frustrar
frustrar في 30 ثانية
- Frustrar means to thwart a plan or prevent success.
- It is used reflexively (frustrarse) to describe feeling frustrated.
- Common in news for 'frustrated crimes' (attempts that failed).
- Requires the subjunctive mood when expressing 'It frustrates me that...'
The Spanish verb frustrar is a multifaceted term that primarily describes the act of preventing a plan, intention, or hope from being realized. At its core, it carries the weight of 'thwarting' or 'baffling' an effort. Unlike the English 'frustrate,' which often leans heavily toward the emotional state of being annoyed, the Spanish frustrar is frequently used to describe the objective failure of an action due to external intervention or circumstances. When you 'frustras un plan,' you are not necessarily making the plan feel annoyed; you are ensuring that the plan does not succeed.
- Primary Meaning
- To deprive someone of what they expected or to stop a process from reaching its conclusion.
- Emotional Nuance
- When used reflexively as frustrarse, it captures the psychological feeling of disappointment and helplessness.
- Legal/Official Context
- Often used in news reports regarding 'frustrated' crimes (crímenes frustrados), meaning the attempt was made but failed.
La policía logró frustrar el robo al banco justo antes de que los ladrones escaparan.
In a broader sense, frustrar can apply to abstract concepts like dreams, ambitions, or careers. If a sudden injury prevents an athlete from competing, we say the injury 'frustró su carrera.' This usage highlights the interruption of a trajectory. It is important to distinguish between the active verb (to thwart) and the reflexive state (to feel frustrated). In Spanish, if you say 'Me frustra la situación,' you are saying the situation frustrates you. If you say 'Me frustré,' you are saying you became frustrated.
No dejes que un pequeño error logre frustrar todos tus esfuerzos de este año.
El mal tiempo terminó por frustrar nuestros planes de ir a la montaña.
- Synonym: Malograr
- To spoil or ruin something that was developing well.
- Synonym: Impedir
- To prevent or hinder.
La falta de presupuesto podría frustrar el proyecto de investigación.
Es difícil no frustrarse cuando los resultados no llegan rápido.
Using frustrar correctly requires understanding its transitivity. It is a transitive verb, meaning it usually takes a direct object—the thing or person being thwarted. However, its reflexive form, frustrarse, is equally common when discussing emotions. To master this word, you must navigate between these two modes of use.
1. The Active Voice (To Thwart)
When you want to say that something or someone stopped an event from happening, use frustrar + [Object].
- Frustrar un plan: To thwart a plan.
- Frustrar un intento: To thwart an attempt.
- Frustrar un ataque: To foil an attack.
El portero logró frustrar el gol en el último minuto.
2. The Reflexive Voice (To Get Frustrated)
When the subject is the one feeling the emotion, use frustrarse. This is often followed by the preposition 'con' (with) or 'por' (because of).
- Me frustro con la tecnología: I get frustrated with technology.
- Se frustró por no entender la lección: He got frustrated because he didn't understand the lesson.
3. As a Cause (To Frustrate Someone)
Like the verb 'gustar,' you can use frustrar to say that something causes frustration to someone. 'Me frustra que...' (It frustrates me that...). Note that when using 'que,' you must use the subjunctive mood in the following clause.
Me frustra que no me escuches cuando hablo.
This structure is vital for B1 and B2 learners. The trigger 'Me frustra que' demands the subjunctive because it expresses an emotion or feeling about a fact.
You will encounter frustrar in several distinct environments, ranging from high-stakes news reports to everyday emotional venting. Understanding these contexts helps you choose the right nuance.
1. News and Journalism
In the 'Sucesos' (Crime/Events) section of a Spanish newspaper, frustrar is the standard verb for police interventions. You will see headlines like 'La Guardia Civil frustra un alijo de hachís' (The Civil Guard thwarts a hashish shipment). It implies a successful prevention of an illegal act.
2. Sports Commentary
Commentators use it when a defender blocks a shot or a team's strategy fails. 'La defensa frustró todas las llegadas del equipo rival.' It conveys a sense of effective resistance.
3. Professional and Academic Settings
In meetings, it might be used to describe why a project didn't move forward. 'La falta de firmas frustró la firma del contrato.' It sounds more formal and precise than saying 'the contract wasn't signed.'
4. Psychology and Self-Help
In podcasts or books about mental health, you'll hear about 'la tolerancia a la frustración' (frustration tolerance). This is a very common phrase in Spanish-speaking educational systems, referring to a child's or adult's ability to handle setbacks.
