How to Say "impairment" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “impairment” is “deficiencia” — use 'deficiencia' to describe a medical or physical limitation, often a lack of a necessary substance or function..
deficiencia
/deh-fee-syen-syah//defiˈθjenθja/
Examples
La deficiencia auditiva afecta la comunicación.
Hearing impairment affects communication.
La deficiencia de vitaminas puede causar cansancio.
A vitamin deficiency can cause tiredness.
El plan tiene algunas deficiencias técnicas que debemos arreglar.
The plan has some technical shortcomings that we need to fix.
Existen leyes para ayudar a personas con deficiencia visual.
There are laws to help people with visual impairment.
Always Feminine
Even though it ends in '-cia', just remember it always takes 'la' or 'una'. You would say 'la deficiencia grave', not 'el deficiencia'.
Using 'de' for detail
When you want to say what is missing, use the word 'de' right after. For example: 'deficiencia de [thing that is missing]'.
Don't use it for simple mistakes
Mistake: “Tengo una deficiencia en mi tarea.”
Correction: Tengo un error en mi tarea.
deterioro
/deh-teh-ryoh-roh//deteˈɾjoɾo/
Examples
El deterioro cognitivo es un síntoma común de la enfermedad.
Cognitive impairment is a common symptom of the disease.
El deterioro de la vieja casa es muy evidente.
The deterioration of the old house is very obvious.
Fumar causa un grave deterioro de los pulmones.
Smoking causes a serious worsening of the lungs.
Debemos evitar el deterioro de nuestras relaciones diplomáticas.
We must avoid the worsening of our diplomatic relations.
Always Masculine
This word is always masculine. You should always use 'el' or 'un' with it (el deterioro, un deterioro).
Noun vs. Action
'Deterioro' is the thing or the state of being bad. If you want to describe the action of getting worse, use the verb 'deteriorar'.
Confusing with 'Daño'
Mistake: “El terremoto causó un deterioro en la pared.”
Correction: El terremoto causó un 'daño' en la pared. Use 'daño' for sudden breaks and 'deterioro' for things that get worse slowly over time.
Deficiencia vs. Deterioro
Related Translations
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