aborto
/ah-BOR-toh/
abortion
A medical context representing the termination of a process.
aborto(noun)
abortion
?medical or legal termination of pregnancy
,miscarriage
?natural or spontaneous loss of pregnancy
termination
?formal medical context
📝 In Action
El médico explicó los riesgos de un aborto espontáneo.
B2The doctor explained the risks of a miscarriage.
El país está debatiendo una nueva ley sobre el aborto.
B2The country is debating a new law regarding abortion.
💡 Grammar Points
One Word, Two English Meanings
In Spanish, 'aborto' covers both a chosen medical procedure (abortion) and a natural loss (miscarriage). To be specific about a miscarriage, use 'aborto espontáneo'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong gender
Mistake: "la aborto"
Correction: el aborto
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal vs. Natural
In medical settings, you might hear 'interrupción voluntaria del embarazo' (IVE) as a very formal way to say abortion.
A visual representation of something very ugly or a monstrosity.
aborto(noun)
monstrosity
?referring to something very ugly
,failure
?a project or plan that went wrong
eyesore
?referring to ugly architecture
📝 In Action
Ese edificio nuevo es un aborto de la arquitectura.
C1That new building is an architectural monstrosity.
El plan fue un aborto total; nada salió bien.
C1The plan was a total failure; nothing went right.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'un' for emphasis
When calling something an 'aborto' to mean it's ugly, we almost always use 'es un...' to emphasize the comparison.
⭐ Usage Tips
Be Careful
This figurative use can be seen as offensive or very harsh because of the primary meaning of the word. Use it only in very informal settings with people you know.
The act of stopping a process or mission abruptly.
📝 In Action
Si veo peligro, aborto la misión de inmediato.
B1If I see danger, I abort the mission immediately.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'I' form
When you want to say 'I am stopping' or 'I stop' a mission or plan right now, use 'aborto'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Non-Medical Use
In technical or military contexts, this verb is used exactly like 'to abort' in English (e.g., aborting a computer process or a flight).
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
present
imperfect
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: aborto
Question 1 of 2
How do you specifically say 'miscarriage' in Spanish to avoid confusion with a medical procedure?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'aborto' always a bad word in Spanish?
Not necessarily. While it is a sensitive medical and political topic, it is also a standard technical term in aviation and computing meaning 'to stop a process'.
Does 'aborto' only refer to humans?
No, it is used in biology for any animal that loses a pregnancy before the fetus can survive.