How to Say "harm" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “harm” is “daño” — use 'daño' for general negative effects or damage that is not necessarily physical, like damage to property or crops.
daño
Examples
La tormenta causó mucho daño a los cultivos.
The storm caused a lot of damage to the crops.
lesión
Examples
El jugador tiene una lesión en el tobillo.
The player has an injury in his ankle.
mal
malmal
Examples
La película trata sobre la lucha entre el bien y el mal.
The movie is about the fight between good and evil.
No quiero hacerte ningún mal.
I don't want to do you any harm.
El doctor busca el origen del mal.
The doctor is looking for the source of the illness.
Always Masculine
When 'mal' is a noun, it's always masculine. You'll always see it with 'el' or 'un', as in 'el mal' (the evil).
Confusing it with the adverb
Mistake: “La lucha entre el bien y mal.”
Correction: La lucha entre el bien y el mal. When it's a noun representing the concept of 'evil', it needs an article like 'el' before it.
perjuicio
per-HWEE-syohperˈxwi.sjo
Examples
El tabaco causa un gran perjuicio a los pulmones.
Tobacco causes great harm to the lungs.
La huelga de transporte supuso un perjuicio económico para la ciudad.
The transport strike resulted in an economic loss for the city.
El juez ordenó el pago por daños y perjuicios.
The judge ordered the payment of damages and losses.
It's a Thing, Not an Action
Perjuicio is a noun (a thing). If you want to describe the action of harming someone, you should use the related verb 'perjudicar'.
Using 'En perjuicio de'
This phrase is used to show who is being hurt by an action. Think of it as 'at the expense of' or 'to the disadvantage of'.
The 'Prejuicio' Trap
Mistake: “Using 'perjuicio' when you mean 'prejudice' or 'bias'.”
Correction: Use 'perjuicio' for harm/damage. Use 'prejuicio' for a preconceived opinion or social bias.
Daño vs. Lesión
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