How to Say "failed" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “failed” is “fallado” — use this when the past participle 'fallado' is part of a compound verb (like 'ha fallado') to indicate something that did not succeed, or as an adjective for a faulty item.
fallado
fah-YAH-dohfaˈʎaðo
Examples
El plan ha fallado por completo.
The plan has failed completely.
El equipo ha fallado tres veces en la final.
The team has failed three times in the final.
Mi coche había fallado antes de que lo vendiera.
My car had broken down before I sold it.
La jueza ha fallado a favor del demandante.
The judge has ruled in favor of the plaintiff.
Forming Perfect Tenses
To talk about actions completed in the past, pair 'fallado' with a form of the verb 'haber' (e.g., 'he fallado' means 'I have failed').
No Gender Change
When 'fallado' is used as part of a verb tense (with 'haber'), it always stays 'fallado' regardless of who is doing the failing.
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).
Using 'Ser' instead of 'Haber'
Mistake: “Yo soy fallado.”
Correction: Yo he fallado. Remember that 'haber' is the helper verb for almost all Spanish compound tenses, not 'ser' or 'estar'.
fallido
fa-YEE-dohfaˈʝiðo
Examples
El intento de fuga fue fallido.
The escape attempt was a failure.
El plan resultó fallido.
The plan turned out to be a failure.
Hicieron un intento fallido de cruzar el río.
They made an unsuccessful attempt to cross the river.
La empresa cerró tras varios proyectos fallidos.
The company closed after several failed projects.
Matching the Noun
Because this word is an adjective, it must match the gender of the thing you are describing. Use 'fallido' for masculine things (un intento fallido) and 'fallida' for feminine things (una misión fallida).
Placement After the Noun
In Spanish, this word almost always comes after the thing it is describing, rather than before it like in English. Say 'un plan fallido' not 'un fallido plan'.
Describing People vs. Things
Mistake: “Ese hombre es fallido.”
Correction: Ese hombre es un fracasado.
fracasado
fra-ca-sá-dofɾakaˈsaðo
Examples
Su negocio fracasado le dejó en la ruina.
His failed business left him ruined.
El lanzamiento del producto fue fracasado, perdimos mucho dinero.
The product launch was unsuccessful (failed); we lost a lot of money.
Su intento de convencer al jefe resultó fracasado.
His attempt to convince the boss turned out to be a failure.
La misión se consideró fracasada antes de que terminara.
The mission was considered failed before it even finished.
Agreement is Key
Like many Spanish adjectives, 'fracasado' must match the gender and number of the thing it describes. Use 'fracasada' for feminine things (like 'la misión') or 'fracasados' for plural masculine things.
suspendido
soos-pen-DEE-dohsuspenˈdiðo
Examples
Me he presentado a dos exámenes y estoy suspendido en ambos.
I have taken two exams and failed both.
Estoy suspendido en matemáticas.
I failed math.
frustrado
froos-TRAH-dohfɾusˈtɾaðo
Examples
La policía intervino en un intento de robo frustrado.
The police intervened in a foiled robbery attempt.
La policía detuvo un robo frustrado esta mañana.
The police stopped a foiled robbery this morning.
Su intento frustrado de escapar fue noticia nacional.
His failed attempt to escape was national news.
Fue un proyecto frustrado por falta de fondos.
It was a project thwarted by a lack of funds.
Describing Actions
When describing a 'failed attempt,' this word usually comes after the noun (e.g., 'intento frustrado').
Using 'fracasado' instead
Mistake: “El robo fue fracasado.”
Correction: El robo fue frustrado. Use 'frustrado' for specific attempts that were stopped, and 'fracasado' to describe a person who is a failure.
cayó
Examples
El gobierno autoritario cayó tras las protestas.
The authoritarian government fell after the protests.
Fallido vs. Fracasado
Related Translations
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