arruinar
“arruinar” means “to ruin” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to ruin, to wreck
Also: to destroy, to demolish
📝 In Action
La tormenta arruinó la cosecha de este año.
A2The storm ruined this year's harvest.
El terremoto arruinó muchos edificios históricos.
B1The earthquake wrecked many historic buildings.
No dejes que un error arruine tu reputación.
B2Don't let one mistake ruin your reputation.
to spoil, to mess up
Also: to screw up, to throw off
📝 In Action
Llegar tarde arruinó toda la sorpresa.
B1Arriving late spoiled the whole surprise.
No quiero que mi mal humor arruine la cena.
B1I don't want my bad mood to spoil dinner.
Se arruinó la fiesta cuando llegó la policía.
B2The party was ruined when the police arrived. (Used reflexively)
to bankrupt, to impoverish
Also: to financially ruin
📝 In Action
La mala inversión casi arruina a la familia.
B2The bad investment almost bankrupted the family.
La compañía se arruinó después del fraude.
C1The company went bankrupt after the fraud. (Used reflexively)
No quiero arruinarme comprando este coche.
B2I don't want to ruin myself financially buying this car.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "arruinar" in Spanish:
to bankrupt→to demolish→to destroy→to impoverish→to ruin→to spoil→to wreck→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: arruinar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'arruinar' in the sense of financial destruction?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word *ruina*, meaning 'a falling down' or 'collapse.' Spanish added the prefix 'a-' and the common verb ending '-ar' to create the verb 'to cause a collapse' or 'to bring to ruin.'
First recorded: Around the 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I say 'I am ruined/broke' using arruinar?
You must use the reflexive form with the past participle acting as an adjective: 'Estoy arruinado' (if you are male) or 'Estoy arruinada' (if you are female). This means 'I am in a ruined state.'
Is 'arruinar' stronger than 'estropear'?
'Arruinar' is generally stronger. 'Estropear' means 'to damage' or 'to spoil' something slightly or partially. 'Arruinar' suggests the damage is severe, total, or leads to complete failure (ruin).