muerto
“muerto” means “dead” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
dead
Also: lifeless, numb
📝 In Action
Cuando llegué, la planta ya estaba muerta.
A2When I arrived, the plant was already dead.
Estoy muerto de cansancio, necesito dormir.
B1I'm dead tired, I need to sleep.
Se me quedó el brazo muerto después de dormir sobre él.
B2My arm went numb after sleeping on it.
dead person
Also: casualty, the deceased
📝 In Action
El accidente de tráfico dejó dos muertos y varios heridos.
B1The traffic accident left two dead (people) and several injured.
El Día de los Muertos es una celebración importante en México.
A2The Day of the Dead is an important celebration in Mexico.
Encontraron a un muerto en el río.
B2They found a dead person in the river.
died
📝 In Action
El famoso actor ha muerto a los 90 años.
A2The famous actor has died at 90 years old.
Para cuando llegaron los médicos, el paciente ya había muerto.
B1By the time the doctors arrived, the patient had already died.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "muerto" in Spanish:
casualty→dead→dead person→died→lifeless→numb→the deceased→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: muerto
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly describes a plant that is no longer alive?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'mortuus', which was the past participle of the verb 'morī', meaning 'to die'. It's a direct descendant that has kept its meaning for thousands of years.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'murió' and 'ha muerto'?
Great question! Both mean 'died', but they are used in different situations. 'Murió' (simple past tense) is for a completed action in the past, often at a specific time ('Él murió ayer' - He died yesterday). 'Ha muerto' (present perfect tense) is used for a more recent death or one where the specific time isn't mentioned, connecting the past event to the present ('El rey ha muerto' - The king has died).
Why is it 'está muerto' and not 'es muerto'?
This is a classic 'ser' vs. 'estar' puzzle! Think of 'estar' for states and conditions. Being dead is a state. So, 'El gato está muerto' means 'The cat is dead'. Using 'ser' as in 'El gato fue muerto por un coche' means 'The cat was killed by a car'. It describes the action of being killed, not the state of being dead. For the state, always use 'estar'.
Can I say 'la muerta'?
Yes, absolutely! 'Muerto' changes to match the gender of the person or thing. If you are talking about a female, you would use 'la muerta' (the dead woman) as a noun, or 'la gata está muerta' (the female cat is dead) as an adjective.