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"Liar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to roll", and "ligar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to tie". Learn more about the difference between "liar" and "ligar" below.
liar(
lyahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to prepare)
a. to roll
Suelo fumar cigarros que lío yo mismo porque las cajetillas son más caras.I usually smoke cigarettes that I roll myself because the packs are more expensive.
2. (to bind)
a. to tie up
Asegúrate de liar bien el fardo antes de enviarlo.Make sure you tie up the bundle properly before sending it.
3. (to cover)
a. to wrap
Lie los vasos con un suéter para que no se rompieran durante la mudanza.I wrapped the glasses in a sweater so they wouldn't break during the move.
b. to wrap up
El asesino lio la manta al cadáver y luego lo tiró al mar.The killer wrapped the corpse up in a blanket and then threw it into the sea.
a. to complicate
Las mentiras de los acusados liaron la labor de búsqueda del desaparecido de la policía.The defendant's lies complicated the police's search effort for the missing person.
a. to confuse
Marta lio a Miguel con sus pistas y por eso él dijo la respuesta incorrecta.Marta confused Miguel with her hints, so he gave the wrong answer.
liarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to get confused
Dijiste que no me amabas y ahora dices que sí. ¡Me estoy liando!You said you didn't love me and now you say you do. I'm getting confused!
b. to get mixed up
Perdón, es que me lie. Sus nombres son similares.Sorry, I got mixed up. Your names are similar.
c. to get muddled up
Mi madre se lía con el celular porque no sabe usar el teclado táctil.My mother gets muddled up with her cell phone because she can't use the touch keyboard.
a. to begin
Me lie a escribir postales sin darme cuenta de que no tenía sellos suficientes.I started writing postcards without realizing I didn't have enough stamps.
b. to start
Desde que te liaste a leer libros en francés has aprendido mucho.Ever since you started reading books in French you have learned a lot.
8. (colloquial) (to get embroiled)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to get mixed up
Laura no se quiere liar en los problemas de la familia de su marido.Laura doesn't want to get mixed up in her husband's family's problems.
b. to get involved
Si me lío en este asunto voy a salir perdiendo.If I get involved in this issue, I'll end up worse off.
a. to have an affair
Sara y Mario se liaron en verano y ahora son novios.Sara and Mario had an affair in the summer and now they're together.
b. to hook up (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Ramón se lio con una australiana durante el viaje.Ramon hooked up with an Australian girl on the trip.
ligar(
lee
-
gahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to attach)
a. to tie
El mago me ligó las manos y me dijo que contara hasta diez.The magician tied my hands and told me to count to ten.
b. to tie up
El joven enmascarado ligó a Carmen con unas cuerdas que llevaba consigo.The youth in the mask tied Carmen up with some ropes that he had with him.
c. to bind
Les ligaron los pies con cinta para que no se escaparan.Their feet were bound with tape so that they couldn't run away.
2. (medicine)
a. to put a ligature on (an artery)
E! médico le ligó la arteria a la herida para detener la hemorragia.The doctor put a ligature on the injured woman's artery in order to stop the bleeding.
c. to bind up (a foot, ankle or arm)
Le ligué a Ana el tobillo con un pañuelo.I bound Ana's ankle up with a scarf.
3. (to unite)
a. to bind
Este amor que me liga a él me está destrozando.This love which binds me to him is destroying me.
b. to bind together
Estaban divorciados, pero los ligaba el hijo que tenían en común.Although they were divorced, they were bound together by the son they had together.
c. to link
Las fotos publicadas parecen ligar al actor con el mundo de la droga.The published photos appear to link the actor to the world of drugs.
4. (culinary)
a. to bind
Hay que ligar la salsa con un trozo de manteca.You need to bind the sauce using a little lard.
5. (metallurgy)
a. to alloy
En este experimento vamos a ligar mercurio y plata.In this experiment we will alloy mercury with silver.
6. (colloquial) (cards)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to get
Ligó tres fulls seguidos jugando al póker.He got three full houses in a row playing poker.
7. (colloquial) (to obtain) (River Plate)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to get
No vale la pena comprar cereales de esta marca solo para ligar un juguete.It isn't worth buying this brand of cereal just to get a toy.
b. to get hold of
¿Dónde puedo ligar un vestido como el que llevas?Where can I get hold of a dress like the one you're wearing?
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
8. (colloquial) (to enjoy romantic success; often used with "con")
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to hook up (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Nando solo piensa en ligar cuando salimos.Nando's always looking to hook up when we go out.
b. to score (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Me dicen que ligaste anoche. ¿Quién era?I heard you scored last night. Who was she?
c. to pull (colloquial) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
Aquella noche salimos todas dispuestas a ligar.We all went out ready to pull that night.
d. to get off with (colloquial) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
¿Has ligado con ese chico que te gusta?Did you get off with that boy you like?
9. (colloquial) (to be fortunate) (Cuba) (River Plate) (Venezuela)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Cuba
Regionalism used in Venezuela
a. to be lucky
Aunque no jugué bien, ligué y gané la partida.Even though I didn't play well, I was lucky and won the game.
ligarse
A reflexive verb is a verb that indicates that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g., Miguel se lava.).
a. to commit oneself to
El jugador británico está a punto de ligarse al equipo español para las próximas cuatro temporadas.The British player is about to commit himself to the Spanish team for the next four seasons.
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
11. (colloquial) (to hook up with)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to make out with (colloquial) (United States)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United States
Se ligó a esa pelirroja de la clase.He made out with that redhead in the class.
b. to get off with (colloquial) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
Al final, Lucy se ha ligado al capitán del equipo de fútbol.Lucy has finally got off with the captain of the football team.
12. (colloquial) (to receive punishment) (River Plate)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
