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How to Say "to disassemble" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to disassemble” is “desarmar” — use 'desarmar' when referring to taking apart complex mechanical objects, especially when troubleshooting or repairing them..

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desarmar

/des-ar-MAR//desarˈmar/

verbA2more formal
Use 'desarmar' when referring to taking apart complex mechanical objects, especially when troubleshooting or repairing them.
A wooden toy car separated into its individual pieces like wheels, chassis, and axles on a clean surface.

Examples

Tuve que desarmar el motor para encontrar el problema.

I had to take the motor apart to find the problem.

Vamos a desarmar los muebles antes de la mudanza.

We are going to take the furniture apart before the move.

El niño desarmó su juguete nuevo en cinco minutos.

The boy took his new toy apart in five minutes.

The 'des-' Prefix

In Spanish, adding 'des-' to the start of a word often means to 'undo' the action. Since 'armar' means to put together, 'desarmar' means to take apart.

Confusing with 'quitar'

Mistake: “Quitar la cama.”

Correction: Desarmar la cama.

desmontar

/dehs-mohn-TAHR//dezmonˈtaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'desmontar' when taking apart furniture, structures, or equipment, especially for moving or reassembly.
A wooden toy car separated into its individual wheels, chassis, and body pieces on a table.

Examples

Tengo que desmontar la estantería para la mudanza.

I have to take the bookshelf apart for the move.

El mecánico desmontó el motor en una hora.

The mechanic disassembled the engine in an hour.

Si desmontas el juguete, será difícil volver a armarlo.

If you take the toy apart, it will be hard to put it back together.

Action Verbs with Objects

This verb usually needs a 'receiver'—the thing you are taking apart. You 'desmontar' something.

Regular Patterns

This verb follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in '-ar', so once you learn the endings for 'hablar', you know how to use this word too.

Taking apart vs. Breaking

Mistake: “Using 'romper' when you mean taking something apart carefully.”

Correction: Use 'desmontar' if you intend to put it back together later; 'romper' implies it's ruined.

Choosing Between Desarmar and Desmontar

Learners often confuse 'desarmar' and 'desmontar'. Remember that 'desarmar' is typically for mechanical devices like engines, while 'desmontar' is more common for furniture or structures being moved or set up.

Related Translations

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