'Es fundamental trabajar la tolerancia a la frustración desde pequeños.'
Even advanced learners can trip up on the specific constraints of frustrar. Here are the most frequent errors to avoid.
1. Confusing 'Frustrar' with 'Decepcionar'
While related, they are not interchangeable. Decepcionar means 'to disappoint' (failing to meet expectations). Frustrar means 'to thwart' (stopping something from happening). If a movie is bad, it te decepciona. If the cinema is closed and you can't see the movie, the situation frustra tu plan.
2. Forgetting the Subjunctive
When using the 'Me frustra que...' construction, learners often use the indicative.
Incorrect: Me frustra que él no *viene*.
Correct: Me frustra que él no venga.
3. Misusing the Passive Voice
In English, we often say 'I am frustrated.' In Spanish, while you can say 'Estoy frustrado,' it is much more natural to use the reflexive 'Me frustro' or the verb 'sentirse' (Me siento frustrado). Using 'ser' (Soy frustrado) is a major error as it would imply that frustration is a permanent personality trait, which is grammatically and logically incorrect in this context.
4. Preposition Errors
Learners often say 'frustrado de.' Usually, it is 'frustrado por' (frustrated by/because of) or 'frustrado con' (frustrated with a person or object).
To expand your vocabulary, compare frustrar with these related verbs. Each has a specific 'flavor' of failure or prevention.
- Malograr
- This is perhaps the closest synonym. It implies that something that was going well has been spoiled or has come to nothing. Often used for crops, deals, or young talents who don't reach their potential.
- Truncar
- Specifically means to cut something short. If a career is 'truncada,' it was interrupted abruptly, usually by something tragic.
- Desbaratar
- A more forceful word meaning to 'mess up' or 'dismantle.' If you desbaratas a plan, you've completely ruined its structure.
- Boicotear
- To boycott or deliberately sabotage. Unlike frustrar, which can be accidental (like weather), boicotear is always intentional.
- Contrarrestar
- To counteract. This is more about neutralizing an effect rather than stopping an action entirely.
Choosing the right word depends on whether the 'stop' was an interruption (truncar), a failure to bloom (malograr), or a direct prevention (frustrar).
How Formal Is It?
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مستوى الصعوبة
قواعد يجب معرفتها
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Me frustro cuando no entiendo.
I get frustrated when I don't understand.
Reflexive use: me frustro.
No quiero frustrar a mi amigo.
I don't want to frustrate my friend.
Infinitive after 'querer'.
El juego es difícil y me frustra.
The game is hard and it frustrates me.
Direct object 'me'.
Ella se frustra con la tarea.
She gets frustrated with the homework.
Third person reflexive 'se frustra'.
¿Te frustras mucho?
Do you get frustrated a lot?
Question form.
El mal clima frustra el picnic.
The bad weather thwarts the picnic.
Present tense.
Es normal frustrarse a veces.
It's normal to get frustrated sometimes.
Reflexive infinitive.
No te frustres, por favor.
Don't get frustrated, please.
Negative imperative (informal).
Ayer el tráfico frustró mis planes.
Yesterday traffic thwarted my plans.
Preterite tense.
Me frustré porque perdí mis llaves.
I got frustrated because I lost my keys.
Preterite reflexive.
No debemos frustrar los sueños de los niños.
We must not thwart children's dreams.
Modal verb 'deber' + infinitive.
El ruido frustra mi concentración.
The noise thwarts my concentration.
Noun as subject.
Se frustraron al ver el resultado.
They got frustrated upon seeing the result.
Plural preterite reflexive.
Mi padre no se frustra fácilmente.
My father doesn't get frustrated easily.
Adverb 'fácilmente'.
La lluvia frustró nuestra caminata.
The rain thwarted our hike.
Subject-Verb-Object.
¿Por qué te frustraste tanto?
Why did you get so frustrated?
Interrogative with preterite.
Me frustra que no haya comida en la casa.
It frustrates me that there is no food in the house.
Subjunctive 'haya' after 'me frustra que'.
La policía frustró el intento de robo.
The police thwarted the robbery attempt.
Common journalistic usage.
Espero que esto no frustre tus esperanzas.
I hope this doesn't thwart your hopes.
Present subjunctive 'frustre'.
Si no practicamos, vamos a frustrar el proyecto.
If we don't practice, we are going to thwart the project.
Future with 'ir a'.
Se frustró el viaje por falta de dinero.
The trip was thwarted due to lack of money.
Passive 'se' construction.
Me frustra que siempre llegues tarde.
It frustrates me that you always arrive late.
Subjunctive 'llegues'.
