Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mermar[se] | ||
| descrecer | /deskɾeθeɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /deskɾeseɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
alternative form |
| decrecer | /dekɾeˈθeɾ/ /dekɾeˈseɾ/ |
The verb is used to mean becoming smaller. You can also use related nouns like disminución or merma to refer to the amount by which a quantity decreases or is decreased. In business and logistics, the noun merma is frequently used to refer to the loss of product or inventory, often translated as shrinkage, loss or reduction.
Which one should you use?
While decrecer is a general term for becoming smaller, mermar is specifically used when a quantity or resource is being depleted or worn away. Note that descrecer is an alternative spelling of decrecer.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The reflexive form mermarse is often used to describe a state of diminishing, such as in the phrase su ánimo se mermó (his spirits diminished). Regarding other verbs, the present tense forms for disminuir are Yo disminuyo, Tú disminuyes, Él/Ella/Usted disminuye, Nosotros/Nosotras disminuimos, Vosotros/Vosotras disminuís and Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes disminuyen. For reducir, the present tense forms are Yo reduzco, Nosotros/Nosotras reducimos, Vosotros/Vosotras reducís and Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes reducen. For bajar, the present tense forms are Yo bajo, Tú bajas, Él/Ella/Usted baja, Nosotros/Nosotras bajamos, Vosotros/Vosotras bajáis and Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes bajan.
Did you know?
- While mermar means to decrease, it is also used in Spanish cooking to describe the process of reducing a liquid by simmering it to concentrate the flavor.
- While 'decrease' is a neutral term in English, the Spanish mermar can carry a poetic or melancholy tone when used to describe one's spirit or energy.
- The word decrecer shares the same Latin root, decrēscere, as the English word 'decrease', making them etymological siblings.
Examples in context
- La demanda de productos disminuyó durante la pandemia.The demand for products decreased during the pandemic.
- El gobierno intenta reducir la tasa de desempleo.The government is trying to decrease the unemployment rate.
- El precio del petróleo ha bajado en los últimos meses.The price of oil has decreased in the last few months.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “decrease” translations and entries descrecer, decrecer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decrecer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
