Inklingo

How to Say "to brag" in Spanish

English → Spanish

presumir

/preh-soo-meer//pɾesuˈmiɾ/

verbA2informal
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.
A child wearing a shiny gold crown and a red cape, standing proudly on a small wooden box.

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.

alardear

/ah-lar-deh-AR//alaɾðeˈaɾ/

verbB1informal
Choose 'alardear' for a more explicit and often frowned-upon act of showing off or boasting, especially about personal qualities or possessions.
A colorful storybook illustration of a peacock with its tail feathers fully spread, standing tall on a grassy hill.

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

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