alguien
/ˈalɡjen/
The Spanish word for "somebody" is alguien.
Alguien is the most common and neutral term used to refer to an unspecified person in Spanish.
Meaning: some unspecified person (pron)
How does it change in a sentence?
Alguien is an invariable pronoun, meaning it does not change its form to match gender or number. When alguien is the direct object of a verb and refers to a person, you must precede it with the personal a (for example, a alguien).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈalɡjen/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using algunos when you mean "somebody". algunos is an adjective meaning "some" (plural) and is not used as the indefinite pronoun for a single unspecified person.
Did you know?
- The word alguien is likely a linguistic hybrid formed by blending alguno 'some' and quien 'who'.
- While English uses 'somebody' to refer to people, the Spanish word 'alguien' is strictly reserved for humans. You cannot use it to refer to an unspecified object or animal, unlike the more flexible 'algo'.
- The Portuguese and Galician relatives of alguien, namely alguém and alguén, place the stress on the final syllable instead of the first.
Examples in context
- Tom vio a alguien.Tom saw somebody.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use the personal a with alguien.Tatoeba #9452859 by ignacio, translation #3360557 by CK
- Alguien se lo dijo.Somebody told him.This sentence shows how alguien can function as the subject of a sentence.Tatoeba #5967582 by arh, translation #9939011 by DJ_Saidez
- Alguien ama a todos.Somebody loves everyone.This sentence demonstrates alguien as the subject of a sentence expressing affection.Tatoeba #1208990 by marcelostockle, translation #477360 by kblakes
- Hay alguien esperándote en la recepción.There is somebody waiting for you at the reception.
- ¿Conoces a alguien que quiera venir al concierto?Do you know somebody who wants to come to the concert?
- Vino un tipo preguntando por ti.Some guy came asking for you.
- ¿Conoces a alguna persona que hable italiano?Do you know somebody who speaks Italian?
- 247 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are in the kitchen.
- Javier¿Alguien ha visto mis llaves?Has somebody seen my keys?
- SofíaNo lo sé, Javier.I don't know, Javier.
- JavierCreo que alguien las movió.I think somebody moved them.
- SofíaBusca en la mesa, Sofía dice que están ahí.Look on the table, Sofía says they are there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “somebody” translations and entries alguien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
