Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| supuestamente | /suˌpwestaˈmente/ |
| dizque | /ˈdiθke/ /ˈdiske/ |
| pretendidamente | /pɾetenˌdidaˈmente/ |
| alegadamente | /aleˌɡadaˈmente/ |
What does it mean word for word?
The word supuestamente is built from the adjective supuesto (supposed) and the suffix -mente, which is the equivalent of the English suffix '-ly'.
Which one should you use?
While supuestamente is a neutral term, dizque is a colloquial way to express 'allegedly' or 'supposedly' and is often used to express skepticism or doubt about a claim. Pretendidamente is less common for 'allegedly' and carries a stronger nuance of 'pretended' or 'feigned' rather than just an unverified allegation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal contexts, you can use supuestamente or presuntamente. The term alegadamente is also used in formal legal or journalistic contexts, though some purists criticize it as an anglicism. For informal settings, you might use según to convey the notion of 'allegedly' or use the colloquial dizque.
How do you pronounce it?
/suˌpwestaˈmente/
Did you know?
- The colloquial term dizque is actually a shortened version of the phrase dice que, which literally means 'says that'.
- In many Latin American countries, dizque is not just a translation for 'allegedly' but is used as a sarcastic marker to mock someone who is pretending to be something they are not.
- In legal Spanish, presuntamente is often preferred over supuestamente because it implies a legal presumption of innocence rather than a mere supposition.
Examples in context
- Ella supuestamente le mató.She allegedly killed him.This sentence uses supuestamente to describe an alleged killing.Tatoeba #1709168 by teskmon, translation #886941 by CK
- Ella supuestamente le asesinó.She allegedly murdered him.This sentence uses supuestamente to describe an alleged murder.Tatoeba #1709169 by teskmon, translation #886942 by CK
- Supuestamente ella le mató en defensa propia.She allegedly killed him in self-defense.Tatoeba #1330942 by Shishir, translation #886940 by CK
- El acusado presuntamente cometió el crimenThe accused allegedly committed the crime
- La empresa supuestamente violó las regulacionesThe company allegedly violated the regulations
- Juan supuestamente se olvidó del cumpleaños de MaríaJuan allegedly forgot Maria's birthday
- Según mis amigos, ella supuestamente está saliendo con CarlosAccording to my friends, she is allegedly dating Carlos
- El político presuntamente recibió sobornos millonarios.The politician allegedly received million-dollar bribes.
- El acusado supuestamente cometió el robo.The accused allegedly committed the robbery.
- Mi vecino supuestamente tiene un tigre en su casa.My neighbor allegedly has a tiger in his house.
- Según mis amigos, supuestamente el examen es muy fácil.According to my friends, allegedly the exam is very easy.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing a news report about a crime.
- MateoMaría, ¿viste que el banco fue robado?María, did you see that the bank was robbed?
- MaríaSí, supuestamente el ladrón entró por la ventana.Yes, allegedly the thief entered through the window.
- Mateo¿De verdad lo dice la policía?Does the police really say that?
- MaríaSí, es lo que dice la noticia.Yes, that is what the news says.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “allegedly” translations and entries supuestamente, dizque, pretendidamente, alegadamente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
