Alegar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

alegar means “to allege, to claim” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Alegar means to allege or to claim, to say something as a reason or an excuse, especially in court. It is a formal verb, and it is a spelling-change verb: g becomes gu before e. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of alegar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the alegar present tense page.

alegar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo alego su inocencia ante el juez. — “I allege his innocence before the judge.”
  2. Él alega ignorancia de la ley. — “He alleges ignorance of the law.”
  3. Nosotros alegamos falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “We allege lack of evidence at the trial.”
  4. Ellos alegan enfermedad para no ir a trabajar. — “They allege illness to avoid going to work.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo alegué ignorancia de la ley. — “Yesterday, I alleged ignorance of the law.”
  2. Antes, nosotros alegábamos falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “Before, we used to allege lack of evidence at the trial.”
  3. Él alegó enfermedad para no ir a trabajar. — “He alleged illness to avoid going to work.”
  4. Yo ya había alegado su inocencia ante el juez antes de salir. — “I had already alleged his innocence before the judge before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú alegarás su inocencia ante el juez. — “Tomorrow, you will allege his innocence before the judge.”
  2. Yo alegaría ignorancia de la ley si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would allege ignorance of the law if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha alegado falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “He has alleged lack of evidence at the trial.”
  4. Espero que él alegue enfermedad para no ir a trabajar. — “I hope he alleges illness to avoid going to work.”

alegar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use alegar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo alego su inocencia ante el juez. — “I allege his innocence before the judge.”
  • Bea: Él alega ignorancia de la ley. — “He alleges ignorance of the law.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo alegué ignorancia de la ley. — “Yesterday, I alleged ignorance of the law.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú alegarás su inocencia ante el juez. — “Tomorrow, you will allege his innocence before the judge.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros alegamos falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “We allege lack of evidence at the trial.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros alegábamos falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “Before, we used to allege lack of evidence at the trial.”
  • Luis: Yo alegaría ignorancia de la ley si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would allege ignorance of the law if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él alegue enfermedad para no ir a trabajar. — “I hope he alleges illness to avoid going to work.”

A short scene with alegar

A short scene shows how alegar works across the day. In the morning: Alego su inocencia ante el juez. In the afternoon: Alega ignorancia de la ley. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, alegué falta de pruebas en el juicio. And tomorrow: Mañana, alegaré enfermedad para no ir a trabajar. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how alegar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with alegar

The errors learners actually make with alegar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo alega su inocencia ante el juez.

✓ Correct: Yo alego su inocencia ante el juez.

The person matters: alega is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is alego. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Espero que yo alege ignorancia de la ley.

✓ Correct: Espero que yo alegue ignorancia de la ley.

Spelling change: becomes u before e, so the present subjunctive is alegue, never alege.

✗ Treating alegar and afirmar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Alegar means to allege, to claim, while afirmar means to state.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: alegar fits sentences such as Alego su inocencia ante el juez, while afirmar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy alegado ignorancia de la ley.

✓ Correct: Yo he alegado ignorancia de la ley.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he alegado, has alegado, ha alegado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo alegué falta de pruebas en el juicio todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo alegaba falta de pruebas en el juicio todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (alegaba), not the preterite. The preterite (alegué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: alegar in use

Ten questions on alegar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ ignorancia de la ley. — “He/she alleges ignorance of the law.”

  • a) alega
  • b) alego
  • c) alegas
  • d) alegamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “Yesterday, I alleged lack of evidence at the trial.”

  • a) alegaste
  • b) alegó
  • c) alegaron
  • d) alegué

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ enfermedad para no ir a trabajar cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to allege illness to avoid going to work when they were young.”

  • a) alegabas
  • b) alegábamos
  • c) alegaban
  • d) alegaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ su inocencia ante el juez. — “Tomorrow, we will allege his innocence before the judge.”

  • a) alegarán
  • b) alegaremos
  • c) alegaré
  • d) alegarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ ignorancia de la ley si pudiera. — “He would allege ignorance of the law if he could.”

  • a) alegaría
  • b) alegarías
  • c) alegaríamos
  • d) alego

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ falta de pruebas en el juicio. — “I have alleged lack of evidence at the trial.”

  • a) has alegado
  • b) ha alegado
  • c) han alegado
  • d) he alegado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ enfermedad para no ir a trabajar. — “I hope you allege illness to avoid going to work.”

  • a) aleguemos
  • b) alego
  • c) alegues
  • d) alegue

8. Which is the past participle of alegar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) alegué
  • b) alegado
  • c) alegando
  • d) alego

9. What does alegar mean in English?

  • a) to allege, to claim
  • b) to state
  • c) to alert
  • d) to lodge, to house

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él alega ignorancia de la ley.
  • b) Él alego ignorancia de la ley.
  • c) Nosotros alega falta de pruebas en el juicio.
  • d) Yo alega su inocencia ante el juez.

Answer key

  1. a) alega — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: alega.

  2. d) alegué — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: alegué, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) alegaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: alegaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) alegaremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: alegaremos.

  5. a) alegaría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: alegaría.

  6. d) he alegado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he alegado, haber + alegado.

  7. c) alegues — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is alegues.

  8. b) alegado — The past participle is alegado: he alegado, has alegado, ha alegado. The gerund alegando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to allege, to claim — alegar means to allege, to claim. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él alega ignorancia de la ley. — Él alega ignorancia de la ley. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use alegar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Alego su inocencia ante el juez and Alega ignorancia de la ley. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between alegar and afirmar?

Alegar means “to allege, to claim”, while afirmar means “to state”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use alegar when you mean “to allege, to claim” and afirmar when you mean “to state”.

Which tense do I need most with alegar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use alegar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is alegar formal or informal?

Alegar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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