ruinas
/ˈrwinas/
The Spanish phrase for ruins is ruinas.
ruinas refers to the remains of a building or city that has been destroyed over time. When you want to describe a building or city that is currently in a state of decay or destruction, use the phrase estar en ruinas.
Which one should you use?
The common way to refer to the remains of a structure is the plural ruinas, but the singular form ruina can be used to refer to a single piece of wreckage or to the general state of ruin.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that something is 'in ruins', use the preposition en followed by the noun ruinas. Additionally, when describing the state of a building, use the verb estar rather than ser.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈrwinas/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, if someone says estoy en la ruina, they aren't standing among fallen stones but are stating that they are completely broke.
- The word ruina is a cognate of the English 'ruin', but both derive from the Latin ruina, which specifically meant 'a falling down' or 'a crash'.
- In some contexts, ruinas can be used hyperbolically to describe a person who is exhausted or feels 'wrecked' after a long day of work.
Examples in context
- Mil edificios están en ruinas.One thousand buildings lay in ruins.This sentence shows how to use ruinas to describe many buildings.Tatoeba #1609300 by marcelostockle, translation #807267 by Source_VOA
- El viejo castillo está en ruinas.The old castle lay in ruins.This sentence uses ruinas to describe the state of an old castle.Tatoeba #1021803 by Shishir, translation #48152 by CK
- El castillo ahora está en ruinas.The castle is now in ruins.This sentence shows how to express that a castle is currently in a state of decay using ruinas.Tatoeba #1287593 by marcelostockle, translation #46221 by CK
- Las ruinas de Machu PicchuThe ruins of Machu Picchu
- Se están estudiando los restos arqueológicos de TeotihuacánThe archaeological remains of Teotihuacan are being studied
- Ese edificio está arruinadoThat building is in ruins
- Estos edificios están arruinados debido a la falta de mantenimientoThese buildings are in ruins due to a lack of maintenance
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are visiting an ancient city.
- LucíaMira todas estas ruinas.Look at all these ruins.
- MateoSon impresionantes, Lucía.They are impressive, Lucía.
- Lucía¿Sabes qué había aquí antes?Do you know what was here before?
- MateoCreo que era un templo.I think it was a temple.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ruinas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
