How to Say "to accuse" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to accuse” is “acusar” — use 'acusar' when you want to state that someone has officially or formally claimed that another person has done something wrong or illegal.
acusar
ah-koo-SAHRakuˈsaɾ
Examples
El testigo acusó al sospechoso de robo a mano armada.
The witness accused the suspect of armed robbery.
Ella me acusó de haber roto su vaso favorito.
She accused me of having broken her favorite glass.
El hombre fue acusado de robo ante el juez.
The man was accused of theft before the judge.
No puedes acusar a alguien sin tener pruebas.
You cannot accuse someone without having proof.
Using the word 'de'
In Spanish, we always use the word 'de' after 'acusar' to connect the action to the reason for the accusation. For example: 'Acusar de robo' (Accuse of theft).
Pointing at someone
When you mention the person being accused, remember to use 'a' before their name or the person word: 'Acusar a Juan'.
Wrong connector
Mistake: “Me acusó por mentir.”
Correction: Me acusó DE mentir.
culpar
kool-pahrkulˈpaɾ
Examples
No me culpes por llegar tarde; el tráfico era terrible.
Don't blame me for being late; the traffic was terrible.
No puedes culpar al clima por tu mala actitud.
You can't blame the weather for your bad attitude.
Todos culparon al conductor del accidente.
Everyone blamed the driver for the accident.
La policía no pudo culpar a nadie con las pruebas que tenía.
The police couldn't accuse anyone with the evidence they had.
Using the Personal 'a'
When you blame a person (the direct object), you must use the little word 'a' right before their name or description: 'Culpé a mi hermano' (I blamed my brother).
Structure: Blame for WHAT?
To specify the reason for the blame, use the preposition 'por': 'Me culparon por el error' (They blamed me for the mistake).
Confusing 'Culpar' and 'Echar la culpa'
Mistake: “Using 'culpar' as a noun phrase, like 'Él me echó la culpar.'”
Correction: The common way to assign blame is 'echar la culpa': 'Él me echó la culpa' (He put the blame on me). 'Culpar' is just the verb: 'Él me culpó'.
Acusar vs. Culpar
Related Translations
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