descontar
“descontar” means “to deduct” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to deduct, to discount
Also: to subtract
📝 In Action
Me van a descontar el día de mi sueldo porque no fui a trabajar.
A2They are going to deduct the day from my salary because I didn't go to work.
Si pagas en efectivo, te podemos descontar cinco euros.
B1If you pay in cash, we can give you a five-euro discount.
Al precio total hay que descontar el valor de la entrada.
B2The price of the ticket must be subtracted from the total price.
to take for granted, to rule out
📝 In Action
Damos por descontado que el proyecto será un éxito.
B2We take for granted that the project will be a success.
No podemos descontar la posibilidad de una crisis.
C1We cannot rule out the possibility of a crisis.
Ya descontaban su victoria mucho antes de las elecciones.
C1They were already taking his victory for granted long before the elections.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: descontar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'I deduct' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the prefix 'des-' (which often means to reverse or undo) and the verb 'contar' (to count), originally from the Latin 'computare'. It literally means 'to un-count' or 'count away'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'descontar' used for injury time in soccer?
Yes! In sports, 'el tiempo de descuento' is the added time, and 'descontar' refers to the referee adding that time to compensate for pauses.
Can I use 'descontar' for 'subtract' in a math class?
You can, but 'restar' is the more specific and common term for mathematical subtraction.
Does 'descontar' always involve money?
No. While very common with money, it can be used for time, points in a game, or even abstract ideas like 'ruling out' a possibility.