pérdida total
/peɾdida total/from spelling rules
The English phrase "total loss" is translated into Spanish as pérdida total.
pérdida total is used to describe an insured item that has been written off.
Meaning: insured item written off (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun pérdida (loss) and the adjective total (total).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, both pérdida total and siniestro total are recognized terms for a total loss.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾdida total/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word pérdida comes from the Latin perditus, meaning 'destroyed' or 'lost'. It shares a root with the English word 'perdition'.
- While pérdida total is the standard term, the Spanish word siniestro can mean both a 'disaster' and a specific 'insured claim' in a legal context.
- Spanish speakers use the root of pérdida in the common idiom perder los estribos, which literally means 'to lose the stirrups' but actually means 'to lose one's temper'.
Examples in context
- Desafortunadamente, su automóvil fue declarado como una pérdida total después del accidente.Unfortunately, her car was deemed a total loss after the accident.
- El incendio destruyó totalmente su vivienda.The fire completely destroyed their house.
- Mi laptop está más allá de la reparación. Es una pérdida total.My laptop is beyond repair, it's a total loss.
- El coche fue declarado pérdida total tras el accidente.The car was declared a total loss after the accident.
- El coche fue declarado pérdida total.The car was declared a total loss.
- La compañía no cubre la pérdida total.The company does not cover the total loss.
- Fue una pérdida total por el accidente.It was a total loss due to the accident.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about his car accident in a cafe.
- Lucía¿Cómo quedó tu coche tras el choque?How was your car after the crash?
- DanielLamentablemente, fue una pérdida total.Unfortunately, it was a total loss.
- LucíaLo siento mucho, Daniel.I am very sorry, Daniel.
- DanielGracias, Lucía, ya estoy buscando uno nuevo.Thanks, Lucía, I am already looking for a new one.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pérdida, total, CC BY-SA 4.0.
