desperdicio

/des-pair-DEE-syoh/

waste

A half-eaten apple and a full sandwich sitting inside a trash can.

Desperdicio refers to waste, such as food that is thrown away instead of being used.

desperdicio(noun)

mB1

waste

the act of using something poorly or throwing away something useful

Also:

scraps

leftover bits of food or material

refuse

general trash or discarded items

📝 In Action

Tirar comida es un gran desperdicio.

Throwing away food is a huge waste.

Recogieron los desperdicios de la construcción.

They picked up the construction debris.

Word Connections

Synonyms

residuo (residue/waste)
sobra (leftover)

Antonyms

ahorro (saving)
provecho (benefit/good use)

Common Collocations

desperdicio de tiempo – waste of time
cero desperdicio – zero waste

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

Even if you are talking about 'waste' in a general sense, the word is always masculine: 'el desperdicio'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Desperdicio vs. Basura

Mistake: "Using 'desperdicio' for the bag of trash you put on the curb."

Correction: Use 'basura' for general trash. Use 'desperdicio' specifically when talking about things that *could* have been used but weren't, or specific scraps like food bits.

⭐ Usage Tips

Abstract Waste

Use 'desperdicio de...' to complain about things like time, money, or talent being thrown away.

A garden hose on a green lawn with water pouring out into a large puddle.

The verb form of desperdicio describes the action of wasting a resource, like leaving water running.

desperdicio(verb)

B1regular ar

I waste

the present action of using something poorly

Also:

I squander

using money or opportunities foolishly

📝 In Action

Yo nunca desperdicio el agua.

I never waste water.

Si no estudio, desperdicio mi oportunidad.

If I don't study, I waste my opportunity.

Word Connections

Synonyms

malgastar (to misspend/waste)

Antonyms

aprovechar (to take advantage of/make good use of)

💡 Grammar Points

The 'O' Ending

When you see 'desperdicio' ending in 'o', it means 'I waste'. If it were just the noun 'waste', it would usually follow a word like 'el' or 'un'.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdiciaran

yodesperdiciara

túdesperdiciaras

vosotrosdesperdiciarais

nosotrosdesperdiciáramos

él/ella/usteddesperdiciara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdicien

yodesperdicie

túdesperdicies

vosotrosdesperdiciéis

nosotrosdesperdiciemos

él/ella/usteddesperdicie

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdiciaron

yodesperdicié

túdesperdiciaste

vosotrosdesperdiciasteis

nosotrosdesperdiciamos

él/ella/usteddesperdició

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdiciaban

yodesperdiciaba

túdesperdiciabas

vosotrosdesperdiciabais

nosotrosdesperdiciábamos

él/ella/usteddesperdiciaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdician

yodesperdicio

túdesperdicias

vosotrosdesperdiciáis

nosotrosdesperdiciamos

él/ella/usteddesperdicia

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: desperdicio

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'desperdicio' as a noun meaning 'trash/scraps'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

desperdiciar(to waste) - verb

desperdiciado(wasted) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'desperdicio' be plural?

Yes! When referring to physical scraps or pieces of waste material, you often use 'desperdicios' in the plural.