rechazar
/ret͡ʃaˈθaɾ/
To turn down, decline or deny in Spanish is to rechazar.
The verb rechazar is used to express the act of refusing or rejecting something. It is commonly used with nouns such as oferta (offer), propuesta (proposal) or invitación (invitation) to indicate that one is turning those things down.
Meaning: refuse, decline, deny (verb)
Which one should you use?
While rechazar is the standard way to say 'to turn down' or 'to reject', the verb declinar serves as a more formal synonym that is often used in official or highly polite contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes depending on the tense and mood you need. The third-person singular preterite form (he/she/it turned down) is rechazó. The gerund form (turning down) is rechazando. If you are using the third-person singular present subjunctive (that he/she/it turn down), the form is rechace.
How do you pronounce it?
/retʃaˈθaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, if you 'turn down' a person's advances or an invitation to a date, you might use the phrase dar calabazas.
- The verb rechazar shares an ancient root with the Spanish word cazar, which means 'to hunt'.
- In Spanish, rechazar can describe a physical action, such as a ball bouncing off a wall or a magnet pushing another away.
Examples in context
- ¿Por qué rechazaron tu propuesta?Why did they turn down your proposal?Tatoeba #824286 by darinmex, translation #38627 by CK
- Robert estaba tan ocupado que tuvo que rechazar una invitación para jugar al golf.Robert was so busy he had to turn down an invitation to play golf.Tatoeba #2063193 by Espi, translation #29345 by CN
- Gracias por la invitación al evento, pero tengo otros compromisos y debo rechazarla.Thank you for the invitation to the event, but I have other commitments and must turn it down.
- Lamentablemente, debo declinar su oferta de trabajo en este momento.Unfortunately, I must turn down your job offer at this time.
- No puedo ir contigo al cine hoy. Tengo muchas cosas que hacer, así que debo negarte la invitación.I can't go to the movies with you today. I have a lot of things to do, so I have to turn down your invitation.
- No puedo rechazar este regalo.I cannot refuse this gift.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a job offer.
- Sofía¿Vas a aceptar el nuevo trabajo?Are you going to accept the new job?
- MateoNo, voy a rechazar la oferta.No, I am going to turn down the offer.
- Sofía¿Por qué ella te recomendó ese puesto?Why did she recommend that position to you?
- MateoEs una buena oportunidad, pero no me gusta.It is a good opportunity, but I don't like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turn down” translations and entries rechazar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rechazar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
