How to Say "to brag" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to brag” is “presumir” — use 'presumir' when someone is showing off something they own or have achieved, often with a slightly boastful or even envious connotation for the listener.
Use 'presumir' when someone is showing off something they own or have achieved, often with a slightly boastful or even envious connotation for the listener.
Learn more →
Choose 'alardear' for a more explicit and often frowned-upon act of showing off or boasting, especially about personal qualities or possessions.
Learn more →preh-soo-meerpɾesuˈmiɾ
Examples
A Juan le encanta presumir de su coche nuevo.
Juan loves showing off his new car.
Ella siempre presume de sus buenas notas.
She always boasts about her good grades.
No es bueno presumir tanto delante de los demás.
It's not good to show off so much in front of others.
Using 'de' for the thing you show off
When you want to say what someone is showing off, always use the word 'de' after the verb. Example: 'Presume de dinero' (He shows off his money).
Missing the 'de'
Mistake: “Él presume su casa.”
Correction: Él presume de su casa.
ah-lar-deh-ARalaɾðeˈaɾ
Examples
No es bueno alardear de cuánto dinero ganas.
It's not good to boast about how much money you earn.
Él siempre alardea de su coche nuevo ante sus amigos.
He is always bragging about his new car to his friends.
Ella alardeó de haber terminado el maratón en tres horas.
She boasted about having finished the marathon in three hours.
The mandatory 'de'
In Spanish, you don't just brag something; you brag of something. Always use the word 'de' after 'alardear' to connect to what you are boasting about.
Regular -AR pattern
This verb follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar', you can conjugate 'alardear'!
Using 'con' instead of 'de'
Mistake: “Alardear con mi coche.”
Correction: Alardear de mi coche.
Choosing Between 'Presumir' and 'Alardear'
Learners often confuse 'presumir' and 'alardear' because both mean 'to show off.' The main difference is intensity and connotation: 'presumir' is more common and can be neutral or slightly negative, while 'alardear' often implies a more deliberate and sometimes disliked form of boasting.
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.