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How to Say "corpses" in Spanish

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cadáveres

nounC1formal
Use 'cadáveres' when specifically referring to the remains of a dead person or animal, especially in contexts like crime scenes, medical examinations, or historical discoveries.

Examples

Los forenses examinaron varios cadáveres después del accidente.

The forensic experts examined several corpses after the accident.

cuerpos

/kwer-pos//ˈkweɾpos/

nounA1
Use 'cuerpos' to refer to deceased bodies only when the context makes it absolutely clear that you mean dead bodies, as the word primarily means 'bodies' in general (living or dead).
Two simplified figures, one human and one dog, standing side-by-side, representing physical forms.

Examples

La policía encontró los cuerpos en el edificio abandonado.

The police found the bodies in the abandoned building.

Los cuerpos de los atletas son muy fuertes.

The athletes' bodies are very strong.

Necesitamos más espacio para mover nuestros cuerpos.

We need more space to move our bodies.

Masculine Plural

Since 'cuerpos' ends in -os, it is always used with masculine words like 'los' (the) and masculine adjectives, even when referring to mixed groups of people.

Gender Confusion

Mistake: “La cuerpos (Incorrect use of feminine article)”

Correction: Los cuerpos (Use the masculine article 'los' because 'cuerpo' is masculine).

Confusing 'cadáveres' with 'cuerpos'

The most common mistake is using 'cuerpos' when you mean 'corpses'. While 'cuerpos' can mean dead bodies, its primary meaning is 'bodies' in general. To avoid confusion and be precise, always use 'cadáveres' when you specifically mean dead bodies.

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