juzgar
/xuθˈɡaɾ/
The English phrase 'pass judgement' is translated into Spanish as juzgar.
The verb juzgar is used for the act of judging. When you are judging a person, you must use the preposition a before the person, as in juzgar a alguien.
Which one should you use?
While juzgar is the verb used for the act of judging, the noun used for the judgment itself or a legal trial is el juicio.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of juzgar is juzgado, and the gerund (present participle) is juzgando.
How do you pronounce it?
/xuθˈɡaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word juzgado is not just a past participle, but it is also the common name for a specific courthouse or judicial district.
- While juzgar is used for judging, the Spanish word for 'judgment' or 'trial' is juicio. In a colloquial sense, if someone is perdiendo el juicio, they are not losing a court case but are actually losing their mind.
- While 'juzgar' is the standard verb, in many Spanish-speaking countries, people colloquially use 'criticar' when the 'judgment' being passed is purely social or moral.
Examples in context
- El juez debe emitir un juicio basado en las pruebas presentadas.The judge must pass judgement based on the evidence presented.
- El tribunal finalmente ha dictado sentencia en el caso.The court has finally passed judgement in the case.
- No deberíamos juzgar a los demás sin conocer su historia.We shouldn't pass judgement on others without knowing their story.
- No deberías juzgar a los demás sin conocerlos.You shouldn't judge others without knowing them.
- Es muy fácil juzgar las decisiones ajenas.It is very easy to judge other people's decisions.
- Ella no quiere juzgar su situación actual.She does not want to judge his current situation.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing a mutual friend's decision.
- LucíaNo puedo creer que haya hecho eso.I can't believe he did that.
- JavierNo deberías juzgar sin saber los motivos.You shouldn't pass judgement without knowing the reasons.
- LucíaTienes razón, Javier. No lo conozco bien.You're right, Javier. I don't know him well.
- JavierExacto, es mejor no juzgar a la ligera.Exactly, it's better not to pass judgement lightly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry juzgar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
