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How to Say "to scrap" in Spanish

English → Spanish

desechar

deh-seh-CHARdeseˈtʃaɾ

verbA2general
Use 'desechar' when you mean to throw away or discard old materials, objects, or waste.
A person dropping a crumpled piece of paper into a small green trash can.

Examples

Debemos desechar el plástico en el contenedor amarillo.

We should throw away plastic in the yellow bin.

Deseché todos los documentos viejos ayer.

I discarded all the old documents yesterday.

Es importante desechar los residuos de forma responsable.

It is important to dispose of waste responsibly.

A Simple Action Verb

Desechar acts just like 'hablar' or 'cantar.' It follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar.

Desechar vs. Echar

Mistake: “Echar la ropa vieja.”

Correction: Desechar la ropa vieja. 'Echar' just means to throw or toss, but 'desechar' implies you are getting rid of it forever because it's no longer useful.

luchar

loo-CHARluˈʧaɾ

verbA2informal
Use 'luchar' when 'to scrap' refers to an informal fight or a struggle between people, often playful.
Two stylized figures, one wearing a blue shirt and the other a red shirt, grappling firmly in a wrestling match on a simple mat.

Examples

Los niños lucharon por el juguete, pero nadie resultó herido.

The children fought over the toy, but nobody was hurt.

El campeón de boxeo tendrá que luchar contra un oponente muy fuerte.

The boxing champion will have to fight against a very strong opponent.

Regular -AR Verb

Luchar follows the normal pattern for verbs ending in -ar. Once you learn the pattern for verbs like 'hablar' (to speak), 'luchar' is easy to conjugate!

tumbar

toom-BARtumˈbaɾ

verbB2informal
Use 'tumbar' when 'to scrap' means to cancel or reject a plan, project, or even a person's work, often in an academic or official context.
A sad student looking at a paper with a large red cross on it.

Examples

El profesor me tumbó en el examen final.

The teacher flunked me in the final exam.

El tribunal tumbó la nueva ley por ser inconstitucional.

The court threw out the new law for being unconstitutional.

Tumbamos el proyecto porque era demasiado caro.

We scrapped the project because it was too expensive.

Subject vs. Object

In the sense of 'failing an exam', the teacher is usually the one who 'tumba' (knocks down) the student.

Mistaking with 'Suspender'

Mistake: “Tumbé el examen.”

Correction: Me tumbaron en el examen.

Confusing Discarding with Fighting

Learners often confuse 'desechar' (to discard) with 'luchar' (to fight). Remember that 'desechar' is for getting rid of things, while 'luchar' is for physical or verbal conflict between individuals.

Related Translations

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