Inklingo

How to Say "to decapitate" in Spanish

The Spanish word forto decapitateis decapitarB2 level.

English → SpanishB2
verbB2
formal or technical use
A high-quality storybook illustration of a stone statue of a king with its head resting on the ground next to the pedestal.

Examples

En la Revolución Francesa, solían decapitar a los nobles.

During the French Revolution, they used to behead the nobles.

El jardinero recomendó decapitar las flores marchitas.

The gardener recommended snipping off the tops of the withered flowers.

Vándalos decapitaron la estatua de la plaza anoche.

Vandals beheaded the statue in the square last night.

Using the 'Personal A'

When you use this word for a person (the one getting their head cut off), you must put the word 'a' before them. For example: 'Decapitar a un rey'.

It's a regular verb!

This verb is very friendly to learners because it follows the exact same pattern as common verbs like 'hablar' (to speak).

Using it for animals you eat

Mistake:Using 'decapitar' for preparing a chicken for dinner.

Correction: In a kitchen context, 'degollar' or 'limpiar' is more natural. 'Decapitar' sounds very dramatic or like a crime scene.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.