How to Say "survivor" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “survivor” is “sobreviviente” — use this term when referring to a person who has lived through a dangerous event, accident, or disaster.
sobreviviente
so-bre-bee-BYEN-tesobɾebiˈbjente
Examples
El único sobreviviente del accidente dio una entrevista.
The sole survivor of the accident gave an interview.
Ella es una sobreviviente de cáncer que ayuda a otros pacientes.
She is a cancer survivor who helps other patients.
Los rescatistas buscan sobrevivientes entre los escombros.
Rescuers are looking for survivors among the rubble.
One Word, Two Genders
The word doesn't change its ending for men or women. You just change the word 'the' before it: 'el sobreviviente' for a man and 'la sobreviviente' for a woman.
The 'Super' vs 'Sobre' Split
In Latin America, 'sobreviviente' is the standard. In Spain, you will almost always hear 'superviviente' instead. Both are correct and mean the same thing!
Avoid 'Sobrevivienta'
Mistake: “La sobrevivienta del choque.”
Correction: La sobreviviente del choque. Words ending in -ente usually stay the same for both genders.
superviviente
soo-pehr-bee-BYEHN-tehsupeɾbiˈβjente
Examples
Los rescatistas buscan a algún superviviente bajo los escombros.
The rescuers are looking for any survivor under the rubble.
Ella es la única superviviente del accidente de avión.
She is the only survivor of the plane crash.
El museo rinde homenaje a los supervivientes de la guerra.
The museum pays tribute to the survivors of the war.
One ending for everyone
This word ends in -e, which means it doesn't change for gender. Use 'el superviviente' for a male and 'la superviviente' for a female.
The 'Super' prefix
Think of the 'super-' part as 'above' or 'beyond.' A 'superviviente' is someone who lived 'beyond' a dangerous situation.
Don't change the ending
Mistake: “La supervivienta.”
Correction: La superviviente. Even when talking about a woman, the word always ends in -e.
sobrevivido
so-breh-vee-vee-dohso.βɾe.βiˈβi.ðo
Examples
El único miembro sobrevivido de la tripulación fue el capitán.
The only surviving member of the crew was the captain.
Los documentos sobrevividos del incendio son invaluables.
The documents surviving the fire are invaluable.
Adjective Agreement
When sobrevivido is used as an adjective, it must match the thing it describes in gender and number: 'la mujer sobrevivida' (the surviving woman), 'los niños sobrevividos' (the surviving children).
Noun vs. Adjective Usage
Related Translations
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