sospechoso
/sospeˈt͡ʃoso/masculine
The English word "suspect" (as a noun) is translated into Spanish as sospechoso.
sospechoso refers to a person suspected of something. You may also encounter the verb sospechar, which means to believe to be guilty or the adjective suspecto and sospechoso, which describe someone viewed with suspicion.
Meaning: person suspected of something (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun changes based on gender and number. Use sospechosa to refer to a female suspect. For plural forms, use sospechosos to refer to a group of male suspects or a mixed-gender group and use sospechosas when referring exclusively to a group of female suspects.
How do you pronounce it?
/sospeˈtʃoso/
Did you know?
- In Spanish legal contexts, a person under official investigation is often called a sospechoso, but once formally charged, they are referred to as an imputado or procesado.
- While sospechoso is the standard term for a criminal suspect, in certain Latin American countries, the word sospechoso can also be used colloquially to describe someone who is acting 'shady' or 'suspicious' in a non-criminal, social sense.
- The word sospechar can be used not only for criminal suspicion but also to express a hunch or a feeling that something is about to happen.
Examples in context
- Es nuestro único sospechoso.He's our only suspect.Tatoeba #11839458 by Seael, translation #1956286 by Spamster
- Ella interrogó a un sospechoso.She interrogated a suspect.Tatoeba #3147832 by marcelostockle, translation #2879060 by Amastan
- Yanni es el sospechoso número uno.Yanni is the number one suspect.Tatoeba #10179892 by saverius, translation #10179829 by Amastan
- ¿Conoce a algún sospechoso en el área?Do you know any suspects in the area?
- Sí, vi a un sospechoso merodeando cerca del lugar del crimen.Yes, I saw a suspect lurking near the crime scene.
- Creo que el pelado de al lado está cometiendo fraudes.I think the guy next door is committing fraud.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A detective is discussing a case with his partner in a cafe.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿encontraste al sospechoso?Daniel, did you find the suspect?
- DanielNo, María, todavía no lo tenemos.No, María, we don't have him yet.
- MaríaEl sospechoso debe ser muy inteligente.The suspect must be very intelligent.
- DanielLo encontraremos pronto, lo prometo.We will find him soon, I promise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “suspect” translations and entries sospechoso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
