sabotaje

sabotage

noun sah-boh-TAH-heh Rare

Origin: From French sabotage, from sabot (wooden shoe), referring to deliberate disruption.

Usage Note

Sabotaje is a French loanword (from sabotage, ultimately sabot, a wooden shoe). The verb is sabotear and the agent noun is saboteador/saboteadora. In modern usage it extends beyond industrial disruption to any deliberate undermining of a plan or effort.

Examples

"El sabotaje de la fábrica paralizó la producción."

Natural Translation

The sabotage of the factory halted production.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Filler Words: 15 Ways to Sound Natural

Spanish filler words like pues, o sea, and vale make you sound natural, not robotic. Learn 15 muletillas sorted by job, by region, and when not to use them.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

El or La? Spanish Noun Gender Rules Made Simple

El or la? Spanish noun gender is ~99% readable off the word's ending. Learn the o/a defaults, LONERS, feminine endings, and the handful of rebels to memorize.

June 3, 2026 7 min read

SpanishNow

Por vs Para in Spanish: One Mental Model, No Acronyms

Por looks backward at cause and path; para looks forward at goal and destination. Master por vs para in Spanish with one mental model — no acronyms needed.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Tell Time in Spanish: A Beginner's Guide

Tell time in Spanish with one formula: es la una vs son las, y and menos for minutes, plus de la mañana, en punto, and 24-hour station times.

June 9, 2026 5 min read