arruinar
/ahr-roo-ee-NAHR/
to ruin
Arruinar can mean "to ruin" or destroy something physically.
arruinar(Verb)
to ruin
?to destroy something physically or abstractly
,to wreck
?to damage beyond repair
to destroy
?strong meaning of causing total loss
,to demolish
?referring to buildings or structures
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Regular -AR Verb
This verb follows the standard, predictable pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar' (to speak), you know how to conjugate 'arruinar'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Accenting the 'u'
Mistake: "Using *arruíno* or *arruínas*."
Correction: The stress stays on the last part of the stem: *arruino*, *arruinas*. The 'u' and 'i' are pronounced together as one syllable (rwee), not separately.
⭐ Usage Tips
Transitive Use
Most often, 'arruinar' needs a direct object (a thing or person that is being ruined): 'Arruiné el pastel' (I ruined the cake).
Use arruinar when you want to say "to spoil" an event or a mood.
arruinar(Verb)
to spoil
?an event, a party, a mood
,to mess up
?a plan or opportunity
to screw up
?informal way of saying 'mess up'
,to throw off
?to disrupt someone's focus
📝 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)
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Se' Form (Reflexive)
When you use 'arruinarse' (with 'se'), it means something became ruined or spoiled by itself, without a specific person doing the action: 'La comida se arruinó' (The food spoiled).
⭐ Usage Tips
Emotional Impact
Use this meaning when describing how an event or action negatively affected someone's feelings or a general atmosphere.
In a financial context, arruinar translates to "to bankrupt."
arruinar(Verb)
to bankrupt
?to cause severe financial failure
,to impoverish
?to make poor
to financially ruin
?strong financial loss
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Reflexive for Financial State
When talking about a person or company becoming bankrupt, always use the reflexive form 'arruinarse' (to ruin oneself, or to become ruined): 'Él se arruinó' (He went broke).
⭐ Usage Tips
Strong Consequence
This is a strong word, implying not just loss, but total failure or destruction of wealth.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: arruinar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'arruinar' in the sense of financial destruction?
📚 More Resources
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).