Mi nombre es Mike Ross, soy abogado.
My name is Mike Ross, I'm a lawyer.
A confident introduction in two steps: the name first, then the job, with nothing in between.
From Suits · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "lawyer" in Spanish
el abogado
nounfeminine: la abogadaplural: los abogados
"Lawyer" in Spanish is el abogado, or la abogada for a woman. To introduce yourself, put the job right after soy: Soy abogado. When you need one, the article comes back: Necesito un abogado.
Hear "abogado" in real movie scenes
Two ways to say what someone does. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Es abogado.
He's a lawyer.
A woman reveals what the man they're discussing does for a living. Talking about someone else, the job follows es directly.
From The Single Moms Club · Spanish audio
Lawyer words, from the office to the courtroom
Six terms you'll meet in legal shows and real paperwork.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el abogado, la abogada | lawyer (man, woman) |
| el abogado defensor | defense lawyer |
| el bufete de abogados | law firm |
| estudiar Derecho | to study law |
| el juez, la jueza | judge |
| hacer de abogado del diablo | to play devil's advocate |
Tip: In Mexico people often address a lawyer as licenciado or licenciada, written Lic. before the name.
Grammar: el abogado, la abogada
Four points for introductions and formal questions.
-o for him, -a for her
el abogado, la abogada. Several lawyers, or a mixed team, are los abogados.Soy abogado, necesito un abogado
After ser, the job stands alone. After verbs like necesitar or buscar, keep the article: Busco una abogada.Asking formally
¿Es usted abogado? With usted, the verb is es, the same form you use for él and ella.Soft b, g and d
Between vowels these three letters relax: a-bo-GA-do. The final d is light, close to the th in "this".Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
El señor es abogado.
The gentleman is a lawyer.
Soy su abogado.
I'm his lawyer.
No soy estudiante, soy abogado.
I'm not a student, I'm a lawyer.
Mi hermana es abogada.
My sister is a lawyer.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la abogado
✓la abogada
For a woman, change the article and the ending together.
✗¿Eres usted abogado?
✓¿Es usted abogado?
Eres goes with tú. Usted takes the third-person form es.
✗AH-boh-gah-doh (pronunciation)
✓ah-boh-GAH-doh
The stress lands on GA, the second-to-last syllable, unlike English advocate.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 31 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Abogado sounds a lot like advocate, and that's the job: a lawyer advocates for you.
Questions about "lawyer" in Spanish
How do you say lawyer in Spanish?
El abogado for a man and la abogada for a woman. The plural is los abogados.
How do you say "I need a lawyer" in Spanish?
Necesito un abogado. Here un stays, because the verb is necesitar and not ser.
How do you say attorney in Spanish?
Abogado covers both lawyer and attorney. In Mexico you'll also hear lawyers called licenciado or licenciada.
How do you say "law" as a subject in Spanish?
Derecho: Estudio Derecho means I study law. One single law is una ley.
