Inklingo

How to Say "to redeem" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to redeem” is “redimir” — use 'redimir' when you mean to save someone from a difficult situation, to atone for past wrongs, or to escape a negative state..

English → Spanish

redimir

/reh-dee-MEER//reðiˈmiɾ/

verbB2general
Use 'redimir' when you mean to save someone from a difficult situation, to atone for past wrongs, or to escape a negative state.
A colorful illustration of a person helping another person climb out of a deep, dark hole into a bright, sunny field.

Examples

Él quiere redimir sus errores del pasado ayudando a los demás.

He wants to redeem his past mistakes by helping others.

Después de años de fracasos, el equipo se redimió ganando el campeonato.

After years of failures, the team redeemed themselves by winning the championship.

La caridad le dio una oportunidad de redimir su imagen pública.

Charity gave him a chance to redeem his public image.

Using 'Redimirse' for Self-Correction

When you use this word with 'se' (redimirse), it means you are doing the saving yourself—like cleaning up your act after doing something wrong.

A Regular IR Verb

Even though it is a fancy word, it follows the exact same pattern as 'vivir' or 'escribir.'

Don't use it for small things

Mistake: “Me redimí comprando leche que olvidé.”

Correction: Me disculpé por olvidar la leche.

desempeñar

verbC1informal
Use 'desempeñar' specifically when you are talking about getting an item back that you have previously pawned.

Examples

Por fin pude desempeñar las joyas de mi abuela.

I was finally able to redeem my grandmother's jewelry (from the pawn shop).

Pawning vs. Atoning

The most common mistake is using 'desempeñar' for atonement or saving someone from a bad situation. Remember, 'desempeñar' is exclusively for retrieving items from a pawn shop, while 'redimir' covers all other senses of redeeming.

Related Translations

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