Inklingo

How to Say "spoiled" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “spoiled” is “estropeado” — use this for food that has gone bad and is no longer good to eat, often implying it has a bad smell or appearance..

English → Spanish

estropeado

/es-tro-peh-AH-doh//estɾopeˈaðo/

adjectiveB1
Use this for food that has gone bad and is no longer good to eat, often implying it has a bad smell or appearance.
A bowl of fruit with a very brown, mushy banana and a shriveled apple.

Examples

No bebas esa leche, parece que está estropeada.

Don't drink that milk; it looks like it's gone bad.

El calor ha estropeado toda la fruta del frutero.

The heat has spoiled all the fruit in the bowl.

dañado

adjectiveA2
This is used for food that has gone bad or become unusable, sometimes implying a physical deterioration or damage.

Examples

El motor del coche está dañado.

The car's engine is damaged.

malo

/MAH-loh//'malo/

adjectiveA2
This adjective is commonly used for food that has gone bad and is no longer safe or pleasant to consume.
A bright red apple that is visibly covered in green and white mold, indicating it is spoiled.

Examples

El pescado está malo, no lo comas.

The fish is bad, don't eat it.

El villano de la historia es un hombre muy malo.

The villain of the story is a very evil man.

No comas ese pollo, está malo.

Don't eat that chicken, it's spoiled.

Me siento un poco malo hoy, creo que tengo fiebre.

I feel a little sick today, I think I have a fever.

Using 'ser' vs. 'estar'

'Ser malo' describes a permanent quality, like a person's character ('Él es malo' - He is an evil person). 'Estar malo' describes a temporary state, like spoiled food ('La leche está mala') or being sick ('Estoy malo').

Mixing up 'ser' and 'estar'

Mistake: “La sopa es mala.”

Correction: La sopa está mala. If you mean the soup has gone bad, use 'estar'. Saying 'es mala' suggests the recipe itself is fundamentally bad.

arruinó

ah-rroo-ee-NOH/a.rru.iˈno/

verb (conjugated form)A2
Use this verb form when something has ruined an event, mood, or plan, implying it was negatively affected.
An illustration of a cheerful outdoor picnic scene with a checkered blanket and food, being completely soaked by a sudden, localized downpour from a dark rain cloud.

Examples

Su mal humor arruinó la cena para todos.

His bad mood spoiled dinner for everyone.

Esa mentira arruinó su reputación para siempre.

That lie ruined his reputation forever.

Use with Non-People Subjects

In Spanish, non-living things often act as the subject of 'arruinó.' For example, 'The noise ruined the movie' ('El ruido arruinó la película').

alterado

/al-te-RAH-doh//alteˈɾaðo/

adjectiveC1
This term is typically used when food has been tampered with or its state has been unnaturally changed, rather than simply having gone bad naturally.
A hand holding a magnifying glass over a torn and taped envelope.

Examples

La policía cree que el documento fue alterado.

The police believe the document was tampered with.

No comas eso, el producto parece alterado.

Don't eat that, the product looks spoiled.

Food vs. Ruined Events

The most common confusion is between words for spoiled food (estropeado, dañado, malo) and the verb for ruining something (arruinó). Remember that 'arruinó' describes an action that negatively impacted something else, while the adjectives describe the state of the food itself.

Related Translations

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