recuento de cadáveres
/rekwento de kadabeɾes/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'body count' in Spanish is recuento de cadáveres.
In Spanish, the term recuento de cadáveres is used literally to refer to a count of dead bodies. To refer to casualties in a formal context, use recuento de víctimas or cifra de víctimas.
Meaning: total number of sexual partners (noun)
Which one should you use?
The phrase recuento de cadáveres is a literal translation meaning 'total number of corpses'. It is used for counting dead bodies and is not used as slang for sexual partners in Spanish. For formal reports regarding casualties, use recuento de víctimas or cifra de víctimas.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should not use recuento de cadáveres to refer to a person's number of sexual partners, as it sounds like a report on casualties in a war or a disaster.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word víctimas is used in recuento de víctimas to cover both those who died and those who were injured. This makes it broader and more compassionate than cadáveres, which refers only to corpses.
- The word recuento shares an ancient root with the English 'count' through the Latin 'computāre'.
- Using the word cadáveres in a social setting is often interpreted as a dark joke or a reference to a crime report.
Examples in context
- Portavoz del Gobierno: Lamentablemente, la cifra de víctimas ha aumentado a 50 personas.Government Spokesperson: Unfortunately, the body count has increased to 50 individuals.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about dating habits.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿crees que el recuento de cadáveres importa?Sofía, do you think the body count matters?
- SofíaNo, Alejandro, eso no es relevante ahora.No, Alejandro, that is not relevant now.
- AlejandroSolo quiero saber tu recuento de cadáveres.I just want to know your body count.
- SofíaNo pienso decirte ese número.I am not going to tell you that number.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, recuento, CC BY-SA 4.0.
