desventaja
/desbenˈtaxa/
The English word 'disadvantage' is translated into Spanish as desventaja.
desventaja is a noun that refers to a loss, a detriment or a hindrance.
Meaning: loss, detriment, hindrance (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The prefix des- functions similarly to the English prefix 'dis-' to indicate reversal or negation.
Which one should you use?
desventaja is the antonym of ventaja (advantage).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of desventaja is desventajas.
How do you pronounce it?
/desbenˈtaxa/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish dialects, using sacar ventaja does not just mean gaining an advantage, but can imply taking unfair advantage of someone's kindness or weakness.
- The word desventaja shares a deep linguistic ancestor with the English word 'advantage' through Old French avantage, which originally stemmed from the Latin ab ante, meaning 'from before'.
- While desventaja describes a hindrance, Spanish speakers often use the phrase estar en desventaja to describe a power imbalance in a negotiation or a fight.
Examples in context
- No ser alto no es una desventaja.Not being tall isn't a disadvantage.Tatoeba #2217366 by marcelostockle, translation #282439 by CM
- Su diligencia resultó ser una desventaja.Her diligence turned out to be a disadvantage.Tatoeba #9983985 by baudelaire, translation #10195013 by magnificentgoddess
- Para él, el divorcio es un buen invento, con una única desventaja: primero te tienes que casar.For him, divorce is a good invention, with one sole disadvantage: you have to get married first.Tatoeba #675200 by Shishir, translation #662724 by bluepie88
- Una de las desventajas de esta estrategia es…One of the disadvantages of this strategy is…
- El inconveniente principal de esta solución es…The main inconvenience of this solution is…
- La única pega es el horario de trabajoThe only downside is the working hours
- Esa decisión puede ocasionar perjuicios económicosThat decision can cause economic disadvantages
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing a new job offer.
- DanielSofía, ¿qué piensas de la oferta?Sofía, what do you think of the offer?
- SofíaEl sueldo es bueno, pero tiene una desventaja.The salary is good, but it has one disadvantage.
- Daniel¿Cuál es esa desventaja?What is that disadvantage?
- SofíaEl horario es muy complicado para mí.The schedule is very complicated for me.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry desventaja, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desventaja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
