How to Say "prejudice" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “prejudice” is “prejuicio” — use 'prejuicio' when referring to a preconceived, often negative, opinion or judgment about someone or something before having sufficient knowledge or experience.
Use 'prejuicio' when referring to a preconceived, often negative, opinion or judgment about someone or something before having sufficient knowledge or experience.
Learn more →Choose 'discriminación' when the meaning is about the act of treating someone unfairly or excluding them based on their race, gender, age, or other characteristics.
Learn more →
Use 'lesiones' in a formal context to describe harm or detriment, especially when referring to violations of rights or damage caused by an action or decision.
Learn more →pre-HWEE-syohpɾeˈxwisjo
Examples
No debemos tener prejuicios contra las personas que no conocemos.
We shouldn't have prejudices against people we don't know.
Es difícil dejar de lado nuestros prejuicios personales.
It is hard to set aside our personal biases.
La película rompe con los prejuicios sociales de la época.
The movie breaks with the social prejudices of the time.
Always Masculine
Even though it ends in 'o', remember to always use masculine words with it, like 'un prejuicio' or 'el prejuicio'.
Using it with Verbs
In Spanish, we usually say someone 'has' prejudices (tener prejuicios) or 'acts' based on them, similar to English.
The 'Perjuicio' Trap
Mistake: “Using 'perjuicio' when you mean 'bias'.”
Correction: Use 'prejuicio' for opinions. 'Perjuicio' actually means 'harm' or 'damage'. They sound very similar!
discriminación
Examples
La discriminación por edad es un problema en muchas empresas.
Age discrimination is a problem in many companies.
leh-see-OH-nessle'sjo.nes
Examples
La sentencia condenó a la empresa por las lesiones a los derechos laborales.
The ruling condemned the company for the violations of labor rights.
Se demostraron lesiones morales graves causadas por la difamación.
Serious moral damages caused by the defamation were proven.
Abstract Use
In legal language, 'lesiones' means harm done to abstract things like rights, reputation, or honor, not just physical bodies.
Prejuicio vs. Discriminación
Learners often confuse 'prejuicio' and 'discriminación'. Remember that 'prejuicio' is the internal, often unexpressed, bias or opinion, while 'discriminación' is the external, observable action of unfair treatment.
Related Translations
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