depreciar en 30 secondes
- Depreciar means to lower the value of an asset or currency over time.
- It is a regular -ar verb, often used reflexively (se deprecia) for objects.
- In social contexts, it means to undervalue or belittle someone's merit or effort.
- It is a formal word common in business, economics, and professional feedback.
The Spanish verb depreciar is a sophisticated term that English speakers will recognize due to its cognate, 'depreciate.' At its core, it refers to the reduction in value or price of something over time. However, in the Spanish-speaking world, its usage nuances can shift between the strictly financial and the more abstractly social or emotional, though the latter is often shared with its cousin verb, despreciar. Understanding depreciar requires a grasp of how assets, currencies, and even human efforts lose their perceived worth in different contexts.
- Financial Context
- In economics and accounting, it describes the systematic allocation of the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life. For example, a company will depreciate its machinery to reflect wear and tear. It is also used when a currency loses value against another, such as when the peso fluctuates against the dollar.
- Social/Subjective Context
- While despreciar is more common for 'despising' someone, depreciar can be used to mean 'to undervalue' or 'to belittle' the merit of an action or a person's work. It implies a lack of proper estimation of worth.
Es un error depreciar los activos fijos de la empresa sin un estudio previo de mercado.
When you hear a news anchor discussing the local currency, depreciar is the go-to word. It sounds professional, precise, and carries the weight of economic reality. In a professional setting, if a manager says 'No debemos depreciar el esfuerzo del equipo,' they are suggesting that the team's hard work is being seen as less valuable than it actually is. This crossover between the literal 'price' and the figurative 'value' makes it a versatile tool for B1 learners and above.
La moneda local se empezó a depreciar frente al euro tras el anuncio del banco central.
- Formal Usage
- You will find this word in contracts, legal documents, and financial audits. It is rarely used in casual slang, where people might just say 'vale menos' (it's worth less).
No podemos depreciar el talento joven solo por su falta de experiencia.
Ciertos inmuebles se pueden depreciar si la zona se vuelve peligrosa.
- Comparison with Devaluar
- While devaluar usually refers to an official government action to lower a currency's value, depreciar often refers to the natural market forces causing that loss.
El mercado libre tiende a depreciar los productos obsoletos rápidamente.
Using depreciar correctly involves knowing whether you are using it transitively (to depreciate something) or reflexively (to lose value). Because it is a regular -ar verb, the conjugation is straightforward, but the context dictates the structure. In financial Spanish, you will often see it in the passive voice or with the 'se' impersonal to describe economic trends.
- Transitive Use (Subject acts on Object)
- When a person or entity deliberately lowers the value. Example: 'El gobierno decidió depreciar la moneda' (The government decided to depreciate the currency).
- Reflexive Use (Intrinsic loss of value)
- When an object naturally loses value over time. Example: 'Los ordenadores se deprecian muy rápido' (Computers depreciate very quickly).
Si no mantienes la casa, se va a depreciar considerablemente en pocos años.
In more abstract sentences, depreciar functions as a synonym for 'underrate.' If you are writing an essay about art, you might say that critics 'deprecian' a certain style, meaning they don't give it the value it deserves. This is a high-level way to express criticism without using common words like 'malo' or 'no me gusta.'
Muchos coleccionistas suelen depreciar el arte digital frente al tradicional.
- Tense Variations
- Future: 'Se depreciará' (It will depreciate). Imperfect: 'Se depreciaba' (It used to depreciate). Perfect: 'Se ha depreciado' (It has depreciated).
El valor de las acciones se depreció un diez por ciento ayer.
No es justo depreciar el trabajo de los demás sin conocer las dificultades.
- Gerund and Participle
- Gerund: depreciando (depreciating). Past Participle: depreciado (depreciated). Example: 'Estamos depreciando los equipos viejos.'
Un coche nuevo se deprecia apenas sale de la tienda.
While you might not hear depreciar in a casual conversation about what to eat for lunch, it is a staple of professional, media, and academic Spanish. If you watch the news in Spain, Mexico, or Argentina, you will hear it almost daily in the economy section. It is the language of the 'Telediario' and the 'Prensa Financiera.'
- The Newsroom
- Journalists use it to describe the health of the economy. 'La moneda se deprecia' is a headline you will see whenever inflation or market instability hits. It sounds more objective than 'el dinero vale menos.'
- The Business Office
- In meetings, accountants and managers discuss how to 'depreciar activos' to balance the books and manage taxes. It's a technical term that indicates professional competence.
En el reporte trimestral, debemos depreciar la maquinaria de la fábrica.
