jactancia
/xaɡˈtanθja/feminine
Bragging in Spanish is expressed as jactancia. Wiktionary also lists alarde.
Meaning: the act of one who brags (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| jactancia | /xaɡˈtanθja/ /xaɡˈtansja/ |
feminine |
| alarde | /aˈlaɾde/ | masculine |
The term refers to the act of one who brags (noun). While jactancia is a feminine noun that focuses on the verbal act of boasting, alarde is a masculine noun that often implies a visible display or a show of something.
Which one should you use?
Jactancia is a more formal or literary noun used to describe the act of boasting. In contrast, alarde is a common term that often carries a connotation of a visible display or showing off.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of bragging, use the verb alardear. When you want to say you are bragging about something, this verb is typically followed by the preposition de. The word alardeando is the gerund form used to describe the continuous action of bragging.
How do you pronounce it?
/xaɡˈtanθja/
Did you know?
- To describe someone who brags in a colloquial way, Spanish speakers use the verb fantasmear, which comes from the word fantasma meaning 'ghost'.
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, hacer un alarde can refer to a formal military parade or a display of weaponry rather than just personal boasting.
- In legal contexts, jactancia relates to jactancia de derecho, a specific type of legal claim where a party boasts of having a right that they cannot actually prove.
Examples in context
- Estamos alardeando sobre nuestro nuevo bote.We are bragging about our new boat.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of alarde in a continuous action.Tatoeba #1701717 by marcelostockle, translation #1700562 by Amastan
- Siempre está alardeando de cuánto dinero gana.He's always bragging about how much money he makes.This sentence shows how to use the verb to describe someone's habit of bragging.Tatoeba #10827807 by megamanenm, translation #10827801 by megamanenm
- Él siempre está presumiendo de sus logrosHe is always bragging about his accomplishments
- Está constantemente jactándose de su riquezaHe is constantly bragging about his wealth
- Deja de vanagloriarte de tus éxitosStop bragging about your successes
- Siempre está fardeando de su nuevo cocheHe is always bragging about his new car
- Ella es muy presumida y siempre está hablando de sus logrosShe is very braggy and always talking about her accomplishments
- Deja de dártelas de superior, eso ya no impresiona a nadieStop bragging, it doesn't impress anyone anymore
- Ella se la pasa presumiendo de su inteligencia y sus notas en la escuela.She is always bragging about her intelligence and grades at school.
- Deja de fardear con tus vacaciones lujosas, no es necesario que siempre te jactes de eso.Stop bragging about your luxurious vacations, there's no need to always boast about it.
- Él siempre se las da de ser el mejor jugador de la liga, pero todos sabemos que no es cierto.He always brags about being the best player in the league, but we all know it's not true.
- Su jactancia me resulta muy molesta.His bragging is very annoying to me.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a boastful coworker.
- DanielDaniel dice que es el mejor del equipo.Daniel says he is the best on the team.
- MaríaSu jactancia es realmente molesta, María piensa.His bragging is really annoying, María thinks.
- DanielTienes razón, es demasiado.You're right, it's too much.
- MaríaOjalá fuera más humilde.I wish he were more humble.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bragging” translations and entries jactancia, alarde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
