How to Say "defective" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “defective” is “defectuoso” — use 'defectuoso' when referring to a product or item that has a flaw, imperfection, or is not working as intended from the start.
defectuoso
deh-fec-too-oh-sohdefekˈtwoso
Examples
El juguete está defectuoso y no hace nada.
The toy is defective and doesn't do anything.
He devuelto la lavadora porque venía defectuosa de fábrica.
I returned the washing machine because it was faulty from the factory.
Su razonamiento es defectuoso porque parte de una mentira.
His reasoning is flawed because it starts from a lie.
Matching the Ending
Since this is an adjective, you must change the ending to match what you are describing: use 'defectuoso' for masculine things (el coche) and 'defectuosa' for feminine things (la silla).
Using 'Estar' vs 'Ser'
We usually use 'estar' when a specific item happens to be broken (Este radio está defectuoso). We use 'ser' if we are talking about a characteristic of a whole type or model (Ese modelo de coche es defectuoso).
Confusing 'Roto' with 'Defectuoso'
Mistake: “Using 'roto' to mean a factory error.”
Correction: Use 'roto' if something was physically smashed or broken after use; use 'defectuoso' if it was made wrong or doesn't work correctly due to a technical flaw.
fallado
fah-YAH-dohfaˈʎaðo
Examples
Devolvimos el producto fallado a la tienda.
We returned the faulty product to the store.
Fue un intento fallado de reconciliación.
It was a failed attempt at reconciliation.
Ella no quiere usar la impresora fallada.
She doesn't want to use the defective printer.
Agreement is Key
When 'fallado' is used as an adjective (describing a noun), it must change its ending to match the noun it describes: 'fallado' (masc. sing.), 'fallada' (fem. sing.), 'fallados' (masc. plural), 'falladas' (fem. plural).
Defectuoso vs. Fallado
Related Translations
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