destruir 30秒で
- Destruir means 'to destroy' and is used for total physical or metaphorical ruin.
- It is irregular in the present tense, adding a 'y' (destruyo, destruyes).
- In the past tense, the 'i' changes to 'y' in the third person (destruyó, destruyeron).
- It is a stronger word than 'romper' (to break) or 'dañar' (to damage).
The Spanish verb destruir is a powerful and evocative term that translates directly to 'to destroy' in English. At its most fundamental level, it refers to the act of putting an end to the existence of something by damaging it so severely that it can no longer function or be recognized as its original self. This word is not limited to physical destruction, such as a building being leveled by a wrecking ball; it extends deeply into the abstract, emotional, and social realms of human experience. You might hear it in the context of a storm destruyendo a coastal village, but you are just as likely to hear it used when someone's reputation is being ruined or when a legal argument is systematically dismantled. Understanding destruir requires recognizing its weight; it implies a level of permanence and severity that words like 'romper' (to break) or 'dañar' (to damage) do not quite capture. When something is destruido, the implication is often that it cannot be easily fixed or restored to its former state.
- Physical Impact
- Used for buildings, objects, or nature. Example: El fuego destruyó el bosque (The fire destroyed the forest).
- Emotional/Abstract Context
- Used for dreams, lives, or reputations. Example: Las mentiras destruyeron su carrera (Lies destroyed his career).
- Technical/Digital Usage
- Used for deleting data or evidence. Example: El virus destruyó los archivos (The virus destroyed the files).
El terremoto fue tan fuerte que logró destruir la ciudad entera en pocos segundos.
No dejes que el odio logre destruir tu paz interior y tu felicidad.
El ejército recibió la orden de destruir los documentos clasificados antes de la retirada.
Es mucho más fácil destruir algo que construirlo desde cero.
Sus palabras crueles pueden destruir la confianza de un niño pequeño.
Using destruir correctly involves understanding its grammatical patterns and its irregular conjugation. In Spanish, verbs ending in -uir (where the 'u' is pronounced, unlike in 'seguir') undergo a specific change: they add a 'y' between the stem and the ending in the present tense (except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'). For example, you say yo destruyo rather than 'destruo'. In the preterite (past tense), the 'i' in the third person endings changes to a 'y' as well: él destruyó and ellos destruyeron. Syntactically, destruir is a transitive verb, meaning it almost always takes a direct object—the thing being destroyed. You can destroy 'el medio ambiente' (the environment), 'una prueba' (a piece of evidence), or 'una relación' (a relationship). The verb is frequently used in the passive voice with 'ser' (e.g., 'Fue destruido') or with the 'se' impersonal (e.g., 'Se destruyeron las pruebas') to focus on the result of the destruction rather than the actor. Mastery of this word allows for vivid descriptions of impact and consequence.
- Direct Object Usage
- The verb usually points directly to the victim of the action. Example: Las olas destruyeron el muelle (The waves destroyed the dock).
- Reflexive and Passive
- Used when something is destroyed by its own nature or in a general sense. Example: La civilización se destruyó a sí misma (The civilization destroyed itself).
¿Por qué quieres destruir todo lo que hemos construido juntos?
El paso del tiempo suele destruir los recuerdos más antiguos.
La crítica feroz de la prensa podría destruir su carrera política.
In everyday life, destruir is a staple of news broadcasts and dramatic storytelling. When a hurricane hits the Caribbean, news anchors will use destruir to describe the devastation left behind. In political debates, opponents might accuse each other of trying to 'destruir el país' (destroy the country) with their policies. In literature and cinema, it is the verb of choice for villains and tragic heroes alike. Interestingly, you will also hear it in very modern contexts, such as computer science, where it refers to the permanent deletion of data, or in environmental activism, where the focus is on how human activity is destruyendo el planeta. It carries a sense of finality that makes it very effective for emphasis. If a friend says, 'Me destruyó lo que dijiste' (What you said destroyed me), they are expressing profound emotional hurt, not literal physical damage. This metaphorical usage is extremely common in Spanish pop songs and soap operas (telenovelas), where emotions are often expressed with high intensity.
- News & Media
- Reporting on natural disasters, wars, or scandals. Example: El escándalo destruyó su imagen pública.
- Drama & Literature
- Describing the fall of empires or hearts breaking. Example: El amor puede construir o destruir.
Los científicos advierten que la contaminación va a destruir los arrecifes de coral.
