Legar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
legar means "to bequeath" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows legar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of legar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with legar
Everyday use
Legar means to bequeath. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo lego su casa a sus hijos — "I bequeath his house to his children"
- Él lega sus libros a la biblioteca — "He bequeaths his books to the library"
- Yo legué una fortuna — "I bequeathed a fortune"
- Yo legaba su casa a sus hijos — "I used to bequeath his house to his children"
- Yo legaré sus libros a la biblioteca — "I will bequeath his books to the library"
- Yo he legado una fortuna — "I have bequeathed a fortune"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Él legó una fortuna — "He bequeathed a fortune"
- Él legaba su casa a sus hijos — "He used to bequeath his house to his children"
- Tú legarás sus libros a la biblioteca — "You will bequeath his books to the library"
- Yo legaría una fortuna — "I would bequeath a fortune"
- Yo había legado su casa a sus hijos — "I had bequeathed his house to his children"
- Nosotros legamos sus libros a la biblioteca — "We bequeath his books to the library"
Legar in conversation
The two dialogues below show legar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú legas su casa a sus hijos? — "Do you bequeath his house to his children?"
- Sí, yo lego su casa a sus hijos cada día. — "Yes, I bequeath his house to his children every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú legaste sus libros a la biblioteca? — "And yesterday? Did you bequeath his books to the library?"
- Sí, yo legué sus libros a la biblioteca. — "Yes, I bequeathed his books to the library."
- Mañana, yo legaré una fortuna también. — "Tomorrow, I will bequeath a fortune too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros legáis su casa a sus hijos? — "Do you bequeath his house to his children?"
- Sí, nosotros legamos su casa a sus hijos los fines de semana. — "Yes, We bequeath his house to his children at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos legan sus libros a la biblioteca? — "And them? Do they bequeath his books to the library?"
- Sí, ellos legan sus libros a la biblioteca también. — "Yes, They bequeath his books to the library too."
- Mañana nosotros legaremos sus libros a la biblioteca otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will bequeath his books to the library again."
Useful phrases with legar
Four patterns you can use with legar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.
- Voy a legar su casa a sus hijos. — "I am going to bequeath his house to his children."
- Quiero legar sus libros a la biblioteca. — "I want to bequeath his books to the library."
- Me gusta legar una fortuna. — "I like to bequeath a fortune."
- Acabo de legar su casa a sus hijos. — "I have just bequeathed his house to his children."
Common mistakes with legar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ellos lega su casa a sus hijos.
- Right: Ellos legan su casa a sus hijos.
- Why: Ellos needs the ellos form legan. The singular lega belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo legué.
- Right: Todos los días, yo lego.
- Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Yo soy legado sus libros a la biblioteca.
- Right: Yo he legado sus libros a la biblioteca.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he legado, has legado, ha legado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo lego.
- Right: Ayer, yo legué.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (legué). The present (lego) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él lega su casa a sus hijos.
- Right: Espero que él legue su casa a sus hijos.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: legue. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: legar in use
Ten questions on legar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of legar in the present tense?
- (a) leguemos
- (b) lego
- (c) legas
- (d) legará
Answer: (b) lego. The I form in the present is lego.
2. What is the he / she form of legar in the present tense?
- (a) habías legado
- (b) habría legado
- (c) lega
- (d) habían legado
Answer: (c) lega. The he / she form in the present is lega.
3. What is the he / she form of legar in the preterite tense?
- (a) habremos legado
- (b) legaba
- (c) legaste
- (d) legó
Answer: (d) legó. The he / she form in the preterite is legó.
4. What is the I form of legar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) legues
- (b) legáramos
- (c) habríais legado
- (d) legaba
Answer: (d) legaba. The I form in the imperfect is legaba.
5. What is the I form of legar in the future tense?
- (a) legó
- (b) legues
- (c) ha legado
- (d) legaré
Answer: (d) legaré. The I form in the future is legaré.
6. What is the I form of legar in the present perfect tense?
- (a) has legado
- (b) he legado
- (c) legara
- (d) legábamos
Answer: (b) he legado. The I form in the present perfect is he legado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ su casa a sus hijos.
- (a) leguéis
- (b) leguen
- (c) legue
- (d) legues
Answer: (c) legue. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is legue.
8. What is the we form of legar in the present tense?
- (a) habríamos legado
- (b) legué
- (c) legamos
- (d) legarían
Answer: (c) legamos. The we form in the present is legamos.
9. What is the I form of legar in the preterite tense?
- (a) has legado
- (b) legaríais
- (c) legué
- (d) legarías
Answer: (c) legué. The I form in the preterite is legué.
10. What is the they form of legar in the present tense?
- (a) legan
- (b) legará
- (c) legarías
- (d) legue
Answer: (a) legan. The they form in the present is legan.
Frequently asked questions about legar
Is legar regular?
Legar is a spelling-changing -ar (g → gu before e) verb: lego, legas, lega. See the full conjugation of legar for every tense.
What is the past participle of legar?
The past participle is legado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he legado. The gerund is legando, used with estar: estoy legando.
How do I say “I bequeath” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo legué sus libros a la biblioteca. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo legaba una fortuna.
How can I practise legar?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.