destruido

/des-TRU-ee-doh/

destroyed

A crumbling stone castle wall, partially collapsed and covered in vines, illustrating a ruined state.

As an adjective, destruido describes something in a ruined state, like this ancient, collapsed castle.

destruido(Adjective)

mB1

destroyed

ruined state

Also:

ruined

state of disrepair

demolished

buildings/structures

📝 In Action

El castillo medieval quedó completamente destruido por el incendio.

The medieval castle was left completely destroyed by the fire.

Después de la derrota, el equipo se sintió moralmente destruido.

After the defeat, the team felt morally ruined (destroyed).

Word Connections

Synonyms

arruinado (ruined)
demolido (demolished)

Antonyms

intacto (intact)
reconstruido (rebuilt)

Common Collocations

zona destruida – destroyed zone
edificio destruido – destroyed building

💡 Grammar Points

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'destruido' must change its ending to match the thing it describes in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural): 'la ciudad destruida', 'los coches destruidos'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting Gender Change

Mistake: "La casa está destruido."

Correction: La casa está destruida. (Since 'casa' is feminine, the adjective must be feminine.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Use with 'Estar' or 'Ser'

Use 'estar' (está destruido) to describe the current state of ruin, or 'ser' (fue destruido) to describe the action of being destroyed (passive voice).

A small, colorful toy robot lying on the ground, completely broken into several pieces, illustrating the result of being destroyed.

The past participle destruido is used when an action, like breaking this robot, has been completed.

destruido(Past Participle)

A2irregular (verb 'destruir' is irregular, but participle formation is regular) ir

destroyed

used after 'have/has'

Also:

ruined

perfect tense usage

📝 In Action

Hemos destruido todos los documentos antiguos.

We have destroyed all the old documents.

¿Quién ha destruido mi pastel de cumpleaños?

Who has destroyed my birthday cake?

💡 Grammar Points

Fixed Form with 'Haber'

When used to form perfect tenses (like 'he destruido', 'has destruido'), the participle never changes. It always stays 'destruido', no matter the subject or the object.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Changing the Participle with 'Haber'

Mistake: "Ellos han destruidos las cajas."

Correction: Ellos han destruido las cajas. (The participle 'destruido' stays masculine singular when used with 'haber'.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Participle vs. Adjective

Remember: If you use 'haber' (to have), it's always 'destruido'. If you use 'ser' or 'estar' (to be), it acts as an adjective and must change its ending.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: destruido

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'destruido' as a fixed past participle?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

destruir(to destroy) - verb

destrucción(destruction) - noun

destructivo(destructive) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'destruido' ever change its ending?

Yes, but only when it acts as an adjective (meaning 'ruined' or 'demolished') or when it is part of the passive voice (used with 'ser' or 'estar'). If it is part of a perfect tense (used with 'haber'), it always stays 'destruido'.

Is 'destruido' related to 'construido'?

Yes! They are direct opposites. 'Destruido' means torn down, and 'construido' means built up. They both come from Latin verbs related to building and un-building.