How to Say "raped" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “raped” is “violado” — use 'violado' when referring to the past participle of a sexual assault, often used in passive constructions or as an adjective.
violado
bee-oh-LAH-dohbjoˈlaðo
Examples
La víctima fue violada por un desconocido.
The victim was raped by a stranger.
Ellos han violado las normas de la escuela.
They have violated the school rules.
El sospechoso fue acusado de haber violado a la víctima.
The suspect was accused of having raped the victim.
¿Alguna vez has violado una ley?
Have you ever broken a law?
The 'Haber' Helper
When 'violado' is used after the verb 'haber' (to have), it stays as 'violado' and never changes to 'violada' or 'violados'.
Double Meanings
Mistake: “Using 'violado' lightly for small mistakes.”
Correction: In Spanish, 'violar' is a very strong word. For small mistakes, use 'incumplir' (to not follow) or 'romper' (to break).
violó
bee-oh-LOHbjoˈlo
Examples
El hombre violó a la mujer en el callejón.
The man raped the woman in the alley.
El acusado violó a la víctima la noche del crimen.
The accused raped the victim on the night of the crime.
La sentencia confirmó que él violó a varias mujeres.
The sentence confirmed that he sexually assaulted several women.
Direct Past Tense
As the preterite form, 'violó' focuses on the single moment the action occurred and finished, contrasting with the imperfect tense which would describe an ongoing situation or habit in the past.
Confusing 'violado' and 'violó'
Related Translations
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