No dejes que los obstáculos te frustren.
Don't let obstacles frustrate you.
Subjunctive after 'dejar que'.
El equipo se frustró tras perder el partido.
The team got frustrated after losing the match.
Reflexive with preposition 'tras'.
La falta de acuerdo frustró la negociación comercial.
The lack of agreement thwarted the commercial negotiation.
Formal vocabulary.
A menudo, la burocracia frustra las iniciativas ciudadanas.
Often, bureaucracy thwarts citizen initiatives.
Abstract subject.
Se siente frustrado por la falta de reconocimiento.
He feels frustrated by the lack of recognition.
Adjective 'frustrado' with 'sentirse'.
Habría sido una pena frustrar una carrera tan prometedora.
It would have been a shame to thwart such a promising career.
Conditional perfect + infinitive.
La intervención del gobierno frustró los planes de la empresa.
The government's intervention thwarted the company's plans.
Political context.
Es vital no frustrarse ante los primeros fracasos.
It is vital not to get frustrated in the face of the first failures.
Impersonal 'es vital'.
El defensa frustró el ataque con una gran entrada.
The defender thwarted the attack with a great tackle.
Sports context.
Me frustra que no se valore el esfuerzo realizado.
It frustrates me that the effort made is not valued.
Passive 'se' in subjunctive clause.
La crisis económica terminó por frustrar sus ambiciones políticas.
The economic crisis ended up thwarting his political ambitions.
Periphrasis 'terminar por'.
Un error de cálculo frustró la misión espacial.
A calculation error thwarted the space mission.
Technical context.
La obra trata sobre un amor frustrado por las convenciones sociales.
The work is about a love thwarted by social conventions.
Participle as adjective.
No podemos permitir que el miedo frustre nuestro progreso.
We cannot allow fear to thwart our progress.
Subjunctive after 'permitir que'.
Su actitud arrogante frustró cualquier posibilidad de diálogo.
His arrogant attitude thwarted any possibility of dialogue.
Nuanced subject.
El destino pareció frustrar todos sus intentos de redención.
Fate seemed to thwart all his attempts at redemption.
Literary tone.
La investigación fue frustrada por la destrucción de pruebas.
The investigation was thwarted by the destruction of evidence.
Passive voice with 'ser'.
Me frustra sobremanera la indiferencia de las autoridades.
The indifference of the authorities frustrates me exceedingly.
Adverb 'sobremanera'.
La contingencia histórica frustró el advenimiento de una nueva era.
Historical contingency thwarted the advent of a new era.
Highly academic vocabulary.
El autor explora la psique de un hombre frustrado por su propia mediocridad.
The author explores the psyche of a man frustrated by his own mediocrity.
Literary analysis.
Se frustró la tentativa de golpe de Estado gracias a la lealtad del ejército.
The attempted coup d'état was thwarted thanks to the loyalty of the army.
Political/Legal context.
La erosión del suelo podría frustrar los esfuerzos de reforestación.
Soil erosion could thwart reforestation efforts.
Scientific context.
Es una narrativa de deseos frustrados y esperanzas marchitas.
It is a narrative of thwarted desires and withered hopes.
Poetic imagery.
La falta de quórum frustró la votación de la ley.
The lack of a quorum thwarted the voting on the law.
Institutional terminology.
Nada frustra más al intelecto que la falta de libertad de expresión.
Nothing frustrates the intellect more than the lack of freedom of expression.
Philosophical statement.
El azar, en su crueldad, frustró el encuentro que tanto habían anhelado.
Chance, in its cruelty, thwarted the meeting they had so long yearned for.
Complex sentence structure.
تلازمات شائعة
العبارات الشائعة
intento frustrado
plan frustrado
golpe frustrado
me frustra que
no te frustres
tolerancia a la frustración
frustrar las expectativas
frustrar el paso
frustrar el desarrollo
frustrar el éxito
يُخلط عادةً مع
تعبيرات اصطلاحية
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سهل الخلط
Decepcionar is about feelings; Frustrar is about plans.
Molestar is to annoy; Frustrar is to block progress.
Impedir is more general; Frustrar implies a hope or plan was involved.
Malograr implies something was spoiled or wasted.
Fastidiar is much more informal and means to annoy or break.
أنماط الجُمل
كيفية الاستخدام
More formal than 'fastidiar' or 'molestar'.
Universal usage across all Spanish-speaking countries.
- Me frustra que él *está* aquí.
- Estoy *frustrante*.
- El plan se *frustó*.
- Soy frustrado por mi trabajo.