The most frequent mistakes with destruir involve its conjugation and its confusion with milder verbs. English speakers often forget the 'y' insertion in the present tense, saying 'yo destruo' instead of the correct yo destruyo. This 'y' is essential for maintaining the correct phonetic flow in Spanish. Another common error is using destruir when 'romper' (to break) would be more appropriate. If you drop a glass and it breaks into three pieces, you haven't necessarily 'destruido' the glass in the Spanish sense; you have 'roto' the glass. Destruir implies a much more thorough or catastrophic level of damage. Similarly, students often confuse 'destruir' with 'dañar' (to damage). If a car has a dent, it is 'dañado', but if it is crushed in a scrapyard, it is 'destruido'. Using the word too casually can make your speech sound overly dramatic or exaggerated, although this can sometimes be used for rhetorical effect. Finally, ensure you don't confuse the spelling with 'distribuir' (to distribute), which looks similar but has a completely different meaning.
- Conjugation Errors
- Incorrect: Yo destruo. Correct: Yo destruyo. Incorrect: Ellos destruieron. Correct: Ellos destruyeron.
Spanish offers a rich palette of words to describe various forms of destruction. While destruir is the most general and common term, choosing a more specific alternative can significantly enhance your precision. Demoler is specifically used for buildings and structures, often in a planned way. Aniquilar is much stronger, suggesting the total wiping out of something, often used in military or sci-fi contexts (to annihilate). Devastar is frequently used for the widespread destruction caused by natural disasters or war. For more abstract contexts, arruinar (to ruin) is a great alternative when talking about plans, finances, or reputations. If the destruction is more about making something unusable rather than physically obliterating it, estropear or echar a perder (to spoil/mess up) might be better choices. Understanding these nuances allows you to describe the 'how' and 'to what extent' something was destroyed.
- Destruir vs. Demoler
- Destruir is general; demoler is specifically for tearing down buildings (demolish).
- Destruir vs. Aniquilar
- Aniquilar implies total extinction or leaving absolutely nothing behind.
- Destruir vs. Arruinar
- Arruinar is often used for non-physical things like a surprise, a party, or a bank account.
How Formal Is It?
豆知識
The root 'struere' is the same one that gives us 'structure', 'construct', and 'instrument'. So, 'destruir' is literally the act of reversing a 'structure'.
発音ガイド
- Pronouncing it like 'destroy' with an English 'r'.
- Adding an extra syllable between 'u' and 'i'.
- Stress on the first syllable.
- Not tapping the 'r' at the end.
- Pronouncing the 's' too harshly (it should be soft).
難易度
Easy to recognize due to its similarity to 'destroy'.
Difficult due to the irregular 'y' insertion in various tenses.
Requires practice to get the 'ui' diphthong and stress right.
Clear sound, usually easy to distinguish in context.
次に学ぶべきこと
前提知識
次に学ぶ
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レベル別の例文
El niño destruye el castillo de arena.
The boy destroys the sandcastle.
Present tense, 3rd person singular (destruye).
El fuego destruye la casa.
The fire destroys the house.
Simple subject-verb-object structure.
Yo no quiero destruir mi juguete.
I don't want to destroy my toy.
Infinitive after 'querer'.
El perro destruye la pelota.
The dog destroys the ball.
Common everyday usage.
Las tormentas destruyen los árboles.
Storms destroy trees.
Present tense plural (destruyen).
¡No destruyas mi dibujo!
Don't destroy my drawing!
Negative imperative (informal).
El agua puede destruir el papel.
Water can destroy paper.
Modal verb 'poder' + infinitive.
Ellos destruyen la caja vieja.
They destroy the old box.
3rd person plural.
El terremoto destruyó muchos edificios.
The earthquake destroyed many buildings.
Preterite 3rd person singular (destruyó).
Ayer, el gato destruyó las cortinas.
Yesterday, the cat destroyed the curtains.
Preterite with time marker 'ayer'.
Los soldados destruyeron el puente.
The soldiers destroyed the bridge.
Preterite 3rd person plural (destruyeron).
El virus destruyó todos mis archivos.
The virus destroyed all my files.
Metaphorical use in technology.
La lluvia destruyó la fiesta en el jardín.
The rain destroyed the garden party.
Abstract use (ruined the event).
Se destruyó la evidencia en el incendio.
The evidence was destroyed in the fire.
Passive 'se' construction.
Fuimos a ver cómo destruían el muro.
We went to see how they were destroying the wall.
Imperfect tense (destruían) for ongoing action.
Mi hermano destruyó mi rompecabezas.
My brother destroyed my puzzle.
Simple past action.
Espero que no destruyan la selva tropical.
I hope they don't destroy the rainforest.
Present subjunctive (destruyan) after 'esperar que'.
Si sigues así, vas a destruir tu salud.
If you keep going like this, you are going to destroy your health.
Future 'ir a' + infinitive.
