Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
How to Say Curse in Spanish: Maldición, Maldecir & Palabrota
Maldición · noun (feminine) / verb · mahl-dee-see-OHN
Curse translates to maldición (a curse or hex, also an exclamation) or maldecir (the verb, to curse). When referring to profanity or swear words, the terms are palabrota (a curse word) and grosería (a vulgarity, mainly Latin America). Maldecir conjugates like decir with a mal- prefix: maldigo (I curse), maldije (I cursed).
Maldición is mahl-dee-see-OHN, four syllables. Maldecir is mahl-deh-SEER. Palabrota is pah-lah-BROH-tah.
Dicen que una maldición cayó sobre esa casa abandonada.
They say a curse fell upon that abandoned house.
Curse in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for curse, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| maldición | curse | mahl-dee-see-OHN | Default, widely understood |
| maldecir | curse | Universal — verb: to curse someone | |
| palabrota | curse | Universal — a curse word, a swear word | |
| grosería | curse | Latin America — a rude word or profanity |
How Native Speakers Use Maldición
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Supernatural curse
La leyenda dice que un brujo lanzó una maldición sobre el pueblo.
The legend says a sorcerer cast a curse on the village.
Lanzar una maldición (to cast a curse) is the standard collocation. Brujo means sorcerer or witch doctor.
Exclamation of frustration
¡Maldición! Olvidé las llaves dentro del carro.
Damn! I left the keys inside the car.
¡Maldición! is a mild expletive, roughly equivalent to 'Damn!' It is less vulgar than many alternatives.
Profanity
Mi abuela no tolera palabrotas en su casa.
My grandmother doesn't tolerate curse words in her house.
Palabrota (literally 'big word') is the everyday term for a swear word. Decir palabrotas means to curse or swear.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Maldición
Using curso instead of maldición
Incorrect: Hay un curso sobre esa familia.
Correct: Hay una maldición sobre esa familia.
Curso means course (as in a class or a path). It is not related to the English word 'curse.' Maldición is the correct word for a curse or hex.
Conjugating maldecir as regular
Incorrect: Yo maldeco a los que me traicionaron.
Correct: Yo maldigo a los que me traicionaron.
Maldecir follows the same irregular pattern as decir. The yo form is maldigo (not *maldeco), just as decir becomes digo.
Lock in Curse Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Maldición used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using maldición in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Dicen que una maldición cayó sobre esa casa abandonada. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Curse in Spanish
- What is the difference between maldición and palabrota?
- Maldición is a curse in the magical or exclamatory sense — a hex, or an outburst like 'Damn!' Palabrota refers to a profane word itself — any swear word. You can say a palabrota, but a maldición is something you place on someone or shout in frustration.
- How do you say 'to swear' (use profanity) in Spanish?
- Decir palabrotas (to say curse words) or maldecir (to curse). In Mexico, decir groserías is very common. For the act of swearing an oath, use jurar instead.
- Is maldición a strong word?
- As an exclamation, ¡Maldición! is relatively mild — comparable to 'Damn!' in English. It is socially acceptable in most informal contexts, though some might consider it impolite in very formal settings. It is much milder than most actual curse words.