ley
/ˈlei/feminine
The Spanish word for law is ley.
ley refers to any rule that must or should be obeyed. In formal contexts, you may encounter other terms: Derecho is used for law, Legislación refers to legislation and the process of making laws and Normativa is used when referring to regulations or specific legal provisions.
Meaning: any rule that must or should be obeyed (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
ley is a feminine noun. The plural form is leyes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlei/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because ley is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article la instead of the masculine article el.
Did you know?
- The phrase la ley is often used colloquially in some Spanish-speaking countries to refer specifically to the police.
- Spanish speakers use the phrase ley del mínimo esfuerzo to describe the 'law of least effort', a common idiomatic way to call someone lazy.
- In some contexts, derecho can mean 'straight' or 'right', creating potential confusion when someone discusses 'the law' and 'a straight line' using the same word.
Examples in context
- Él es la ley.He is the law.This sentence shows how to use ley to identify a person as the law.Tatoeba #1133075 by cueyayotl, translation #1133021 by bluepie88
- Así es la ley.That's the law.This sentence demonstrates how to say 'that's the law' using ley.Tatoeba #1754802 by marcelostockle, translation #971760 by CM
- Esta es una ley.This is a law.This sentence is an example of how to state 'this is a law' using ley.Tatoeba #1754803 by marcelostockle, translation #971761 by CM
- Estudio derecho en la universidad.I study law at the university.
- La legislación actual está en constante cambio.The current legislation is constantly changing.
- Es importante cumplir con toda la normativa vigente.It is important to comply with all the current regulations.
- No me gustan las leyes de tránsito tan estrictas.I don't like such strict traffic laws.
- 195 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing a new city regulation.
- LucíaEsta nueva ley es muy estricta.This new law is very strict.
- AlejandroSí, pero es necesaria para todos.Yes, but it is necessary for everyone.
- LucíaNo creo que la ley sea justa.I don't think the law is fair.
- AlejandroDe todos modos, debemos obedecerla, Lucía.Anyway, we must obey it, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “law” translations and entries ley, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
