How do you say “Hit on someone” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is intentar ligar con alguien, which literally means “to try to link up with someone”. English speakers use hit on someone to mean to show someone that you are romantically or sexually interested in them. A conversational choice, especially in Spain. “Intentar” keeps the focus on the attempt, without suggesting that it worked. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
intentar ligar con alguien
/intenˈtaɾ liˈɣaɾ kon ˈalɣjen/
- Literal meaning
- “to try to link up with someone”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
91 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
“Ligar con alguien” can suggest successfully attracting or getting together with someone. Adding “intentar” is useful when the English only describes an advance.
For a wider audience, “coquetear con alguien” means flirt with someone. It can sound lighter and more playful than a direct advance.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
coquetear con alguien
Literally: “to flirt with someone”
A broader choice for flirting; it may sound more playful.
In context
English
I thought she was asking for directions, but she was hitting on me.
Spanish
Pensé que estaba preguntando cómo llegar, pero intentaba ligar conmigo.
English
Please stop hitting on me; I’m not interested.
Spanish
Por favor, deja de intentar ligar conmigo; no me interesa.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13