A small child sitting on the ground next to a broken toy, looking sad and tearful, while a kind adult kneels beside them offering comfort.

víctima

/BIK-tee-mah/

NounfB1

victim?general sense, of a crime, accident, etc.

Also:casualty?in the context of accidents or disasters,prey?of an animal or a swindler

📝 In Action

La víctima del robo describió al ladrón.

The victim of the robbery described the thief.

Muchas personas fueron víctimas del terremoto.

Many people were victims of the earthquake.

No te hagas la víctima, tú también tienes la culpa.

Don't play the victim, you are also at fault.

El testigo ayudó a la víctima del accidente, que era un hombre mayor.

The witness helped the victim of the accident, who was an elderly man.

Word Connections

Synonyms

damnificado (affected person/casualty)
perjudicado (aggrieved party)

Antonyms

agresor (aggressor)
culpable (culprit/guilty party)
victimario (perpetrator)

Common Collocations

ser víctima de – to be a victim of
cobrarse una víctima – to claim a victim
víctima inocente – innocent victim
hacerse la víctima – to play the victim

💡 Grammar Points

A Noun for Everyone: `el víctima` or `la víctima`?

Víctima is always a feminine word, even when talking about a man. You'll always use feminine words like la or una with it. So, you say la víctima for a woman, and also la víctima for a man. Other words in the sentence will show the person's gender, like La víctima era un hombre alto (The victim was a tall man).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using `el` with `víctima`

Mistake: "El víctima fue llevado al hospital."

Correction: La víctima fue llevada al hospital. Remember, `víctima` is always feminine, so it uses `la`, even if the victim is a man. Adjectives describing the person, however, will match their actual gender (e.g., `La víctima, un hombre alto, estaba asustado`).

⭐ Usage Tips

Beyond Crime: Figurative Use

You can use víctima for more than just accidents or crimes. Someone can be a víctima de la moda (fashion victim) or víctima de sus propias mentiras (a victim of their own lies). It describes anyone negatively affected by something.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: víctima

Question 1 of 1

A man was involved in a car accident. How would you refer to him correctly in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

victimario(perpetrator, aggressor) - noun

victimizar(to victimize) - verb

revictimizar(to revictimize) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

If `víctima` is always feminine, how do I show if the person is male or female?

You use other words in the sentence to show the person's real gender. For example, you can use an adjective that does change for gender: `La víctima estaba cansada` (The victim [female] was tired) vs. `La víctima estaba cansado` (The victim [male] was tired). You can also just state it directly: `La víctima era un niño` (The victim was a boy).

Is there a masculine version of `víctima`?

No, there isn't a direct masculine equivalent. `Víctima` is used for everyone. In some very specific legal or academic contexts, you might see the word `victimario` used for the perpetrator or aggressor, but this is an antonym, not a masculine version.