Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mordida | /moɾˈdida/ | Mexico, feminine |
| soborno | /soˈboɾno/ | masculine |
| coima | /ˈkoima/ | Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, colloquial, feminine |
| alfadía | /alfaˈdia/ | feminine |
| merusa | /meɾusa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| bajín | /baxin/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| convoluto | /komboˈluto/ | masculine |
All these terms refer to an inducement to a breaking of the rules. The term corrupción activa can be used to describe an active act of corruption, which includes the act of bribery itself.
Which one should you use?
soborno is the standard, neutral and most formal term used in legal or journalistic contexts. In contrast, mordida is a colloquial term. While soborno is a direct and common translation, other terms like alfadía, merusa, bajín and convoluto also exist as nouns for a bribe.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
soborno and cohecho are used in formal, legal or governmental settings. mordida and coima are colloquial. coimear is a colloquial verb used in regions where coima is common.
Is it said differently in some regions?
mordida is a term used in Mexico and Latin America. coima is the common colloquial term in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of bribing someone, use the standard verb sobornar. The colloquial verb coimear can also be used to mean taking or giving a bribe.
How do you pronounce it?
/moɾˈdida/
When do people say it?
In Mexico, the term mordida literally means 'bite' but is used colloquially to refer to a bribe.
Did you know?
- The term alfadía reveals a hidden history of gift-giving, as it descends from the Arabic word for 'donation' or 'offering'.
- The Spanish language differentiates between corrupción activa, the act of offering the bribe, and the act of receiving it.
- Words like merusa, bajín and convoluto are highly specific regionalisms that would likely confuse a speaker from a different Spanish-speaking country.
Examples in context
- ¿Aceptaste o no el soborno?Did you or did you not accept the bribe?This sentence is useful for asking if a bribe was accepted using soborno.Tatoeba #1368415 by marcelostockle, translation #326581 by CK
- Él se negó a aceptar el soborno.He refused to take the bribe.This sentence is useful for describing someone refusing to take a bribe using soborno.Tatoeba #1879650 by Shishir, translation #304859 by CK
- Tom negó haber aceptado el soborno.Tom denied that he had accepted the bribe.This sentence is useful for showing a denial of accepting a bribe using soborno.Tatoeba #1368420 by marcelostockle, translation #1026507 by CK
- El político fue arrestado por aceptar un soborno.The politician was arrested for accepting a bribe.
- La empresa enfrenta acusaciones de cohecho.The company faces allegations of bribery.
- Nos pidieron una mordida para agilizar los trámites.They asked for a bribe to expedite the paperwork.
- En ese país, es común escuchar sobre sobres en situaciones legales.In that country, it is common to hear about bribes in legal situations.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about a bad experience at a traffic stop.
- Elena¿Te detuvo el oficial de tránsito?Did the traffic officer stop you?
- MateoSí, y me pidió una mordida.Yes, and he asked me for a bribe.
- Elena¡Qué descarado! ¿Qué hiciste tú?How shameless! What did you do?
- MateoNo le di nada y seguí mi camino.I didn't give him anything and I kept going.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bribe” translations and entries mordida, soborno, coima, alfadía, convoluto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alfadía, coima, soborno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
