How to Say "struggles" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “struggles” is “combate” — use 'combate' when referring to an active, ongoing fight or resistance against something, like an illness or an opposing force..
combate
/kom-BAH-teh//komˈbate/
Examples
El atleta combate la fatiga durante la maratón.
The athlete fights fatigue during the marathon.
Mi cuerpo combate la infección rápidamente.
My body fights the infection quickly.
El presidente combate la corrupción con nuevas leyes.
The president combats corruption with new laws.
¡Combate el fuego con agua!
Fight the fire with water! (Formal command)
The 'Combate' Form
The word 'combate' is the form used for 'he/she/it' and 'you (formal)' in the present tense, as in 'él combate' or 'usted combate'. It is also the informal command form for 'tú' (¡Combate!).
Using the wrong preposition
Mistake: “Combatir por la enfermedad (To fight for the illness)”
Correction: Combatir contra la enfermedad (To fight against the illness). Always use 'contra' when fighting an adversary or problem.
batallas
/ba-TA-yas//baˈtaʝas/
Examples
Superar la timidez ha sido una de sus mayores batallas.
Overcoming shyness has been one of his biggest struggles.
Aprendimos sobre las grandes batallas de la historia.
We learned about the great battles of history.
Todos tenemos nuestras propias batallas internas.
We all have our own internal struggles.
Making it plural
This is the 'more than one' form of 'batalla.' To make it plural in Spanish, we just add an 's' because it ends in a vowel.
Gender matching
Mistake: “los batallas”
Correction: las batallas
guerras
GWEH-rrahs/ˈɡe.ras/
Examples
Las noticias informaron sobre las brutales guerras en la región.
The news reported on the brutal wars in the region.
Las guerras mundiales afectaron a todo el planeta.
The world wars affected the entire planet.
El presidente prometió evitar más guerras innecesarias.
The president promised to avoid more unnecessary wars.
Después de años de guerras, la gente solo quiere paz.
After years of wars, people only want peace.
Feminine Plural
'Guerras' is the plural form of the feminine noun 'guerra' (war). Always use the feminine plural articles and adjectives with it, like 'las' or 'muchas'.
Using Masculine Articles
Mistake: “Los guerras”
Correction: Las guerras. Remember that 'guerra' is feminine, even though it ends in '-a'—it’s not one of the exceptions!
Noun vs. Verb Usage
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