- Frustrar de algo.
نصائح
Subjunctive Alert
Always check for the subjunctive after 'Me frustra que'. It's a classic B1 exam trap.
Noun Form
Use 'la frustración' to talk about the concept in general. It's a feminine noun.
Softening
Say 'Me frustra un poquito' to sound less aggressive when complaining.
Journalism
In news reports, 'frustrar' is the best verb for police stopping a crime.
Context Clues
If you hear 'frustró' followed by a noun like 'robo' or 'ataque', it means it was stopped.
Tolerancia
Learn the phrase 'tolerancia a la frustración'; it's very common in professional Spanish.
The Wall
Visualize a wall (frustrar) stopping a runner (the plan).
Passive Se
Use 'Se frustró el plan' to avoid blaming a specific person.
Double R
Be careful with the 'tr' sound; keep it crisp and don't let it slide into an English 'ch'.
Negotiations
Use 'frustrar la negociación' to describe a deal falling through formally.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Think of 'Frustrated' but remember it also means 'To Fail' (Frustrar = Fail to finish).
أصل الكلمة
السياق الثقافي
Standard term in crime reporting for failed robberies.
Used frequently by teachers to discuss student progress.
تدرّب في الحياة الواقعية
سياقات واقعية
بدايات محادثة
"¿Qué es lo que más te frustra de aprender español?"
"¿Alguna vez la lluvia frustró un plan importante para ti?"
"¿Cómo manejas la frustración en el trabajo?"
"¿Crees que los jóvenes de hoy tienen poca tolerancia a la frustración?"
"¿Qué harías si un error técnico frustrara tu presentación?"
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
Describe un momento en el que un plan se frustró y cómo reaccionaste.
Escribe sobre algo que te frustra de la sociedad actual.
¿Cómo ha cambiado tu forma de frustrarte con los años?
Imagina que eres un detective que frustra un robo. Escribe el informe.
Reflexiona sobre la frase: 'El éxito es aprender a ir de fracaso en fracaso sin frustrarse'.
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةSí, sigue el modelo de los verbos terminados en -ar como 'amar' o 'hablar' en todos sus tiempos.
'Frustrante' describe la situación (The situation is frustrating), mientras que 'frustrado' describe cómo te sientes (I am frustrated).
No, debes usar 'Estoy frustrado' porque es un estado temporal, o 'Me siento frustrado'.
Se usa cuando expresas que algo te causa frustración: 'Me frustra que no vengas'.
Es un término legal para un crimen que se intentó cometer pero no se logró completar por causas ajenas al autor.
Sí, puedes frustrar a alguien (hacer que se sienta mal) o frustrar los planes de alguien.
Sí, es una palabra estándar y muy común en todo el mundo hispanohablante.
Podrías usar 'fastidiar' o 'joder' (vulgar), pero 'frustrar' es la palabra precisa.
Se dice 'intento frustrado'.
Normalmente 'con' (con alguien/algo) o 'por' (por una razón).
اختبر نفسك 180 أسئلة
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Frustrar is more than just feeling annoyed; it is the objective act of stopping progress. Whether it's a police officer thwarting a crime or a person feeling blocked by life, this verb covers the gap between intention and reality.
- Frustrar means to thwart a plan or prevent success.
- It is used reflexively (frustrarse) to describe feeling frustrated.
- Common in news for 'frustrated crimes' (attempts that failed).
- Requires the subjunctive mood when expressing 'It frustrates me that...'
Subjunctive Alert
Always check for the subjunctive after 'Me frustra que'. It's a classic B1 exam trap.
Noun Form
Use 'la frustración' to talk about the concept in general. It's a feminine noun.
Softening
Say 'Me frustra un poquito' to sound less aggressive when complaining.
Journalism
In news reports, 'frustrar' is the best verb for police stopping a crime.
محتوى ذو صلة
هذه الكلمة بلغات أخرى
مزيد من كلمات emotions
a diferencia de
B1Unlike; in contrast to.
abatido
B1Feeling or showing great sadness or discouragement; dejected.
abatimiento
B2State of being low in spirits; dejection or depression.
abatir
B1To make someone feel dejected or disheartened.
abierto/a de mente
B2Open-minded; willing to consider new ideas; unprejudiced.
aborrecer
B1To regard with disgust and hatred; to loathe.
abrazar
A1To put one's arms around someone as a sign of affection.
abrazo
A1An act of holding someone closely in one's arms; a hug.
abrumador
B1Overpowering; very great or intense.
abrumar
B1To overwhelm (someone) with a large amount of something.
