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ligar

to tie, to bind

verb lee-GAHR Rare
People & Society Relationships

Origin: From Latin ligare (to bind).

Also means

to pick someone up (flirt)

Usage Note

Ligar has two very common meanings: the literal 'to tie or connect' (ligar los cables) and the colloquial 'to flirt successfully' or 'to hook up', widely used across Spain and Latin America (salió a ligar). In food, it also means to bind a sauce. The double meaning makes context essential; using it in the romantic sense is informal register.

Examples

"Salieron a ligar al centro de la ciudad."

Natural Translation

They went out to pick someone up in the city centre.

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