delegar
verbCEFR B2
What does “delegar” mean in English?
to delegate
to delegate (delegar en alguien — transferring authority and responsibility to someone, not just task assignment)
Example sentences
El director delegó la gestión del proyecto en la coordinadora del equipo durante su período de baja.
The director delegated project management to the team coordinator during his leave of absence.
Es importante aprender a delegar si quieres crecer como líder y no sobrecargarte de trabajo.
It is important to learn to delegate if you want to grow as a leader and not overload yourself with work.
Han delegado en ella la responsabilidad de tomar decisiones sobre el presupuesto sin necesidad de consultar.
They have delegated to her the responsibility for making budget decisions without needing to consult.
How to use it
Delegar means 'to delegate' — to entrust a task or responsibility to someone else. Pattern: delegar algo en alguien (to delegate something to someone). The preposition is en, not a: *delegar a alguien is a common error. In management contexts: delegar la gestión / delegar la toma de decisiones. The noun la delegación (delegation) and el delegado/a (delegate, representative) are related. Delegar implies intentional transfer of authority, not just task assignment.
Common mistake
Preposition error: delegar algo en alguien (delegate to someone) uses en, not *a. This is one of the most common mistakes at B2. The logic: en signals the person in whom authority is vested (deposited in them). Also: delegar ≠ asignar. Asignar is task assignment without transferring authority; delegar means entrusting authority along with the task.