Inklingo

How to Say "cancelled" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “cancelled” is “suspendido” — use 'suspendido' for events, meetings, or activities that were called off, typically due to unforeseen circumstances like weather or scheduling conflicts.

English → Spanish

suspendido

soos-pen-DEE-dohsuspenˈdiðo

adjectiveA2general
Use 'suspendido' for events, meetings, or activities that were called off, typically due to unforeseen circumstances like weather or scheduling conflicts.
A rainy park with a closed gate and a sign showing a red circle with a line through it, indicating a cancelled outdoor event.

Examples

El concierto fue suspendido por la lluvia.

The concert was cancelled because of the rain.

Las clases están suspendidas hasta mañana.

Classes are called off until tomorrow.

Using with 'Ser' vs 'Estar'

Use 'ser' when talking about the action of being cancelled by someone ('fue suspendido'), and 'estar' to describe the current state of the event ('está suspendido').

Cancelled vs. Postponed

nulo

NOO-lohˈnulo

adjectiveB1formal
Use 'nulo' when something, like a contract or a vote, is declared invalid, void, or has no legal effect.
A wooden gavel resting on a red cushion with a large red 'X' symbol hovering behind it.

Examples

El contrato fue declarado nulo por el juez.

The contract was declared null and void by the judge.

Hubo muchos votos nulos en las elecciones.

There were many invalid votes in the elections.

El gol fue nulo porque el jugador estaba fuera de juego.

The goal was cancelled because the player was offside.

Matching the Noun

Just like most Spanish adjectives, 'nulo' must change its ending to match what it's describing. Use 'nulo' for masculine things (voto nulo) and 'nula' for feminine things (oferta nula).

Using it with 'ser' vs 'quedar'

Use 'ser nulo' to describe a permanent state (The rule is void). Use 'quedar nulo' to describe the result of an action (The goal became void after the review).

Don't use it for 'Zero'

Mistake: “Tengo nulo dinero.”

Correction: No tengo nada de dinero or Tengo cero dinero. Use 'nulo' for validity, not usually for counting items.

Event vs. Legal Status

Learners often confuse 'suspendido' and 'nulo' by using 'nulo' for events. Remember, 'suspendido' means an event was called off, while 'nulo' means something is legally invalid or void.

Related Translations

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