Sus críticas destruyeron su confianza.
His/her criticisms destroyed his/her confidence.
Abstract direct object.
El gobierno quiere destruir la pobreza.
The government wants to destroy poverty.
Figurative use meaning 'eradicate'.
Fue necesario destruir el nido de avispas.
It was necessary to destroy the wasp nest.
Impersonal 'fue necesario' + infinitive.
Dudo que el huracán destruya la presa.
I doubt the hurricane will destroy the dam.
Subjunctive after 'dudar que'.
La envidia puede destruir una buena relación.
Envy can destroy a good relationship.
Abstract concept as subject.
Están destruyendo los documentos viejos.
They are destroying the old documents.
Present progressive (están destruyendo).
La explosión destruyó por completo el laboratorio.
The explosion completely destroyed the laboratory.
Adverbial phrase 'por completo'.
No permitas que el pasado destruya tu futuro.
Don't allow the past to destroy your future.
Subjunctive after 'permitir que'.
El abogado intentó destruir el testimonio del testigo.
The lawyer tried to destroy the witness's testimony.
Metaphorical use in a legal context.
La ciudad fue destruida y luego reconstruida.
The city was destroyed and then rebuilt.
Passive voice with 'ser'.
Aquel escándalo destruyó su reputación política.
That scandal destroyed his political reputation.
Demonstrative adjective 'aquel'.
Es difícil no destruir el ecosistema al construir.
It is difficult not to destroy the ecosystem when building.
Infinitive as subject/complement.
El odio solo sirve para destruir al que odia.
Hate only serves to destroy the one who hates.
Philosophical usage.
Las termitas están destruyendo la estructura de madera.
Termites are destroying the wooden structure.
Progressive tense with specific biological subject.
La inflación galopante acabó por destruir el ahorro de las familias.
Galloping inflation ended up destroying families' savings.
Verbal periphrasis 'acabar por' + infinitive.
Sus argumentos lograron destruir la teoría imperante.
His arguments managed to destroy the prevailing theory.
Academic/Intellectual usage.
El paso de los siglos no ha logrado destruir su legado.
The passage of centuries has not managed to destroy his legacy.
Present perfect tense.
Es imperativo que no destruyamos los puentes del diálogo.
It is imperative that we do not destroy the bridges of dialogue.
Subjunctive with 'nosotros' (no change in 'u').
La droga destruyó su mente antes que su cuerpo.
The drug destroyed his mind before his body.
Contrastive structure.
Cualquier error podría destruir meses de arduo trabajo.
Any error could destroy months of hard work.
Conditional 'podría'.
El ejército empleó tácticas de tierra quemada para destruir al enemigo.
The army used scorched earth tactics to destroy the enemy.
Military terminology.
La desinformación busca destruir la cohesión social.
Disinformation seeks to destroy social cohesion.
Sociological context.
La entropía tiende a destruir el orden en el universo.
Entropy tends to destroy order in the universe.
Scientific/Philosophical context.
Su nihilismo lo llevó a destruir cualquier vestigio de esperanza.
His nihilism led him to destroy any vestige of hope.
High-level literary vocabulary ('vestigio').
La deconstrucción no busca destruir el texto, sino revelarlo.
Deconstruction does not seek to destroy the text, but to reveal it.
Literary theory context.
El tiempo, ese devorador que todo lo destruye, no perdona.
Time, that devourer that destroys everything, does not forgive.
Poetic personification.
Se propuso destruir los cimientos del sistema patriarcal.
He/she set out to destroy the foundations of the patriarchal system.
Metaphorical 'cimientos' (foundations).
La tragedia griega suele centrarse en cómo el destino destruye al héroe.
Greek tragedy usually focuses on how fate destroys the hero.
Academic literary analysis.
Aquel invento amenazaba con destruir el mercado tradicional.
That invention threatened to destroy the traditional market.
Economic disruption context.
Nada puede destruir la esencia de lo que somos.
Nothing can destroy the essence of what we are.
Existential usage.
よく使う組み合わせ
よく使うフレーズ
— To act in a way that makes it impossible to return to a previous state or relationship.
Al renunciar de esa manera, destruyó todos los puentes con la empresa.
— To destroy oneself, often used for characters in movies or bad habits.
Este mensaje se autodestruirá en cinco segundos.
— To attack the very core or basis of an idea or organization.
Sus revelaciones destruyeron los cimientos del partido.
— To emotionally crush someone or ruin their life completely.
La noticia de la muerte de su perro lo destruyó.
— To take away the spirit or confidence of a group.
La derrota constante destruyó la moral del equipo.
— To surpass a previous best performance decisively.
