está muerto
/esta mweɾto/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "he is dead" is está muerto.
está muerto is used to state that a male person is no longer alive.
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, death is treated as a state or condition rather than an inherent characteristic. Therefore, this phrase uses the verb estar instead of ser.
How do you pronounce it?
/esta mweɾto/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying es muerto. While English speakers often make this error, es muerto is grammatically incorrect in this context. You must use está muerto.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, saying está muerto can be used colloquially to describe someone who is extremely exhausted or tired. In this context, it functions similarly to the English phrase 'I am dead' after a long workout.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, when someone 'is dead', people may use the euphemism ha fallecido instead of está muerto to show more respect or softness during a funeral or formal announcement.
- The word muerto is a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'murder'. Both words share a common root from the ancient Proto-Indo-European word for 'to die'.
Examples in context
- ¿Creéis que está muerto?Do you think he is dead?This sentence is useful for asking if someone believes a male person is dead.Tatoeba #699779 by Shishir, translation #70155 by CH
- Está muerto.He is dead.This sentence is useful for stating that a male person is dead.Tatoeba #13453969 by Seael, translation #3780551 by popball
- Él está muerto y enterrado ahora.He is dead and buried now.Tatoeba #2758394 by nancy, translation #296565 by CK
- Lamentamos informar que el señor García ha fallecido esta mañana.We regret to inform you that Mr. García has passed away this morning.
- Con profundo pesar, tenemos que informar que nuestro querido director se nos ha ido.With deep sorrow, we have to inform you that our beloved director has left us.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a character in a novel.
- Elena¿Crees que el protagonista está muerto?Do you think the protagonist is dead?
- AlejandroSí, definitivamente está muerto.Yes, he is definitely dead.
- ElenaQué triste es su historia.His story is so sad.
- AlejandroEs una tragedia muy triste.It is a very sad tragedy.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries muerto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
