saqueo
/saˈkeo/
Pillaging in Spanish is saqueo.
Saqueo refers to the act of stealing goods from a place, which typically occurs during a war or a riot. It is a synonym for looting.
How does it change in a sentence?
Saqueo is a masculine noun. Its plural form is saqueos, used to describe multiple acts of pillaging. If you need to express the action as a verb, use the related form saquear, which means to pillage.
How do you pronounce it?
/saˈkeo/
Did you know?
- The verb saquear is sometimes used colloquially in certain regions to mean 'to empty' a place completely, such as cleaning out a closet or a fridge.
- The word saqueo shares a distant root with the Spanish word saco, which means 'sack'.
- While saqueo is the standard term, Spanish speakers may use pillaje in formal historical texts, a word borrowed directly from French.
Examples in context
- Los invasores expoliaron la ciudad durante la guerraThe invaders pillaged the city during the war
- Los bandidos despojaron a la aldea de sus bienes más preciadosThe bandits pillaged the village of its most precious possessions
- Los ladrones asaltaron la casa y se llevaron todoThe thieves raided the house and took everything
- Durante el caos, la turba saqueó las tiendas del centroDuring the chaos, the mob pillaged the downtown shops
- El saqueo de las tiendas dejó la ciudad en caos.The pillaging of the stores left the city in chaos.
- El saqueo de la tienda fue muy rápido.The looting of the store was very fast.
- Hubo un saqueo masivo durante la protesta.There was a massive pillaging during the protest.
- La policía detuvo el saqueo en el centro.The police stopped the looting downtown.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are watching a news report about a riot.
- María¿Viste las noticias sobre el saqueo?Did you see the news about the looting?
- DanielSí, es terrible lo que pasó en la ciudad.Yes, what happened in the city is terrible.
- MaríaDaniel, me preocupa la seguridad de la zona.Daniel, I am worried about the safety of the area.
- DanielNo te preocupes, María, la policía está allí.Don't worry, María, the police are there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry saqueo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saqueo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
