How to Say "died" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “died” is “muerto” — use 'muerto' when forming perfect tenses with 'haber' to indicate that someone has died, often in news reports or general statements about a past event..
muerto
/MWER-toh//ˈmweɾto/
Examples
El famoso actor ha muerto a los 90 años.
The famous actor has died at 90 years old.
Para cuando llegaron los médicos, el paciente ya había muerto.
By the time the doctors arrived, the patient had already died.
An Irregular Form
'Muerto' is the special past participle of 'morir' (to die). The regular form would be 'morido', but this is always incorrect. You must memorize this irregular form!
Used with 'Haber'
You'll almost always see this form paired with the helping verb 'haber' to talk about things that have happened (e.g., 'ha muerto' - has died) or had happened ('había muerto' - had died).
Using the Wrong Form
Mistake: “El perro ha morido.”
Correction: El perro ha muerto. 'Morir' is one of several common verbs with an irregular past participle that you just have to learn by heart.
falleció
Examples
El escritor falleció en su casa rodeado de su familia.
The writer passed away at his home surrounded by his family.
Formal vs. General Usage
Related Translations
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