entregarse
/entɾeɡaɾse/from spelling rules
To turn yourself in in Spanish is to say entregarse.
The phrase entregarse is used to express the act of turning oneself in. In a legal context, it specifically refers to turning oneself in to authorities. This differs from the sense of 'surrendering' used in military or combat situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is composed of entregar, which means to hand over or deliver and the reflexive pronoun se, which means oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this verb, the reflexive pronoun changes depending on the person. For example, 'I turn myself in' is me entrego and the second-person singular 'you turn yourself in' is te entregas. To specify the authority one is turning in to, use the preposition a followed by the entity, such as in entregarse a la policía (to turn oneself in to the police).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /entɾeɡaɾse/.
Did you know?
- If you are talking about a person turning themselves in to a lover or a romantic interest, you might use entregarse to imply an act of total devotion or submission.
- In a religious context, entregarse is used when a person decides to dedicate their life to a religious order or a deity.
- Spanish has a specific noun entrega which can mean 'delivery' or 'dedication'. This means someone who turns themselves in is literally performing an act of 'delivery'.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría entregarme a las autoridades de manera voluntaria.I would like to turn myself in voluntarily to the authorities.
- Es mejor entregarse a la policía ahora.It is better to turn yourself in to the police now.
- Él decidió entregarse tras el incidente.He decided to turn himself in after the incident.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a legal problem.
- MateoMateo, tienes que entregarse pronto.Mateo, you have to turn yourself in soon.
- ElenaTengo mucho miedo, Elena.I am very scared, Elena.
- MateoSerá más fácil si decides entregarse hoy.It will be easier if you decide to turn yourself in today.
- ElenaEstá bien, iré mañana.All right, I will go tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry entregarse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
