Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Arguir raises or contests a formal issue; alegar presents a claim, fact, or reason supporting a position.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
arguir
to raise, challenge, or examine
Use arguir for formally presenting an objection, questioning a point, or examining someone.
alegar
to allege or cite
Use alegar for putting forward a fact, reason, right, or defense in support of a position.
How to choose
- arguir: Choose arguir if the sentence points to formally presenting an objection, questioning a point, or examining someone.
- alegar: Choose alegar if the sentence points to putting forward a fact, reason, right, or defense in support of a position.
Examples
A defesa arguiu a incompetência do juízo.
The defense raised the court’s lack of jurisdiction.
A empresa alegou força maior.
The company alleged force majeure.
Common trap
The verbs can meet in legal argument, but fixed procedural uses matter: arguir uma preliminar and alegar um fato.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with arguir, then once with alegar. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.