holding a flag that has dropped to the ground, indicating a failed attempt to plant it on top.

Examples

El jurado ha fallado a favor del acusado.

The jury has ruled in favor of the defendant.

El equipo ha fallado tres veces en la final.

The team has failed three times in the final.

Mi coche había fallado antes de que lo vendiera.

My car had broken down before I sold it.

La jueza ha fallado a favor del demandante.

The judge has ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Forming Perfect Tenses

To talk about actions completed in the past, pair 'fallado' with a form of the verb 'haber' (e.g., 'he fallado' means 'I have failed').

No Gender Change

When 'fallado' is used as part of a verb tense (with 'haber'), it always stays 'fallado' regardless of who is doing the failing.

Using 'Ser' instead of 'Haber'

Mistake:Yo soy fallado.

Correction: Yo he fallado. Remember that 'haber' is the helper verb for almost all Spanish compound tenses, not 'ser' or 'estar'.

Order vs. Verdict

Learners often confuse 'mandó' (ordered) with 'fallado' (judged/ruled). Remember that 'mandó' is about a command from an authority figure, while 'fallado' specifically refers to a formal decision, especially in legal contexts.

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