daños
“daños” means “damage” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
damage, harm
Also: destruction
📝 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.
damages
Also: losses
📝 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.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: daños
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'daños' to describe material destruction?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin term *damnum*, which meant 'loss,' 'hurt,' or a 'fine' that had to be paid. This origin explains why 'daños' often refers to both the harm itself and the financial compensation for that harm.
First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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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).