demandar a alguien
/demandaɾ a alɡjen/from spelling rules
To sue someone in Spanish is to demandar a alguien.
The phrase demandar a alguien is used to describe starting a legal process against a person in a court of law. Note that the verb demandar is polysemous. While it means 'to sue' in a legal context, it can also mean 'to demand' in a general sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this phrase, you must include the personal 'a' before the person being sued. If you wish to express that someone sued someone in the past, you can use the third-person singular preterite form demandó a alguien.
How do you pronounce it?
/demandaɾ a alɡjen/
Did you know?
- The verb demandar comes from the Latin demandāre, which shares an ancient root with the word 'hand' through the Proto-Italic manus.
- In Spanish, the term for a 'lawsuit' is pleito, which is also used as a common word for a 'quarrel' or a 'fight'.
- The word alguien is a linguistic oddity because its stress shifted over time to mirror the patterns of algo and nadie.
Examples in context
- Mi abogado me recomendó interponer una demanda contra la compañía.My lawyer advised me to sue the company.
- Carlos está considerando demandar a su vecino por los daños en su propiedad.Carlos is considering suing his neighbor for the damages to his property.
- Estoy interesado en demandar a alguien por incumplimiento de contrato. ¿Podría recomendarme un abogado especializado en esto?I'm interested in suing someone for breach of contract. Could you recommend a lawyer specialized in this?
- Voy a demandar a la empresa.I am going to sue the company.
- Voy a demandar a alguien por este accidente.I am going to sue someone for this accident.
- Él decidió demandar a alguien para recuperar su dinero.He decided to sue someone to recover his money.
- No puedes demandar a alguien sin pruebas claras.You cannot sue someone without clear evidence.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are discussing a business dispute.
- ElenaDaniel, creo que debo demandar a alguien en el contrato.Daniel, I think I should sue someone in the contract.
- DanielEs una decisión difícil, Elena. ¿Estás segura?It is a difficult decision, Elena. Are you sure?
- ElenaSí, porque no quieren pagar lo acordado.Yes, because they don't want to pay what was agreed.
- DanielEntonces busca un abogado antes de demandar a alguien.Then look for a lawyer before suing someone.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, alguien, demandar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
