⚖️ Legal English

⏱ 11 min read

Legal and official vocabulary can be useful when talking about documents, government procedures, immigration, or other formal situations in English. The exact terminology may vary between English-speaking countries. Each English word or phrase includes translations in several languages. This content is for language-learning purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, emergency, or professional advice.

🟢 Common Legal & Official Vocabulary

⚖️ Law
a rule made by a government that people must follow
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Ley
🇫🇷 French: Loi
🇩🇪 German: Gesetz
🇮🇹 Italian: Legge
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lei
👮 Police
the people whose job is to keep public order and enforce the law
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Policía
🇫🇷 French: Police
🇩🇪 German: Polizei
🇮🇹 Italian: Polizia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Polícia
📄 Document
an official paper that gives information or proof
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Documento
🇫🇷 French: Document
🇩🇪 German: Dokument
🇮🇹 Italian: Documento
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Documento
🪪 Identification
a card or paper that shows who you are
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Identificación
🇫🇷 French: Pièce d'identité / Identification
🇩🇪 German: Ausweis / Identifikation
🇮🇹 Italian: Documento d'identità
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Identificação
🏛️ Court
the official place where legal cases are decided
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tribunal
🇫🇷 French: Tribunal
🇩🇪 German: Gericht
🇮🇹 Italian: Tribunale
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tribunal
👨‍⚖️ Judge
the official who leads a court and makes legal decisions
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Juez / Jueza
🇫🇷 French: Juge
🇩🇪 German: Richter / Richterin
🇮🇹 Italian: Giudice
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Juiz / Juíza
💼 Lawyer
a person trained to give legal advice and represent people
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Abogado / Abogada
🇫🇷 French: Avocat / Avocate
🇩🇪 German: Anwalt / Anwältin
🇮🇹 Italian: Avvocato / Avvocatessa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Advogado / Advogada
📁 Case
a legal matter or situation that a court or lawyer handles
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Caso
🇫🇷 French: Affaire / Cas
🇩🇪 German: Fall / Verfahren
🇮🇹 Italian: Caso
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Caso

🟡 Documents & Official Procedures

🛂 Passport
an official book that lets you travel between countries
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Pasaporte
🇫🇷 French: Passeport
🇩🇪 German: Reisepass
🇮🇹 Italian: Passaporto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Passaporte
✈️ Visa
official permission to enter or stay in a country; usage varies by country
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Visa / Visado
🇫🇷 French: Visa
🇩🇪 German: Visum
🇮🇹 Italian: Visto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Visto
📑 Signature
your written name used to approve a document
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Firma
🇫🇷 French: Signature
🇩🇪 German: Unterschrift
🇮🇹 Italian: Firma
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Assinatura
📝 Application / Request
a formal request, often written on a form
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Solicitud
🇫🇷 French: Demande / Formulaire
🇩🇪 German: Antrag
🇮🇹 Italian: Domanda / Richiesta
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Solicitação / Pedido
🧾 Contract
a written agreement between people or companies
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Contrato
🇫🇷 French: Contrat
🇩🇪 German: Vertrag
🇮🇹 Italian: Contratto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Contrato
📋 Form
an official paper with spaces you fill in
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Formulario
🇫🇷 French: Formulaire
🇩🇪 German: Formular
🇮🇹 Italian: Modulo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Formulário
📜 Certificate
an official paper that proves a fact, such as a birth or a qualification
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Certificado
🇫🇷 French: Certificat
🇩🇪 German: Zertifikat / Bescheinigung
🇮🇹 Italian: Certificato
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Certificado
🏢 Government office
a place where official paperwork and public services are handled
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Oficina gubernamental
🇫🇷 French: Bureau gouvernemental
🇩🇪 German: Regierungsstelle / Behörde
🇮🇹 Italian: Ufficio governativo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Escritório governamental / Repartição

🔵 Useful Actions for Documents & Procedures

✍️ To sign
to write your name on a document to approve it
I have to sign this form.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Firmar
🇫🇷 French: Signer
🇩🇪 German: Unterschreiben
🇮🇹 Italian: Firmare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Assinar

🇪🇸 Tengo que firmar este formulario.
🇫🇷 Je dois signer ce formulaire.
🇩🇪 Ich muss dieses Formular unterschreiben.
🇮🇹 Devo firmare questo modulo.
🇵🇹 Tenho que assinar este formulário.
📄 To fill out
to write the required information on a form
I need to complete this application.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Completar / Llenar
🇫🇷 French: Remplir
🇩🇪 German: Ausfüllen
🇮🇹 Italian: Compilare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Preencher

🇪🇸 Necesito completar esta solicitud.
🇫🇷 Je dois remplir cette demande.
🇩🇪 Ich muss diesen Antrag ausfüllen.
🇮🇹 Devo compilare questa domanda.
🇵🇹 Preciso preencher esta solicitação.
📨 To submit
to give or send documents to an office for review
Where can I submit the documents?
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Presentar
🇫🇷 French: Soumettre / Déposer
🇩🇪 German: Einreichen
🇮🇹 Italian: Presentare / Consegnare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Apresentar / Entregar

🇪🇸 ¿Dónde puedo presentar los documentos?
🇫🇷 Où puis-je déposer les documents ?
🇩🇪 Wo kann ich die Dokumente einreichen?
🇮🇹 Dove posso presentare i documenti?
🇵🇹 Onde posso apresentar os documentos?
🔎 To review
to look at a document carefully before you accept it
I want to review the document before signing it.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Revisar
🇫🇷 French: Examiner / Vérifier
🇩🇪 German: Überprüfen
🇮🇹 Italian: Rivedere / Controllare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Revisar / Verificar

🇪🇸 Quiero revisar el documento antes de firmarlo.
🇫🇷 Je veux examiner le document avant de le signer.
🇩🇪 Ich möchte das Dokument überprüfen, bevor ich es unterschreibe.
🇮🇹 Voglio rivedere il documento prima di firmarlo.
🇵🇹 Quero revisar o documento antes de assiná-lo.

