Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| afirmar | /afiɾˈmaɾ/ |
| pretender | /pɾetenˈdeɾ/ |
| alegar | /aleˈɡaɾ/ |
| sostener | /sosteˈneɾ/ |
To claim a fact or to assert something, you can use several different verbs depending on the context. Afirmar is a neutral and common way to state a fact in everyday Spanish. If you are claiming something as a legal argument or a defense, use alegar. For more formal contexts where someone is claiming or maintaining a specific position or theory in a debate, use sostener. The verb pretender can also mean to claim or to intend. When you want to express a claim about something you consider yours in an informal way, you can use the expression decir que es de uno.
Which one should you use?
While afirmar is used for general statements, alegar is specific to legal arguments. Sostener is used when maintaining a position or theory during a formal argument. Note that pretender is a false friend. It does not mean to feign or act as if something is true, but rather means to claim or intend.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/afiɾˈmaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use pretender to mean 'to pretend' (to act as if). In Spanish, pretender actually means to claim, intend or aim for something.
Did you know?
- The verb sostener shares an ancient root with pretender because both are based on the Proto-Indo-European root for 'stretching' or 'tension'.
- The word sostener is used for both the physical act of holding something up and the intellectual act of claiming a theory.
- In Spanish legal settings, alegar is not just claiming a fact but often refers to the specific act of invoking a law or a previous ruling to support a case.
Examples in context
- No podemos pretender que esto no ocurrió.We can't claim that this didn't happen.This sentence uses pretender to show inability to claim a certain event happened.Tatoeba #3436242 by mov0021, translation #9966247 by DJ_Saidez
- Ninguna religión puede ni tiene derecho a pretender ser la única religión verdadera.No religion can or has the right to claim to be the only true religion.This sentence uses pretender to discuss the right to claim a specific status.Tatoeba #1848644 by topofabi, translation #11189400 by kremel
- Hice una reclamación en la tienda porque el producto estaba defectuoso.I made a claim in the store because the product was defective.
- El abogado presentó una demanda en nombre de su cliente.The lawyer presented a claim on behalf of his client.
- Él quiere afirmar que es inocente.He wants to claim that he is innocent.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “claim” translations and entries afirmar, pretender, alegar, sostener, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afirmar, alegar, pretender, sostener, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
