tragedia
/trah-HEH-dee-ah/
tragedy
As a noun, tragedia can refer to a disaster or great misfortune.
tragedia(noun)
tragedy
?a disaster or great misfortune
calamity
?severe event
,disaster
?terrible accident
📝 In Action
El accidente de tren fue una tragedia nacional.
A2The train accident was a national tragedy.
Fue una tragedia que el fuego destruyera la casa familiar.
B1It was a tragedy that the fire destroyed the family home.
Su muerte prematura es una gran tragedia para la comunidad.
B2His premature death is a great tragedy for the community.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Check
Remember that 'tragedia' is a feminine noun, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., 'la tragedia', 'una gran tragedia').
⭐ Usage Tips
Intensity Warning
Only use 'tragedia' for truly severe or devastating events. For minor bad luck or inconvenience, use words like 'problema' (problem) or 'mala suerte' (bad luck).
The word tragedia also denotes the dramatic literary genre of tragedy.
📝 In Action
Antígona es una de las tragedias más famosas de la antigüedad.
B2Antigone is one of the most famous tragedies of antiquity.
El profesor analizó la estructura de la tragedia clásica.
C1The professor analyzed the structure of classical tragedy.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Theater vs. Disaster
Mistake: "Using 'tragedia' when you mean 'drama' (the general term for theater)."
Correction: 'Drama' is the general word for theater. 'Tragedia' specifically refers to a play with a sad or disastrous ending.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: tragedia
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'tragedia' to refer to a real-life disaster, not a type of play?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'tragedia' used for small problems, like when I forget my keys?
Not usually. While you might use it dramatically in English ('It's a tragedy!'), in Spanish, 'tragedia' typically refers to a genuinely serious, devastating event (like a death, fire, or major accident). For forgetting your keys, stick to 'problema' or 'qué mala suerte' (what bad luck).