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How to Say "expired" in Spanish

English → Spanish

falleció

verbB1formal, medical, legal
Use 'falleció' exclusively when referring to the death of a person, often used in formal or medical contexts.

Examples

El abuelo falleció pacíficamente anoche.

The grandfather passed away peacefully last night.

vencido

ven-SEE-doh/benˈsiðo/

adjectiveB2neutral, everyday
Use 'vencido' to indicate that a date, deadline, or the validity period of an item (like food or a ticket) has passed.
A half-eaten green apple covered in visible brown spots and mold, sitting on a wooden counter, indicating it is expired.

Examples

Este yogur está vencido, no lo comas.

This yogurt is expired, don't eat it.

Tenemos que pagar la renta antes de que esté vencida.

We have to pay the rent before it is overdue.

El plazo para entregar los documentos está vencido.

The deadline for submitting the documents has expired.

Me di cuenta de que mi pasaporte estaba vencido.

I realized that my passport was expired.

Time vs. Food

In Spanish, 'vencido' usually refers to deadlines, contracts, or official documents. For food or medication that has gone bad, it is often more natural to use 'caducado'.

Using 'Ser' vs. 'Estar'

Mistake: “Mi pasaporte es vencido.”

Correction: Mi pasaporte está vencido. Use 'estar' because expiration is a temporary state or condition of the object, not a permanent characteristic.

Person vs. Object Expiration

The most common mistake is using 'vencido' for people or 'falleció' for objects. Remember, 'falleció' is only for the end of a human life, while 'vencido' applies to the expiration of dates, deadlines, or product validity.

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