Another common place to encounter this word is in the automotive industry. Car salesmen or reviewers will talk about the 'curva de depreciación.' If you are buying a second-hand car in a Spanish-speaking country, knowing this word helps you negotiate. You can point out that the model has 'depreciado' significantly due to new releases.
Los vehículos de lujo se suelen depreciar con mayor rapidez que los utilitarios.
- Real Estate and Law
- In legal disputes over property damage, lawyers will argue how much an event has caused the property to 'depreciarse'.
La construcción de la fábrica cerca de las casas hizo que estas se depreciaran.
Es común que las élites tiendan a depreciar las formas de arte populares.
The single most common mistake with depreciar is confusing it with despreciar. While they look and sound similar, and even share some semantic space, their primary uses are distinct. Understanding this difference is the hallmark of an advanced learner. Confusing the two can lead to funny or awkward situations, especially in business.
- Confusion with 'Despreciar'
- Despreciar means to despise, look down on, or reject with contempt. Depreciar means to lower the value. If you say 'Deprecio a mi ex,' you are saying you are lowering your ex's financial value. If you say 'Desprecio mi coche,' you are saying you hate your car.
- Wrong Prepositions
- People often try to use 'con' or 'de' incorrectly. Usually, you depreciate something (direct object) or something depreciates against something else (frente a / respecto a).
Incorrecto: El euro se despreció ayer. (Unless the euro has feelings and felt insulted!)
Another mistake is forgetting the reflexive 'se'. In English, we say 'The car depreciates.' In Spanish, it is more natural to say 'El coche se deprecia.' Omitting the 'se' makes it sound like the car is actively depreciating something else, which is logically confusing.
Correcto: Mi inversión se depreció por la crisis.
- Overusing 'Bajar de precio'
- While 'bajar de precio' is correct, using depreciar shows a higher level of vocabulary. Don't be afraid to use it in professional contexts!
No deberías depreciar tus propias habilidades en la entrevista.
El contador olvidó depreciar el mobiliario este año.
Depending on the context—whether you are talking about money, objects, or people—you might want to use a synonym to avoid repetition or to be more precise. Spanish offers several alternatives to depreciar, each with its own flavor.
- Devaluar
- Used almost exclusively for currency. It implies a conscious decision by a central bank. 'El país devaluó su moneda'.
- Menospreciar
- The best alternative when talking about undervaluing a person's effort or merit. It carries a more emotional weight than depreciar. 'No menosprecies mi ayuda'.
- Abaratar
- To make something cheaper. This is more about the cost of production or a sale, rather than a loss of value over time. 'La tecnología abarató los costes'.
Es mejor no menospreciar a la competencia, aunque parezca pequeña.
In accounting, you might also hear amortizar. While depreciar is for tangible assets (machinery, cars), amortizar is often used for intangible assets (patents, software) or paying off a debt. Using the right one shows you really know your business Spanish.
Debemos apreciar los activos que han ganado valor este semestre.
- Subestimar
- To underestimate. This is used for quantities, risks, or abilities. 'Subestimamos el tiempo que tardaríamos'.
No hay que subestimar el poder de una buena devaluación para las exportaciones.
La inflación hace que el dinero se deprecie cada día más.
Guide de prononciation
- Pronouncing it as 'depresiar' in writing (it must have a 'c').
- Confusing the stress with English 'depreciate' (don't stress the second syllable).
- Merging the 'i' and 'a' too much; it's a diphthong but the 'a' should be clear.
- Confusing it with 'despreciar' (adding an 's' after 'de').
- Using an English 'r' sound instead of the Spanish tapped 'r'.
Exemples par niveau
El coche es viejo y se deprecia.
The car is old and loses value.
Simple present tense with reflexive 'se'.
No quiero depreciar mi juguete.
I don't want to lower the value of my toy.
Infinitive after 'querer'.
El precio se deprecia cada año.
The price goes down every year.
Focus on 'se' + verb.
Mi bicicleta se deprecia si se rompe.
My bike loses value if it breaks.
Conditional 'si' clause.
¿Se deprecia mucho este reloj?
Does this watch lose much value?
Interrogative form.
Las casas no se deprecian aquí.
Houses don't lose value here.
Negative sentence.
El dinero se deprecia con el tiempo.
Money loses value over time.
General truth statement.
Es malo depreciar las cosas.
It is bad to undervalue things.
Infinitive as a subject complement.
He vendido el móvil porque se depreciaba rápido.
I sold the phone because it was losing value fast.
