How to Say "to defect" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to defect” is “desertar” — B2 level.
Examples
El soldado decidió desertar a mitad de la noche.
The soldier decided to desert in the middle of the night.
Muchos científicos desertaron de su país para trabajar en el extranjero.
Many scientists defected from their country to work abroad.
No es fácil desertar de una organización tan poderosa.
It is not easy to quit such a powerful organization.
Using 'de' with Desertar
When you want to say WHAT you are deserting or quitting, you almost always need the word 'de' afterwards. For example: 'Desertar de la causa' (To desert the cause).
Stem-changing Pattern
Even though it's an -ar verb, it has a tiny change: the 'e' becomes 'ie' when you stress that part of the word (like in 'yo desierto').
Forgetting the 'de'
Mistake: “Él desertó el ejército.”
Correction: Él desertó del ejército. In Spanish, you desert 'from' the place or group.
Related Translations
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