How to Say "casualty" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “casualty” is “baja” — use 'baja' specifically for an absence from duty, most commonly in a military context or for leave (like maternity leave)..
baja
/BA-ha//ˈbaxa/
Examples
El soldado causó baja en el regimiento.
The soldier was listed as a casualty in the regiment.
Mi colega está de baja por maternidad.
My colleague is on maternity leave.
El médico me dio la baja por una semana.
The doctor gave me sick leave for a week.
El ejército reportó cinco bajas en el combate.
The army reported five casualties in the combat.
víctima
Examples
La víctima del atropello fue trasladada al hospital.
The victim of the hit-and-run was taken to the hospital.
muerto
/MWER-toh//ˈmweɾto/
Examples
Hubo tres muertos en el choque de trenes.
There were three casualties (dead) in the train crash.
El accidente de tráfico dejó dos muertos y varios heridos.
The traffic accident left two dead (people) and several injured.
El Día de los Muertos es una celebración importante en México.
The Day of the Dead is an important celebration in Mexico.
Encontraron a un muerto en el río.
They found a dead person in the river.
'Los muertos' = 'The Dead'
When you use 'muerto' with 'el', 'la', 'los', or 'las', it acts as a noun. 'Los muertos' is a common way to refer to 'the dead' as a group.
herido
eh-REE-doh/eˈri.ðo/
Examples
El número de heridos superó las cincuenta personas.
The number of casualties (injured) exceeded fifty people.
Los servicios de emergencia atendieron a los heridos del accidente.
The emergency services attended to the injured people from the accident.
Solo hubo un herido leve en el choque de coches.
There was only one lightly injured person in the car crash.
Using the Adjective as a Noun
In Spanish, you can often turn an adjective describing a state into a noun referring to the person who is in that state. 'El herido' is 'the injured man'; 'la herida' is 'the injured woman'.
caído
Examples
Se colocaron flores en el monumento a los caídos.
Flowers were placed on the monument to the fallen.
pérdida
per-DEE-dah/peɾˈðiða/
Examples
La unidad sufrió una considerable pérdida de hombres.
The unit suffered a considerable loss of men.
La compañía reportó una gran pérdida este trimestre.
The company reported a great loss this quarter.
Una sola pérdida de tiempo puede arruinar el proyecto.
A single loss (waste) of time can ruin the project.
La pérdida de vidas fue lamentable en aquel desastre.
The loss of life was regrettable in that disaster.
Using the Article
When used as a noun, 'pérdida' (with an accent) often uses the definite article 'la' (la pérdida) and usually refers to an abstract concept of loss or a measurable amount lost.
Victim vs. Dead vs. Injured
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.