Imperfect tense to describe a process.
Los ordenadores se deprecian en dos años.
Computers depreciate in two years.
Plural subject-verb agreement.
Si compras eso, se va a depreciar pronto.
If you buy that, it's going to depreciate soon.
Periphrastic future 'ir a + infinitive'.
No podemos depreciar este producto todavía.
We cannot lower the value of this product yet.
Modal verb 'poder'.
El valor se ha depreciado un poco.
The value has depreciated a little.
Present perfect tense.
La moneda se deprecia frente al dólar.
The currency is losing value against the dollar.
Usage of 'frente a'.
Es normal que los coches se deprecien.
It's normal for cars to depreciate.
Introduction to subjunctive after 'es normal que'.
Ayer se depreciaron mis ahorros.
Yesterday my savings lost value.
Preterite tense.
La maquinaria se deprecia contablemente cada ejercicio.
The machinery is depreciated for accounting purposes every fiscal year.
Adverb 'contablemente'.
No deberías depreciar el talento de tu hermano.
You shouldn't undervalue your brother's talent.
Conditional 'deberías' for advice.
Muchos activos se han depreciado por la inflación.
Many assets have depreciated due to inflation.
Passive-like reflexive 'se'.
Es un error depreciar las opiniones de los demás.
It's a mistake to undervalue others' opinions.
Infinitive phrase.
El mercado tiende a depreciar lo que no es innovador.
The market tends to depreciate what is not innovative.
Relative clause 'lo que'.
Asegúrate de no depreciar demasiado el precio de venta.
Make sure you don't lower the sale price too much.
Imperative 'asegúrate'.
La casa se depreciará si no arreglas el tejado.
The house will lose value if you don't fix the roof.
Future tense in a conditional sentence.
Me molesta que deprecien mi esfuerzo constante.
It bothers me that they undervalue my constant effort.
Subjunctive after 'me molesta que'.
La empresa deprecia sus activos fijos de forma lineal.
The company depreciates its fixed assets linearly.
Technical accounting terminology.
La moneda local se depreció bruscamente tras las elecciones.
The local currency depreciated sharply after the elections.
Adverb 'bruscamente'.
No podemos permitir que se deprecie la imagen de la marca.
We cannot allow the brand image to be devalued.
Subjunctive with 'permitir que'.
El valor de las acciones se ha depreciado un 15% este trimestre.
The share value has depreciated by 15% this quarter.
Percentage usage.
Es fundamental no depreciar la importancia del contexto histórico.
It is fundamental not to undervalue the importance of historical context.
Formal academic tone.
Si la demanda baja, el producto se depreciará inevitablemente.
If demand drops, the product will inevitably lose value.
Future result of a real condition.
Habíamos depreciado el equipo antes de venderlo.
We had depreciated the equipment before selling it.
Past perfect (pluscuamperfecto).
La zona se está depreciando debido al ruido de los aviones.
The area is losing value due to the noise of the planes.
Present progressive.
La obsolescencia programada obliga a depreciar los dispositivos rápidamente.
Planned obsolescence forces devices to be depreciated quickly.
Complex subject 'obsolescencia programada'.
Resulta cínico depreciar los logros de quienes no tuvieron tus oportunidades.
It is cynical to undervalue the achievements of those who didn't have your opportunities.
Evaluation adjective 'cínico'.
La moneda se ha depreciado hasta niveles nunca vistos.
The currency has depreciated to levels never seen before.
Prepositional phrase 'hasta niveles'.
No conviene depreciar el impacto de la inteligencia artificial en el empleo.
It is not advisable to undervalue the impact of AI on employment.
Impersonal 'no conviene'.
La crítica tendió a depreciar su obra durante décadas.
Critics tended to undervalue his work for decades.
Historical narrative usage.
Temo que la inflación deprecie mis ahorros de toda la vida.
I fear that inflation will depreciate my life savings.
Subjunctive after 'temer que'.
El informe sugiere depreciar el valor del inmueble por daños estructurales.
The report suggests lowering the property value due to structural damage.
Subjunctive in a suggestion.
Se deprecia la verdad en un mundo lleno de noticias falsas.
Truth is devalued in a world full of fake news.
Passive 'se' with abstract subject.
Sería un error garrafal depreciar la herencia cultural de estas tribus.
It would be a colossal mistake to undervalue the cultural heritage of these tribes.
Emphatic adjective 'garrafal'.
La dinámica del mercado suele depreciar el capital humano menos cualificado.
Market dynamics tend to depreciate less-skilled human capital.
