How to Say "Ruin" in Spanish - How To Say Guide

ruina

/ˈrwina/

The English word "ruin" translates to the Spanish ruina.

As a noun, ruina can refer to the remains of a destroyed construction or something that leads to serious troubles.

Meaning: to spoil (verb)

Which one should you use?

While ruina is the noun used for ruin or destruction, the verb used to describe the action of spoiling something is arruinar.

The word ruina is the noun form. To express the verb "to ruin" or "to spoil", use the verb arruinar.

/ˈrwina/

While ruina refers to a physical collapse, the phrase estar en la ruina is a common idiom used to describe someone who is completely bankrupt or broke.
The Spanish word ruina shares the same ancient root as the English word 'ruin' because both descend from the Latin 'ruina', which describes the act of falling or collapsing.
The Spanish word arruinar is often used in a hyperbole to describe a minor inconvenience, such as when a small rain shower is said to arruinar a perfectly good hair day.

Beber fue su ruina.
Drinking was his ruin.
This sentence shows how the noun ruina can refer to a person's downfall.
Tatoeba #1287623 by marcelostockle, translation #299254 by CM
Apostar le trajo la ruina.
Gambling brought about his ruin.
This sentence illustrates how ruina can be used to describe a consequence of an action.
Tatoeba #1287597 by marcelostockle, translation #63773 by Jesse
La ciudad quedó en las ruinas.
The town fell into ruin.
This sentence shows the use of the plural form ruinas to describe a town in a state of ruin.
Tatoeba #1287592 by marcelostockle, translation #45037 by CM
La guerra destruyó la ciudad
The war destroyed the city
La mala gestión arruinó la empresa
Poor management ruined the company
El paso del tiempo ha deteriorado el edificio
The passage of time has deteriorated the building
Mi hermano pequeño estropeó el pastel
My little brother spoiled the cake
Mi mala suerte arruinó mis planes
My bad luck messed up my plans
El viento echó a perder mi peinado
The wind messed up my hairstyle
Esto va a arruinar la sorpresa.
This is going to ruin the surprise.
9 more sentences on Tatoeba

Alejandro and Elena are discussing a failed business venture.

Alejandro

Ese error fue la ruina de mi negocio.
That mistake was the ruin of my business.
Elena

Lo siento mucho, Alejandro. Fue un accidente.
I am very sorry, Alejandro. It was an accident.
Alejandro

Ahora no sé cómo recuperar mi dinero.
Now I don't know how to recover my money.
Elena

Podemos buscar una solución juntos.
We can look for a solution together.

Sources

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