herido
/eˈɾido/
The English word 'injured' is translated into Spanish as herido.
The primary way to say 'injured' is through the word herido. This term can imply being wounded, such as by a weapon or a physical blow. You can use the phrase gravemente herido to mean 'seriously injured'. Other variations include lastimado (masculine) or lastimada (feminine), and you can use levemente lastimado to mean 'lightly injured'.
Meaning: suffering from an injury (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word herido is the past participle of the verb herir, which means 'to wound' or 'to hurt'.
Which one should you use?
While herido is a common term for 'injured', it often carries a connotation of being 'wounded' (for example, by a weapon or physical blow). In contrast, the term lesionado is more commonly used in medical or sports contexts to describe general injuries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the colloquial terms machucado or machucada are used to mean 'injured'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the word must agree in gender and number with the person or object it describes. Use herido for a male individual and herida for a female individual. For a group of only females, use heridas. For a masculine or mixed-gender group, use heridos.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈɾido/
Did you know?
- The word herido shares a common root with the English word 'hurt'. Both derive from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to strike' or 'to break'.
- The colloquial term machucado comes from the verb machucar, which literally means 'to crush' or 'to mash'. Using it for a minor injury suggests the body part was 'squashed' rather than sliced or broken.
- While herido describes a physical wound, the phrase salir herido is frequently used metaphorically to describe someone who emerges from an emotional conflict or a bad business deal feeling 'injured' or defeated.
Examples in context
- Nadie más salió herido.No one else was injured.This sentence shows how to use herido to describe someone who was not injured.Tatoeba #1548006 by marcelostockle, translation #874869 by CK
- Debe haber varios heridos.There must be several injured.This sentence uses heridos to refer to several injured people.Tatoeba #1247885 by hayastan, translation #10140977 by DJ_Saidez
- Tom no fue herido de gravedad.Tom was not seriously injured.This sentence uses herido to describe the severity of an injury.Tatoeba #1551520 by Shishir, translation #1548210 by Spamster
- El futbolista quedó herido en el partido de ayer.The soccer player was injured in yesterday's match.
- La conductora resultó lastimada en el accidente automovilístico.The driver was injured in the car accident.
- Mi amigo resultó lesionado en el partido de baloncesto.My friend got injured in the basketball game.
- Después de la caída, quedé machucada y no podía caminar adecuadamente.After the fall, I was injured and couldn't walk properly.
- El ciclista resultó herido después de chocar contra un automóvil.The cyclist was injured after colliding with a car.
- La gimnasta quedó lesionada durante el entrenamiento.The gymnast got injured during training.
- Nuestro perro se lastimó la pata mientras jugaba en el parque.Our dog injured its leg while playing at the park.
- Los afectados por el incendio fueron llevados al hospital para recibir tratamiento.The fire victims were taken to the hospital to receive treatment.
- Después del accidente, el motociclista estaba gravemente herido.After the accident, the motorcyclist was seriously injured.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing a minor accident at work.
- María¿Está herido el repartidor?Is the delivery man injured?
- MateoNo, solo tiene un rasguño.No, he only has a scratch.
- MaríaMenos mal que no está herido de gravedad.Thank goodness he is not seriously injured.
- MateoSí, María, todo parece estar bien.Yes, María, everything seems to be fine.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry herido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries herido, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
