daños
/DAH-nyos/
damage
Daños often translates to 'damage,' referring to physical destruction or material harm.
daños(Noun)
damage
?physical destruction or material harm
,harm
?general injury or detriment
destruction
?result of a disaster
📝 In Action
Los daños en el edificio fueron causados por el terremoto.
B1The damage to the building was caused by the earthquake.
Necesitamos un técnico para evaluar los daños del sistema.
B2We need a technician to assess the system damage.
La inundación dejó graves daños materiales en la zona agrícola.
B2The flood left serious material damage in the agricultural area.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Plural for Material Loss
In Spanish, when talking about physical destruction or material loss (like damage to a car or a house), we almost always use the plural form, 'daños,' even when English uses the singular 'damage.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Singular for Material Damage
Mistake: "Hubo mucho daño en mi coche. (Incorrect)"
Correction: Hubo muchos daños en mi coche. (Correct, use plural for material losses.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Singular vs. Plural
Use the singular 'daño' when referring to a specific instance of 'harm' or 'injury' (e.g., 'Me hizo daño' - It hurt me). Use the plural 'daños' for the resulting material losses or destruction.
In a legal context, daños translates to 'damages,' meaning compensation for harm or loss.
📝 In Action
La empresa fue demandada por daños y perjuicios.
C1The company was sued for damages and losses.
El tribunal calculó los daños económicos a pagar.
C1The court calculated the economic damages to be paid.
💡 Grammar Points
The Legal Pair
In legal Spanish, 'daños' is almost always paired with 'perjuicios' (losses or harm suffered) to form the common phrase 'daños y perjuicios,' meaning the total compensation owed.
⭐ Usage Tips
Insurance Context
When talking about insurance payouts or claims, 'daños' refers to the money paid out to fix or replace what was broken.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: daños
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'daños' to describe material destruction?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'daños' usually plural when 'damage' in English is singular?
Think of 'daños' as the specific 'items of damage' or the multiple 'losses' that occurred. While English treats damage as an uncountable mass noun, Spanish usually counts the resulting destruction, hence the plural form.
Can I ever use the singular 'daño'?
Yes! Use 'daño' (singular) when talking about abstract harm, emotional injury, or when the word is part of a compound phrase (e.g., 'hacer daño' - to cause harm/hurt).