How to Say "to perish" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to perish” is “perecer” — use 'perecer' when referring to dying suddenly, often in a violent or catastrophic event like an accident, natural disaster, or war..
perecer
/peh-reh-SEHR//peɾeˈθeɾ/
Examples
El barco se hundió y todos los pasajeros perecieron.
The ship sank and all the passengers perished.
Cientos de personas perecieron en el terremoto.
Hundreds of people perished in the earthquake.
Si no protegemos nuestra cultura, nuestras tradiciones perecerán.
If we don't protect our culture, our traditions will perish.
El barco se hundió y muchos marineros perecieron en el mar.
The ship sank and many sailors perished at sea.
The 'I' Spelling Change
Just like 'conocer' (to know), this verb adds a 'z' before the 'c' in the 'yo' form: 'perezco'. This change also happens in all the 'special wish' forms (subjunctive).
Formal Tone
Don't use 'perecer' for a pet dying or a casual conversation; it's a very heavy, dramatic word used for disasters, wars, or deep philosophical ideas.
Using 'perezo' instead of 'perezco'
Mistake: “Yo perezo en el agua.”
Correction: Yo perezco en el agua. Remember to add that 'z' for verbs ending in -ecer!
sucumbir
/soo-koom-BEER//su.kumˈbiɾ/
Examples
El paciente sucumbió a sus heridas después de varios días.
The patient perished from his wounds after several days.
Muchos sucumbieron a la peste durante la Edad Media.
Many perished from the plague during the Middle Ages.
El herido sucumbió a sus lesiones poco después de llegar al hospital.
The injured man passed away from his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Cause of death
When using this word to mean 'to die', you still use 'a' followed by the cause (the illness, the wound, etc.).
Perecer vs. Sucumbir
Related Translations
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