Inklingo

How to Say "beaten" in Spanish

English → Spanish

derrotado

/deh-rroh-TAH-doh//de.roˈta.ðo/

AdjectiveA2General
Use 'derrotado' when referring to a loss in a general contest, competition, or military conflict.
A sad knight sitting on the ground with a broken wooden sword next to him.

Examples

El equipo local fue derrotado en la final.

The local team was defeated in the final.

El ejército enemigo fue derrotado en la batalla final.

The enemy army was defeated in the final battle.

El campeón salió derrotado después de un partido muy difícil.

The champion emerged beaten after a very difficult match.

Matching the Person

Since this word describes a person or thing, it must change to match them. Use 'derrotada' for a female, 'derrotados' for a group of men, and 'derrotadas' for a group of women.

golpeado

gol-pe-AH-do/ɡolpeˈaðo/

Past ParticipleA2General
Use 'golpeado' when 'beaten' means physically hit or struck, often unintentionally.
A baseball soaring through the air immediately after being struck by a wooden bat, showing the completed action of being hit.

Examples

El paquete llegó golpeado por el transporte.

The package arrived beaten up from transport.

Hemos golpeado la puerta sin querer.

We have hit the door accidentally.

La campana fue golpeada por el sacristán.

The bell was struck by the sexton.

¿Quién ha golpeado el balón tan fuerte?

Who has hit the ball so hard?

Perfect Tenses

The form 'golpeado' is combined with the verb 'haber' (to have) to create perfect tenses, which describe actions completed in the past, like 'He golpeado' (I have hit).

Passive Voice

When used with the verb 'ser' (to be), it describes an action being done to the subject. In this case, it acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number (e.g., 'La pelota fue golpeada').

Using 'Estar' for Perfect Tenses

Mistake:Yo estoy golpeado la mesa.

Correction: Yo he golpeado la mesa. (Always use 'haber' for forming perfect tenses, not 'estar'.)

vencido

ven-SEE-doh/benˈsiðo/

AdjectiveB1Sports
Use 'vencido' specifically in sports contexts to describe an athlete or team that has lost a match.
A sad cartoon knight sitting on the ground next to his fallen flag, symbolizing defeat after a battle or competition.

Examples

El campeón se sentía vencido tras la dura pelea.

The champion felt defeated after the tough fight.

El boxeador se sentía vencido después del nocaut.

The boxer felt defeated after the knockout.

Aunque la situación era difícil, no se dio por vencido.

Even though the situation was difficult, he didn't give up (didn't declare himself beaten).

Agreement is Key

As an adjective, 'vencido' must change its ending to match the person or thing it describes: 'vencida' (f.), 'vencidos' (m. plural), 'vencidas' (f. plural).

Distinguishing between losing and hitting

The most common mistake is confusing the 'losing' meaning with the 'hitting' meaning. Remember that 'derrotado' and 'vencido' always imply losing a competition, while 'golpeado' means physically struck.

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