desperdiciar
To waste; to use or spend carelessly.
Desperdiciar means to squander or fail to make proper use of something valuable.
Palavra em 30 segundos
- To waste resources, time, or opportunities.
- Implies lack of care or poor management.
- Used for both physical and abstract concepts.
Summary
Desperdiciar means to squander or fail to make proper use of something valuable.
- To waste resources, time, or opportunities.
- Implies lack of care or poor management.
- Used for both physical and abstract concepts.
Use it with abstract concepts
It is very common to use it with 'tiempo' or 'talento'. Remember that it implies regret or a missed chance.
Do not confuse with losing
Losing (perder) is often accidental. Wasting (desperdiciar) implies a conscious or negligent act of misuse.
Focus on food waste
In many Spanish-speaking countries, there are campaigns against 'desperdicio de comida'. It is a hot topic in sustainability.
Exemplos
4 de 4No quiero desperdiciar esta oportunidad.
I don't want to waste this opportunity.
La empresa no puede permitirse desperdiciar recursos.
The company cannot afford to waste resources.
¡Deja de desperdiciar el agua!
Stop wasting water!
Es lamentable desperdiciar tanto talento en tareas repetitivas.
It is regrettable to waste so much talent on repetitive tasks.
Família de palavras
Dica de memorização
Think of 'des' (away) + 'perder' (lose). You are losing it away on purpose or by neglect.
Overview
El verbo 'desperdiciar' es fundamental en el español cotidiano. Proviene de la idea de 'perder' algo que podría haber sido útil. A diferencia de simplemente 'perder' (que puede ser accidental), 'desperdiciar' implica una falta de gestión o aprecio por lo que se tiene. 2) Usage Patterns: Se usa frecuentemente con objetos contables (dinero, comida) e incontables (tiempo, vida, talento). Gramaticalmente, es un verbo transitivo que requiere un objeto directo. Es común encontrarlo en estructuras como 'desperdiciar [algo] en [algo]' o simplemente 'desperdiciar [algo]'. 3) Common Contexts: Es muy frecuente en contextos domésticos (desperdiciar comida), profesionales (desperdiciar una oportunidad laboral) y personales (desperdiciar el tiempo en redes sociales). 4) Similar Words comparison: Mientras que 'gastar' es neutro (puedes gastar dinero en algo necesario), 'desperdiciar' siempre conlleva una connotación negativa de inutilidad. 'Malbaratar' se enfoca más en el valor económico, mientras que 'desperdiciar' es mucho más amplio y abarca cualquier recurso o concepto abstracto.
Notas de uso
The verb is used in all registers. It is transitive, meaning it must have an object. It carries a negative connotation of inefficiency or lack of appreciation.
Erros comuns
Students often use 'perder' when they mean 'desperdiciar'. Remember that 'perder' is about loss, while 'desperdiciar' is about the misuse of something you still have.
Dica de memorização
Think of 'des' (away) + 'perder' (lose). You are losing it away on purpose or by neglect.
Origem da palavra
Derived from the prefix 'des-' (negation/separation) and 'perder' (from Latin 'perdere'). It evolved to specifically describe the act of losing by misuse.
Contexto cultural
In many Hispanic cultures, wasting food is considered a sign of lack of respect for those who worked to produce it. This makes 'desperdiciar' a word with a strong moral weight.
Exemplos
No quiero desperdiciar esta oportunidad.
everydayI don't want to waste this opportunity.
La empresa no puede permitirse desperdiciar recursos.
formalThe company cannot afford to waste resources.
¡Deja de desperdiciar el agua!
informalStop wasting water!
Es lamentable desperdiciar tanto talento en tareas repetitivas.
academicIt is regrettable to waste so much talent on repetitive tasks.
Família de palavras
Colocações comuns
Frases Comuns
no desperdiciar ni una gota
not to waste a single drop
desperdiciar la vida
to waste one's life
ser un desperdicio
to be a waste
Frequentemente confundido com
Perder means to lose or misplace something. Desperdiciar means to use something poorly or inefficiently.
Gastar is neutral, meaning to spend. Desperdiciar always implies that the spending was wrong or unnecessary.
Padrões gramaticais
Use it with abstract concepts
It is very common to use it with 'tiempo' or 'talento'. Remember that it implies regret or a missed chance.
Do not confuse with losing
Losing (perder) is often accidental. Wasting (desperdiciar) implies a conscious or negligent act of misuse.
Focus on food waste
In many Spanish-speaking countries, there are campaigns against 'desperdicio de comida'. It is a hot topic in sustainability.
Teste-se
Completa la frase con la forma correcta.
No deberías ___ tu tiempo en cosas que no te aportan nada.
Es el verbo que mejor describe el mal uso de algo valioso como el tiempo.
Selecciona el sinónimo más adecuado.
¿Cuál es un sinónimo de desperdiciar?
Malgastar es el sinónimo directo de desperdiciar.
Ordena la frase.
comida / no / desperdicies / la / más
Es la estructura gramatical correcta para una orden negativa.
Pontuação: /3
Perguntas frequentes
4 perguntasNo, gastar es un proceso neutro de usar dinero o recursos. Desperdiciar implica que el uso fue inútil o que se pudo haber aprovechado mejor.
Rara vez se usa directamente con personas, pero sí se usa para decir 'desperdiciar el talento de alguien'. No significa 'desperdiciar a una persona' en el sentido literal.
Es un verbo estándar que se utiliza en todos los niveles de registro, desde la conversación informal hasta artículos periodísticos.
El sustantivo es 'desperdicio', que se refiere al residuo o a la acción de malgastar algo.
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Vocabulário relacionado
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