How to Say "to disable" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to disable” is “desactivar” — use 'desactivar' when you want to turn off or deactivate a device, setting, alarm, or system..
desactivar
/des-ak-tee-BAR//desaktiˈβaɾ/
Examples
Necesito desactivar la alarma del despertador.
I need to turn off the alarm clock.
Puedes desactivar las notificaciones en los ajustes del teléfono.
You can disable notifications in the phone settings.
El técnico tuvo que desactivar el sistema de seguridad para entrar.
The technician had to deactivate the security system to enter.
Using 'lo' with deactivation
When talking about a setting you already mentioned, use 'lo' before the verb: 'Si no te gusta, lo desactivas' (If you don't like it, you deactivate it).
The power of 'des-'
In Spanish, adding 'des-' to the beginning of a word usually means 'to undo' the action, just like 'un-' or 'de-' in English.
Desactivar vs. Apagar
Mistake: “Voy a desactivar la luz.”
Correction: Voy a apagar la luz. Use 'apagar' for lights and general electronics; use 'desactivar' for features, alarms, or security settings.
neutralizar
/neh-oo-trah-lee-sahr//newtɾaliˈθaɾ/
Examples
La policía logró neutralizar al atacante antes de que alguien resultara herido.
The police managed to neutralize the attacker before anyone got hurt.
El robot fue diseñado para neutralizar explosivos.
The robot was designed to neutralize explosives.
Using the 'Personal A'
When you use this word to talk about neutralizing a person (like an attacker), you must use the 'personal a': 'Neutralizar a alguien'.
Desactivar vs. Neutralizar
Related Translations
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