destruyó
des-tru-YOH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
El fuego destruyó la mitad del bosque.
A2The fire destroyed half of the forest.
Él destruyó todas las pruebas antes de que llegara la policía.
B1He destroyed all the evidence before the police arrived.
¿Quién destruyó el proyecto de arte? ¡Era hermoso!
B1Who ruined the art project? It was beautiful!
Usted destruyó la confianza que teníamos en usted.
B2You (formal) shattered the trust we had in you.
💡 Grammar Points
The Simple Past Tense (Preterite)
"Destruyó" is used for actions that started and finished completely in the past, like a single event: 'The storm destroyed the roof.'
Irregular 'Y' Spelling
In the simple past (preterite), verbs ending in -uir, like 'destruir', use a 'y' instead of an 'i' in the 'he/she/it' and 'they' forms (destruyó, destruyeron). This is just to make the sound flow better with the vowel that follows.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'y'
Mistake: "Muchos estudiantes dicen *destruió*."
Correction: Always remember the 'y' in the simple past: *destruyó*. The 'y' is essential for this verb.
⭐ Usage Tips
Physical vs. Emotional
Use 'destruyó' for physically breaking things (a bridge, a car) AND for ruining abstract things (a friendship, a dream, a career).
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: destruyó
Question 1 of 2
Which of these sentences correctly uses 'destruyó'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there an accent mark on the 'ó' in destruyó?
The accent mark is required because 'destruyó' is in the simple past (preterite) tense, third-person singular. In Spanish, all simple past forms ending in 'ó' must carry an accent to show where the stress falls.
Does 'destruyó' mean the action is still happening?
No. 'Destruyó' uses the simple past tense, which means the destroying action started and finished completely at a specific point in the past.