Spanish word of the day: Quejarse

What does quejarse mean?

Quejarse (reflexive verb) — to complain, to whine or to protest. It is used to express dissatisfaction or discomfort, either physical or emotional

It can also be applied to an adjective: Un “quejica” is a whiny person who complains a lot.

Example sentences with quejarse

• Voy a quejarme ante la administración.

  🧑‍💼 I am going to complain to management.

• Mi abuela se queja de dolor en la cadera.

  👵 My grandma complains about hip pain.

• Él siempre se está quejando de la comida.

  🥕 He is always grumbling about the food.

Confused about how to conjugate quejarse? Our conjugation tables can help.

Quejarse in context

You can use quejarse to express dissatisfaction about something. When complaining about what someone is doing, use “de que” followed by a clause, such as "Se quejan de que tengo la radio puesta" (They complain that I have the radio on).

In casual conversations, it’s very common to respond to "¿Cómo te va?" with "No me quejo" (I can’t complain) to express satisfaction. Try incorporating phrases like "Siempre me quejo del tráfico" (I always complain about traffic) to describe habitual complaints.