How to Say "to insult" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to insult” is “insultar” — use this verb when you mean to say offensive things directly to someone, often in a heated moment, to deliberately hurt their feelings.
insultar
een-sool-TAHRinsulˈtaɾ
Examples
No es necesario insultar para tener razón.
It is not necessary to insult to be right.
Él me insultó delante de todos mis amigos.
He insulted me in front of all my friends.
Sus palabras insultan la inteligencia de los ciudadanos.
His words insult the intelligence of the citizens.
The Personal 'a'
When you insult a specific person, you must put the little word 'a' before them. For example: 'Insultó a María' (He insulted Maria).
A Regular '-ar' Pattern
This verb is easy to learn because it follows the standard rules for verbs ending in '-ar' without any spelling surprises.
Skipping the 'a'
Mistake: “Insulté mi jefe.”
Correction: Insulté a mi jefe. (Always use 'a' when the action happens to a specific person).
Thinking it's a noun
Mistake: “Él dijo un insultar.”
Correction: Él dijo un insulto. ('Insultar' is the action/verb, 'insulto' is the thing you say/noun).
ofender
oh-fen-DEHRo.fenˈdeɾ
Examples
No quise ofenderte, solo expresé mi opinión.
I didn't mean to offend you, I just expressed my opinion.
Es fácil ofender a la gente si no piensas antes de hablar.
It's easy to offend people if you don't think before speaking.
El chiste ofendió a la mitad de la audiencia.
The joke offended half of the audience.
The Reflexive Form: Ofenderse
When you want to say someone 'gets offended' or 'takes offense,' you must use the reflexive form: 'ofenderse'. For example: 'Ella se ofendió' (She got offended).
Confusing Action vs. State
Mistake: “Using 'estar ofendido' to describe the action: 'Ella está ofendida por el chiste.'”
Correction: Use 'ofenderse' for the action of becoming offended, and 'estar ofendido' only for the resulting state: 'Ella se ofendió con el chiste' (Action). 'Ella está ofendida' (State).
faltar
fal-TARfalˈtaɾ
Examples
No le faltes al respeto a tu abuelo.
Don't be disrespectful to your grandfather.
Él faltó a su palabra y no vino.
He broke his word and didn't come.
Me faltó el respeto delante de todos.
He was rude to me in front of everyone.
Respect is the Object
When saying 'disrespect someone', the phrase is 'faltar al respeto a [person]'. The 'a' appears twice because it belongs to the phrase and then names the person.
agredir
ah-gray-DEERa.ɣɾe.ˈðiɾ
Examples
El hombre intentó agredir al policía durante la protesta.
The man tried to attack the police officer during the protest.
Nunca es aceptable agredir a alguien por sus ideas.
It is never acceptable to verbally attack someone for their ideas.
Fue agredida por un desconocido en la calle.
She was assaulted by a stranger in the street.
The 'Personal A'
Since agredir usually involves a person receiving the action, you must use 'a' before the victim. For example: 'Agredió a su vecino' (He attacked his neighbor).
Modern Usage
Historically, this word was 'defective' (only used when the ending started with an 'i'), but in modern Spanish, it is used as a full, regular verb in all forms.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “Agredió el hombre.”
Correction: Agredió al hombre. (Because the man is a person receiving the action, you need the 'a'.)
Insultar vs. Ofender
Related Translations
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