Poner en tela de juicio
To put on the cloth of judgment.
to question something; **to question something**; **to cast doubt on something**; **to call something into question**; **to challenge something**; **to doubt something**; **to dispute something**
Poner en tela de juicio means to question something, to cast doubt on something, or to challenge the validity, truth or reliability of something.
Sus declaraciones ponen en tela de juicio su credibilidad.
His statements call his credibility into question.
El estudio pone en tela de juicio algunas de las teorías aceptadas hasta ahora.
The study calls some of the theories accepted so far into question.
La investigación puso en tela de juicio la versión oficial.
The investigation cast doubt on the official version.
No quiero poner en tela de juicio su palabra, pero necesitamos pruebas.
I don't want to question his word, but we need evidence.
La decisión del tribunal ha puesto en tela de juicio la validez del procedimiento.
The court's decision has called the validity of the procedure into question.
It is used when someone expresses doubts about whether something is true, correct, valid or justified.
A common construction is:
Poner algo en tela de juicio.
→ To question something / to cast doubt on something.
- questions the truth of a statement
- doubts the validity of a theory
- challenges a decision
- questions someone's credibility
- casts doubt on evidence
- challenges an established belief or assumption
The origin of tela de juicio is connected with the old expression estar en tela de juicio.
Here tela is understood in an older sense related to a place or subject of discussion and examination, rather than simply a piece of fabric.
The expression therefore originally evoked something being laid before judgement or subjected to examination.
Over time, the fixed expression developed its modern meaning of being questioned or placed in doubt.
The expression can be used with either poner or estar:
Poner algo en tela de juicio.
→ To call something into question.
Algo está en tela de juicio.
→ Something is being questioned / is under scrutiny.
For example:
La credibilidad del testigo está en tela de juicio.
→ The witness's credibility is being called into question.
The second construction focuses on the state of doubt, while the first focuses on the act of questioning.
Poner en tela de juicio and poner en entredicho are very close in meaning.
Both mean to question or cast doubt on something:
La investigación puso en tela de juicio la versión oficial.
La investigación puso en entredicho la versión oficial.
They are often interchangeable, although en tela de juicio has a somewhat more formal and analytical flavour.
This is a relatively formal Spanish idiom.
In everyday conversation, Spaniards may more simply say:
Poner algo en duda.
→ To doubt something / question something.
Compare:
Pongo en duda su versión.
→ I question his version.
with:
Pongo en tela de juicio su versión.
→ I call his version into question.
The second sounds more formal and emphatic.
There are five hundred more.
The complete collection — no ads, on paper or Kindle.
Get the book on Amazon