regalar
/reɡaˈlaɾ/
The English phrase "give away" is translated into Spanish as regalar.
The verb regalar is used specifically when the act of giving is intended as a present or a gesture of generosity.
Meaning: to make a gift of something (verb)
Which one should you use?
While regalar means to give something as a gift, it is distinct from entregar, which means to hand something over or deliver it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular future tense of regalar is regalaré (I will give away), and the third-person singular preterite form is regaló (he/she gave away).
How do you pronounce it?
/reɡaˈlaɾ/
Did you know?
- While regalar is for gifts, if you want to 'give away' a secret, you should use the verb contar, not regalar.
- The Spanish word regalar shares a surprising connection to the English word 'gala', both stemming from an Old French root meaning 'to enjoy oneself'.
- In certain contexts, regalar can be used ironically to describe a mistake, such as regalar el partido, meaning to 'give away' a game by playing poorly.
Examples in context
- Voy a donar estos libros a la bibliotecaI am going to give away these books to the library
- La empresa hizo una donación de $10,000 a la organización benéficaThe company made a $10,000 donation to the charity
- Voy a regalar mi viejo teléfono a mi hermanoI'm going to give away my old phone to my brother
- Voy a dar estos juguetes a los niños del vecindarioI am going to give away these toys to the neighborhood children
- La empresa decidió donar una suma considerable al fondo benéfico.The company decided to give away a substantial amount to the charity fund.
- La organización hizo una donación de alimentos no perecederos a los afectados por la inundación.The organization gave away non-perishable food to those affected by the flood.
- Quiero regalar este libro a mi hermana.I want to give this book away to my sister.
- Él decidió regalar su coche viejo.He decided to give away his old car.
- Ellos van a regalar la ropa que no usan.They are going to give away the clothes they don't use.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are talking in their living room about old items.
- MaríaAlejandro, ¿quieres regalar tu colección de discos?Alejandro, do you want to give away your record collection?
- AlejandroSí, quiero regalar todos mis discos viejos.Yes, I want to give away all my old records.
- MaríaYo puedo regalar algunos de mis libros también.I can give away some of my books too.
- Alejandro¡Qué buena idea, María!That's a great idea, María!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry regalar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries regalar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