💬 Useful Phrases in Official Situations

🪪 Here is my identification.
use this when an official asks to see your ID
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Aquí tiene mi identificación.
🇫🇷 French: Voici ma pièce d'identité.
🇩🇪 German: Hier ist mein Ausweis.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ecco il mio documento d'identità.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aqui está a minha identificação.
💼 I would like to speak with a lawyer.
a polite way to ask for legal help
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Quisiera hablar con un abogado.
🇫🇷 French: Je voudrais parler à un avocat.
🇩🇪 German: Ich möchte gerne mit einem Anwalt sprechen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Vorrei parlare con un avvocato.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Gostaria de falar com um advogado.
📄 Where do I need to sign?
use this when you need to find the signature line
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde tengo que firmar?
🇫🇷 French: Où dois-je signer ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo muss ich unterschreiben?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dove devo firmare?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde tenho que assinar?
🛂 Where is the immigration office?
use this to find the office that handles travel and residency papers
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Dónde está la oficina de inmigración?
🇫🇷 French: Où est le bureau de l'immigration ?
🇩🇪 German: Wo ist die Einwanderungsbehörde?
🇮🇹 Italian: Dov'è l'ufficio immigrazione?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Onde fica o escritório de imigração?
📋 What documents do I need?
use this to ask which papers are required
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué documentos necesito?
🇫🇷 French: Quels documents ai-je besoin ?
🇩🇪 German: Welche Dokumente brauche ich?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quali documenti mi servono?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quais documentos eu preciso?
❓ I don't understand this form.
a clear way to ask for help with official paperwork
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: No entiendo este formulario.
🇫🇷 French: Je ne comprends pas ce formulaire.
🇩🇪 German: Ich verstehe dieses Formular nicht.
🇮🇹 Italian: Non capisco questo modulo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu não entendo este formulário.

🌎 Vocabulary Can Vary by Country

🏛️ Court terminology
words such as court, tribunal, and judiciary may be used differently depending on the legal system
They are not always interchangeable in every context.
🪪 Identification documents
the name of a national ID varies by country
You may hear ID card, driver's license, passport, or other local names.
🛂 Immigration terminology
agency names, permits, and procedures differ between countries
When dealing with a real procedure, use the terminology provided by the relevant official authority.

💬 Official Situations in Conversation

At passport control
a common exchange when entering a country
A: May I see your passport?
B: Yes, of course. Here you are.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Me permite ver su pasaporte?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, claro. Aquí tiene.

🇫🇷 A: Puis-je voir votre passeport ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, bien sûr. Le voici.

🇩🇪 A: Darf ich Ihren Reisepass sehen?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, natürlich. Hier bitte.

🇮🇹 A: Posso vedere il suo passaporto?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, certo. Ecco a lei.

🇵🇹 A: Posso ver o seu passaporte?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, claro. Aqui está.
At an office
a simple way to find where to hand in paperwork
A: Good morning. Where can I submit this application?
B: You can submit it at window number three.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: Buenos días. ¿Dónde puedo presentar esta solicitud?
🇪🇸 B: Puede presentarla en la ventanilla número tres.

🇫🇷 A: Bonjour. Où puis-je déposer cette demande ?
🇫🇷 B: Vous pouvez la déposer au guichet numéro trois.

🇩🇪 A: Guten Morgen. Wo kann ich diesen Antrag einreichen?
🇩🇪 B: Sie können ihn am Schalter Nummer drei einreichen.

🇮🇹 A: Buongiorno. Dove posso presentare questa domanda?
🇮🇹 B: Può presentarla allo sportello numero tre.

🇵🇹 A: Bom dia. Onde posso apresentar esta solicitação?
🇵🇹 B: Pode apresentá-la no guichê número três.

📝 Vocabulary in Context

🛂 My passport expires next year.
a useful sentence for travel documents
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Mi pasaporte vence el próximo año.
🇫🇷 French: Mon passeport expire l'année prochaine.
🇩🇪 German: Mein Reisepass läuft nächstes Jahr ab.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il mio passaporto scade l'anno prossimo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O meu passaporte expira no próximo ano.
📑 I read the contract before signing it.
a good habit before you approve an agreement
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Leí el contrato antes de firmarlo.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai lu le contrat avant de le signer.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe den Vertrag gelesen, bevor ich ihn unterschrieben habe.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho letto il contratto prima di firmarlo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu li o contrato antes de assiná-lo.
📋 A signature is missing from the form.
use this when a form is incomplete
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Falta una firma en el formulario.
🇫🇷 French: Il manque une signature sur le formulaire.
🇩🇪 German: Auf dem Formular fehlt eine Unterschrift.
🇮🇹 Italian: Manca una firma sul modulo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Falta uma assinatura no formulário.
📄 I kept a copy of all the documents.
a practical sentence after you submit paperwork
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Guardé una copia de todos los documentos.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai gardé une copie de tous les documents.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe eine Kopie aller Dokumente aufbewahrt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho tenuto una copia di tutti i documenti.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Guardei uma cópia de todos os documentos.

🏆 Final Practice