Sociological terminology.
El perito decidió depreciar el vehículo basándose en el kilometraje excesivo.
The expert decided to depreciate the vehicle based on excessive mileage.
Legal/Technical context.
Nada deprecia más a un político que el incumplimiento de sus promesas.
Nothing devalues a politician more than failing to keep their promises.
Comparative structure.
El paso del tiempo no ha logrado depreciar la belleza de esta catedral.
The passage of time has not managed to diminish the beauty of this cathedral.
Literary/Poetic context.
Es preciso depreciar los activos tóxicos para sanear el balance.
It is necessary to write down toxic assets to clean up the balance sheet.
Financial jargon 'activos tóxicos'.
La falta de mantenimiento deprecia el valor estético del edificio.
The lack of maintenance diminishes the aesthetic value of the building.
Abstract quality 'valor estético'.
Se ha llegado a depreciar la retórica en favor de la pura estadística.
Rhetoric has come to be devalued in favor of pure statistics.
Passive voice with complex objects.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
— To lose value suddenly. It describes an abrupt market crash.
Las acciones se depreciaron de golpe.
— Don't sell yourself short. Used as advice for self-esteem.
Vales mucho, no te deprecies ante ellos.
— To lose value in the eyes of a specific group.
La marca se depreció a ojos de los jóvenes.
— To lose all its value. Total obsolescence.
El invento se depreció por completo en un mes.
— To have a tendency to lose value.
Los coches nuevos tienden a depreciar rápido.
— To make something seem less important than it is.
No dejes que deprecien la importancia de tu rol.
— To lower the value of investment capital.
La inflación deprecia el capital ahorrado.
— To undervalue someone's job or task.
Depreciar la labor docente es un error social.
— To lower value without a clear reason.
El mercado a veces deprecia activos sin motivo.
— To lower the perceived or actual quality.
El uso de materiales baratos deprecia la calidad.
Expressions idiomatiques
— To drastically lower the value or prestige of something. Figurative for extreme depreciation.
Sus comentarios tiraron por los suelos el valor de la empresa.
informal— To become worthless. What happens when something depreciates totally.
Mis ahorros se quedaron en nada por la crisis.
informal— To be worth very little. The result of something being depreciated.
Ese móvil ahora vale un pimiento.
slang— To fall sharply, often used for prices and values.
El valor del oro cayó en picado.
neutral— To be at a very low price or value.
El precio de la vivienda está por los suelos.
neutral— To not be worth a cent. Old Spanish expression for total depreciation.
Esa radio vieja no vale ni un duro.
informal— To further devalue someone who is already in a bad position.
No deberías depreciar su trabajo ahora; es hacer leña del árbol caído.
literary— To sell at a very low price because the item has depreciated.
Vendieron los muebles a precio de saldo.
neutral— Sometimes used when a currency loses its stable value/direction.
La moneda perdió el norte y se depreció.
informal— To be worthless (like wet paper). Used for contracts or money that has depreciated.
Esos billetes son papel mojado ahora.
informalSummary
The word 'depreciar' is essential for discussing finance and value. Whether a car is losing its market price or a person is undervaluing a colleague's hard work, 'depreciar' captures the downward movement of worth. Example: 'El peso se deprecia frente al dólar' (The peso is losing value against the dollar).
- Depreciar means to lower the value of an asset or currency over time.
- It is a regular -ar verb, often used reflexively (se deprecia) for objects.
- In social contexts, it means to undervalue or belittle someone's merit or effort.
- It is a formal word common in business, economics, and professional feedback.
Contenu associé
Plus de mots sur business
a cambio
B1En échange de. 'Je te donne mon livre en échange de ton stylo.'
a cambio de
B1En échange de. Utilisé pour indiquer une réciprocité ou une condition.
a cargo de
B1En charge de; responsable de.
a diario
B1Cela signifie 'chaque jour' ou 'quotidiennement'. On l'utilise pour décrire des habitudes constantes.
a excepción de
B1À l'exception de; sauf. 'Tout le monde est venu, à l'exception de Pierre.'
a fin de que
B1Une conjonction utilisée pour introduire une proposition de but, signifiant 'afin que' ou 'pour que'.
a fondo
B1Thoroughly or in depth.
a la vez
B1La phrase espagnole 'a la vez' signifie que deux choses ou plus se produisent au même moment ; simultanément. Elle est utilisée pour indiquer des actions parallèles.
a medida que
B1At the same rate or in the same way as.
a medio plazo
B1À moyen terme, pour désigner une période de temps modérée.
