Inklingo

How to Say "struggles" in Spanish

English → Spanish

afán

nounB2general
Use 'afán' to describe the general busyness, effort, or difficulties associated with daily life and work.

Examples

Olvidó sus penas en el afán del trabajo diario.

He forgot his sorrows in the toil of daily work.

batallas

ba-TA-yasbaˈtaʝas

nounA2general
Choose 'batallas' for personal or emotional difficulties that feel like internal conflicts or significant challenges.
Two groups of toy soldiers in colorful uniforms facing each other on a green field.

Examples

La lucha contra la adicción es una batalla constante.

The fight against addiction is a constant battle.

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

combate

kom-BAH-tehkomˈbate

verbB1general
Use 'combate' as a verb when referring to actively fighting or struggling against something specific, like an illness or an opponent.
A single figure wearing red boxing gloves actively throwing a strong punch into the air.

Examples

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.

guerras

GWEH-rrahsˈɡe.ras

nounA2general
Employ 'guerras' when referring to large-scale, often political or social, conflicts, such as historical wars.
An illustration showing two distinct groups of simple, stylized soldiers facing each other across a cracked, barren ground, symbolizing wars and military conflicts.

Examples

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

The most common mistake is confusing the noun 'batallas' or 'afán' with the verb 'combate'. Remember that 'combate' is an action word, meaning to actively fight, while 'batallas' and 'afán' refer to the difficulties or conflicts themselves.

Related Translations

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