How to Say "to spoil" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to spoil” is “arruinar” — use 'arruinar' when something negatively affects an event, a mood, or a plan, causing it to be ruined or destroyed..
arruinar
ahr-roo-ee-NAHR/ar.rwiˈnar/
Examples
La lluvia arruinó nuestro picnic.
The rain spoiled our picnic.
Llegar tarde arruinó toda la sorpresa.
Arriving late spoiled the whole surprise.
No quiero que mi mal humor arruine la cena.
I don't want my bad mood to spoil dinner.
Se arruinó la fiesta cuando llegó la policía.
The party was ruined when the police arrived. (Used reflexively)
The 'Se' Form (Reflexive)
When you use 'arruinarse' (with 'se'), it means something became ruined or spoiled by itself, without a specific person doing the action: 'La comida se arruinó' (The food spoiled).
asesinar
/a-se-si-nar//ase.siˈnaɾ/
Examples
El ruido de la construcción asesinó la paz de la tarde.
The construction noise spoiled the peace of the afternoon.
El tráfico pesado asesinó el ambiente romántico de la cena.
The heavy traffic killed the romantic atmosphere of the dinner.
Con esa mala iluminación, la fotografía ha asesinado todos los detalles.
With that bad lighting, the photograph has ruined all the details.
Arruinar vs. Asesinar
Related Translations
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