El atleta logró destruir el récord mundial de velocidad.
— To take away someone's hope or happy expectation.
Le destruyeron la ilusión cuando le dijeron que no había viaje.
— To break up a home or a family unit.
La infidelidad terminó por destruir el nido familiar.
— To interrupt a peaceful situation with chaos or noise.
El estallido de la bomba destruyó la calma de la tarde.
— To eliminate something completely from its very beginning or source.
Hay que destruir de raíz este problema de corrupción.
慣用句と表現
— To be physically exhausted or emotionally devastated.
Después del maratón, quedé destruido.
Informal— To cause extreme emotional pain that feels spiritual.
Ver tanta injusticia me destruye el alma.
Literary/Dramatic— To break someone's heart (stronger than 'romper').
Su traición me destruyó el corazón.
Dramatic— To criticize someone so harshly that they are ruined.
La prensa lo destruyó a críticas tras su actuación.
Neutral— To do something that prevents any future success.
Ese error de juventud destruyó su futuro profesional.
Neutral— To suffer internally while appearing fine on the outside.
La culpa lo está destruyendo por dentro.
Emotional— To kiss someone very intensely and many times (affectionate).
Cuando vea a mi sobrino, lo voy a destruir a besos.
Informal/Affectionate— Used to emphasize the severity of environmental damage.
Si no cambiamos, vamos a destruir el planeta.
Common— To make a sudden, often unwelcome, noise.
Un grito desgarrador destruyó el silencio de la noche.
Literary— To make someone lose all hope.
El diagnóstico médico destruyó sus esperanzas de volver a caminar.
Serious語族
名詞
動詞
形容詞
関連
暗記しよう
記憶術
Think of a 'DE-STRUCT-ure'. You are taking the 'structure' away (de-). It sounds like 'destroy' but with a Spanish 'ir' ending.
視覚的連想
Imagine a giant wrecking ball hitting a building. The ball has the letter 'Y' on it to remind you of the 'destruyo' conjugation.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Try to use 'destruir' in three different tenses today: once for a physical object, once for a digital file, and once for an emotion.
語源
Derived from the Latin verb 'destruere', which is composed of the prefix 'de-' (meaning down or away) and 'struere' (meaning to build or pile up).
元の意味： Literally 'to unbuild' or 'to take down a structure'.
Romance (Latinate)文化的な背景
Use with caution when talking about people's lives or feelings, as it is a very strong word. In some contexts, it can sound violent.
Similar to English, but Spanish speakers use the metaphorical version ('me destruye') slightly more frequently in daily conversation to express empathy or sadness.
実生活で練習する
実際の使用場面
Natural Disasters
- El huracán destruyó...
- Casas destruidas
- Totalmente destruido
- Destrucción masiva
Technology
- Destruir archivos
- Virus que destruye
- Destruir el disco duro
- Datos destruidos
Relationships
- Destruir una amistad
- Me destruyó el corazón
- Destruir la confianza
- Relación destruida
Politics
- Destruir al oponente
- Destruir la economía
- Destruir pruebas
- Destruir un sistema
Summary
The verb 'destruir' is essential for describing significant impact, ranging from natural disasters to emotional devastation. Example: 'El huracán destruyó la costa' (The hurricane destroyed the coast). Remember the 'y' insertion in its conjugation!
- Destruir means 'to destroy' and is used for total physical or metaphorical ruin.
- It is irregular in the present tense, adding a 'y' (destruyo, destruyes).
- In the past tense, the 'i' changes to 'y' in the third person (destruyó, destruyeron).
- It is a stronger word than 'romper' (to break) or 'dañar' (to damage).
関連コンテンツ
この単語を他の言語で
generalの関連語
a causa de
A2「〜のせいで」や「〜が原因で」という意味です。名詞の前に使います。
a condición de que
B2On condition that, provided that, or given that.
a dónde
A1どこへ？（目的地や場所を尋ねる）
a lo mejor
A2もしかすると、ひょっとしたら。「a lo mejor」は日常会話で非常によく使われます。
a menos que
B1～しない限り. 彼が来ない限り、私は行きません。 (I won't go unless he comes.)
a no ser que
B2「〜でない限り」という意味です。例外を条件として提示する時に使われます。
a pesar de
B1〜にもかかわらず。 '雨にもかかわらず、彼は来ました。' (Despite the rain, he came.)
a_pesar_de
B2雨にもかかわらず、私たちは外出しました。
a propósito
B21. ところで：話題を変える時に使います。 2. わざと：意図的に何かをすること。「ところで、私の本を見た？」、「彼はわざとそれをした。」
a raíz de
B2〜の結果として；〜を受けて。
