Inklingo

How to Say "downside" in Spanish

The Spanish word fordownsideis desventajaA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
nounA2
the negative aspect of something otherwise positive
One person trying to reach a high apple on a tree branch while standing on the ground, while another person uses a small wooden stool to reach it easily.

Examples

La mayor desventaja de vivir en la ciudad es el ruido.

The biggest disadvantage of living in the city is the noise.

Nuestro equipo empezó el partido con una clara desventaja.

Our team started the game with a clear disadvantage.

Debemos analizar las ventajas y desventajas antes de comprar la casa.

We must analyze the pros and cons before buying the house.

The 'des-' trick

In Spanish, adding 'des-' to the beginning of a word usually flips it to the opposite meaning. Since 'ventaja' is 'advantage,' adding 'des-' gives you 'disadvantage.'

Always Feminine

This word is always feminine. Even if you are talking about a man who is at a disadvantage, you still use 'la' or 'una' because the word itself doesn't change gender.

Using 'el' instead of 'la'

Mistake:El desventaja de este plan...

Correction: La desventaja de este plan... (Because nouns ending in -a are almost always feminine in Spanish).

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