How to Say "offensive" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “offensive” is “ofensiva” — use this word when describing something that is insulting, rude, or likely to cause anger or resentment..
ofensiva
/o-fen-SEE-bah//o.fenˈsi.βa/
Examples
Sus comentarios fueron muy ofensivos.
His comments were very offensive.
El ejército lanzó una gran ofensiva al amanecer.
The army launched a major offensive at dawn.
El equipo de fútbol tiene una ofensiva muy rápida.
The soccer team has a very fast offensive (attack).
La empresa inició una ofensiva publicitaria para ganar clientes.
The company started a marketing push to win customers.
Using 'ofensiva' as a noun
This word is always feminine when it refers to an attack or a campaign. You will almost always see it with the article 'la' or 'una'.
Matching gender
Because this is the feminine form, it must only be used to describe feminine things (like 'la broma' or 'la actitud'). If the thing is masculine, use 'ofensivo'.
Ofensivo vs. Ofensiva
Mistake: “El comentario es ofensiva.”
Correction: El comentario es ofensivo.
ofensiva
/o-fen-SEE-bah//o.fenˈsi.βa/
Examples
La ofensiva comenzó al amanecer.
The offensive began at dawn.
El ejército lanzó una gran ofensiva al amanecer.
The army launched a major offensive at dawn.
El equipo de fútbol tiene una ofensiva muy rápida.
The soccer team has a very fast offensive (attack).
La empresa inició una ofensiva publicitaria para ganar clientes.
The company started a marketing push to win customers.
Using 'ofensiva' as a noun
This word is always feminine when it refers to an attack or a campaign. You will almost always see it with the article 'la' or 'una'.
Matching gender
Because this is the feminine form, it must only be used to describe feminine things (like 'la broma' or 'la actitud'). If the thing is masculine, use 'ofensivo'.
Ofensivo vs. Ofensiva
Mistake: “El comentario es ofensiva.”
Correction: El comentario es ofensivo.
ataque
/ah-TAH-keh//aˈtake/
Examples
El equipo local resistió el ataque del rival.
The home team resisted the rival's attack.
El castillo sobrevivió al ataque.
The castle survived the attack.
El equipo lanzó un ataque rápido y marcó un gol.
The team launched a quick attack and scored a goal.
El médico dijo que fue un ataque al corazón.
The doctor said it was a heart attack.
Is it 'el' or 'la'?
'Ataque' is a masculine noun, even though it ends in 'e'. So, you always use 'el' or 'un' with it, like 'el ataque' (the attack) or 'un ataque' (an attack).
Confusing the Noun and the Verb
Mistake: “Yo ataque el problema.”
Correction: Yo ataco el problema. 'Ataque' is the thing (the noun), while 'atacar' is the action (the verb). Think of 'attack' the noun vs. 'I attack' the verb in English.
Adjective vs. Noun: 'Ofensiva'
Related Translations
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