muerte
/ˈmweɾte/feminine
In Spanish, the English phrase 'passing' (referring to death) can be translated as muerte or fallecimiento.
Meaning: death, dying, the end (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| muerte | /ˈmweɾte/ | feminine |
| fallecimiento | /faʝeθiˈmjento/ | masculine |
When referring to the end of life, you can use either muerte or fallecimiento. If you are talking about someone 'passing by', the informal phrase Pasando por aquí is used in casual conversations.
Which one should you use?
While both words refer to the end of life, muerte is the direct and neutral word for 'death'. In contrast, fallecimiento is a formal and euphemistic way to say 'passing' or 'passing away'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
muerte is a feminine noun and fallecimiento is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmweɾte/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the word paso to mean 'passing' in the sense of death. paso actually means a step or a pass.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase pasó a mejor vida is used as a gentle euphemism for 'passing', literally meaning they 'passed to a better life'.
- The root of fallecimiento comes from the Latin fallere, which meant 'to deceive' or 'to trip up'.
- The word 'mortify' in English, which means to cause shame, is an unexpected relative of the Spanish muerte through the same Latin root.
Examples in context
- Su fallecimiento ha sido un mazazo para toda la familia.His passing has been tragic to the entire family.This sentence uses fallecimiento.Tatoeba #10356601 by arh, translation #12885102 by Josephlingo
- El fallecimiento de la abuela fue un mazazo para toda la familia.Grandmother's passing away came as a great blow to the entire family.Tatoeba #5341819 by wallebot, translation #2445252 by FeuDRenais2
- El tren está pasando por la estación.The train is passing by the station.
- Estamos cruzando la frontera.We are passing the border.
- ¿Hoy vas a pasar por aquí?Are you passing by here today?
- Estoy de paso por la ciudad.I'm passing through the city.
- Voy a pasar por tu casa luego.I will pass by your house later.
- La muerte de su perro le afectó mucho.The death of his dog affected him a lot.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about a mutual acquaintance.
- SofíaMe enteré de la muerte del señor Gómez.I heard about Mr. Gomez's passing.
- JavierSí, fue una noticia muy triste.Yes, it was very sad news.
- SofíaEra un hombre muy querido por todos.He was a man very loved by everyone.
- JavierTienes razón, lo extrañaremos mucho.You are right, we will miss him a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “passing” translations and entries muerte, fallecimiento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fallecimiento, muerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
