Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| destruir | /desˈtɾwiɾ/ (literary) /destɾuˈiɾ/ |
|
| romper | /romˈpeɾ/ | |
| destrozar | /destɾoˈθaɾ/ /destɾoˈsaɾ/ |
|
| profligar | /pɾofliɡaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| escocherar | /eskot͡ʃeɾaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | Costa Rica |
The primary way to express damaging something beyond use or repair is with destruir. While you can use arruinar to convey the notion of destroying something, or aniquilar to emphasize complete annihilation or utter destruction, destruir is the standard and most widely used verb.
Which one should you use?
There are several nuances depending on what is being destroyed. Use derribar specifically when referring to demolishing or tearing down a structure. If you wish to describe smashing, shattering or complete devastation, destrozar is a more intense option than destruir. While romper means to break an object, it does not carry the weight of complete destruction that destruir does.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Costa Rica, the colloquial term escocherar is used to mean wrecking or destroying something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb destruir is irregular in the third-person singular preterite. The i changes to y (forming destruyó) to avoid having three vowels in a row.
How do you pronounce it?
/desˈtɾwiɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using romper for everything involving damage. While romper is used for breaking an object, destruir should be used for the complete annihilation of a thing or concept.
Did you know?
- The English word 'destroy' and the Spanish word destruir share the same Latin ancestor, the verb struō, which means 'to build'.
- The word destrozar is built from the noun trozo, which means 'piece'. Using this verb literally implies breaking something into many different pieces.
- The phrase arruinar is used when the destruction is more about spoiling or ruining the value of something rather than physical smashing.
Examples in context
- Debemos destruir la evidencia.We must destroy the evidence.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of destruir regarding evidence.Tatoeba #1535988 by marcelostockle, translation #1115018 by CM
- Dan intentó destruir la evidencia.Dan attempted to destroy evidence.Tatoeba #5209516 by albrusgher, translation #3930801 by Amastan
- Yo los vi destruir el edificio viejo.I watched them destroy the old building.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of destruir regarding a building.Tatoeba #481910 by Raimondi, translation #304998 by CK
- El terremoto destruyó muchos edificios en la ciudad.The earthquake destroyed many buildings in the city.
- La bomba atómica aniquiló la ciudad por completo.The atomic bomb completely annihilated the city.
- La antigua casa fue derribada para construir un nuevo edificio.The old house was torn down to build a new building.
- Alicia bailó tan bien que mató a la competencia.Alicia danced so well that she killed the competition.
- El incendio arruinó la cosecha completa.The fire destroyed the entire harvest.
- Carlos destrozó la guitarra durante el concierto.Carlos destroyed the guitar during the concert.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a broken toy.
- SofíaMateo, ¿cómo pudiste destruir el juguete?Mateo, how could you destroy the toy?
- MateoFue un accidente, no quería destruir nada.It was an accident, I didn't want to destroy anything.
- SofíaAhora es imposible de reparar.Now it is impossible to repair.
- MateoLo siento, yo compraré otro.I'm sorry, I will buy another one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “destroy” translations and entries destruir, romper, destrozar, 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 destrozar, destruir, romper, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
