How to Say "to destroy" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to destroy” is “arruinar” — use 'arruinar' when the destruction results in a total loss or ruin, often affecting something valuable like a harvest, a plan, or a reputation.
arruinar
ahr-roo-ee-NAHRar.rwiˈnar
Examples
La falta de lluvia arruinó la cosecha.
The lack of rain ruined the harvest.
La tormenta arruinó la cosecha de este año.
The storm ruined this year's harvest.
El terremoto arruinó muchos edificios históricos.
The earthquake wrecked many historic buildings.
No dejes que un error arruine tu reputación.
Don't let one mistake ruin your reputation.
Regular -AR Verb
This verb follows the standard, predictable pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar' (to speak), you know how to conjugate 'arruinar'.
Accenting the 'u'
Mistake: “Using *arruíno* or *arruínas*.”
Correction: The stress stays on the last part of the stem: *arruino*, *arruinas*. The 'u' and 'i' are pronounced together as one syllable (rwee), not separately.
destrozar
des-tro-SARdes.tɾoˈθaɾ
Examples
El niño destrozó el juguete nuevo.
The child destroyed the new toy.
El granizo destrozó las plantas del jardín.
The hail destroyed the plants in the garden.
Ten cuidado, no quiero que destroces el juguete.
Be careful, I don't want you to smash the toy.
El accidente destrozó la parte delantera del coche.
The accident wrecked the front part of the car.
The Z to C Spelling Swap
When the 'z' in destrozar meets an 'e' (like in 'destrocé' or 'destroce'), it changes to a 'c' to keep the sound correct. It's just a spelling tweak, not a change in how you say it!
Strength of the word
Use 'destrozar' when something is beyond simple repair. If you just break a glass, use 'romper'. If you smash it into a thousand tiny bits, use 'destrozar'.
The 'Z' error
Mistake: “yo destrozé”
Correction: yo destrocé (Remember: 'z' usually turns into 'c' before an 'e' in Spanish spelling).
Arruinar vs. Destrozar
Related Translations
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