desventaja
“desventaja” means “disadvantage” in Spanish (a condition that puts someone in an unfavorable position).
disadvantage
Also: drawback, downside
📝 In Action
La mayor desventaja de vivir en la ciudad es el ruido.
A2The biggest disadvantage of living in the city is the noise.
Nuestro equipo empezó el partido con una clara desventaja.
B1Our team started the game with a clear disadvantage.
Debemos analizar las ventajas y desventajas antes de comprar la casa.
B1We must analyze the pros and cons before buying the house.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: desventaja
Question 1 of 3
Which of the following is the correct way to say 'the disadvantage'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Formed by adding the negative prefix 'des-' to 'ventaja'. 'Ventaja' comes from the Old French word 'avantage', which literally means 'something that comes from before' or 'being in front'.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can 'desventaja' refer to people being underprivileged?
Yes, though the adjective 'desaventajado' is more common for describing people, you can say someone is 'en situación de desventaja' to describe a lack of social or economic resources.
Is 'desventaja' only used for serious things?
Not at all! You can use it for anything from a major business loss to a minor annoyance, like a video game character having a slower speed.
How do you pluralize it?
Just add an 's' at the end: 'las desventajas'.