Ligar
To flirt, to hook up — the verb for the early stages of romantic interest.
Related lesson: Dating in Spanish, From Ligar to Te Quiero.
Hear it in context
Anoche estuvo ligando toda la noche.
He was flirting all night last night.
¿Has ligado algo en la fiesta?
Did you hook up with anyone at the party?
Se le da bien ligar.
He's good at flirting.
What It Actually Means
Ligar covers everything from mild flirting to a one-night hookup, sitting somewhere between English “to flirt” and “to pull” (British slang) depending on context. It’s a normal, everyday verb among friends discussing their social lives — not vulgar, just casual.
Common Constructions
- Ligar con alguien — to hook up / flirt with someone: “Ligó con una chica en el bar.”
- Ligar standalone — to be “on the pull”, trying to meet someone romantically: “Ha salido a ligar.”
- Ligón / ligona — a flirt, someone who’s smooth with people they’re attracted to.
Where Textbooks Get It Wrong
Courses that cover dating vocabulary often jump straight to enamorarse (“to fall in love”) and salir con alguien (“to date someone”), skipping the much more commonly used ligar, which describes everything that happens before either of those.
Common Pitfall
Ligar is ambiguous by design — it can mean anything from a flirty conversation to spending the night together, and Spaniards leave it deliberately vague. Don’t assume a specific level of intimacy unless the rest of the conversation makes it explicit.