arruinarse

Arruinarse is a reflexive Spanish verb that means to ruin oneself, typically in a financial sense, but it can also refer to a moral or reputational decline. The expression describes a state in which a person, company, or undertaking loses wealth, resources, or standing as a result of imprudent decisions, misfortune, or adverse circumstances. In everyday language, arruinarse often implies a drastic or total loss rather than a partial setback.

Etymology and usage contexts: the verb derives from the noun ruina and the related verb ruinar, with the reflexive pronoun indicating that the subject experiences the ruin personally. While its primary sense is financial ruin—such as a person losing all savings or a business going bankrupt—it can be used metaphorically to denote ruining one’s health, plans, or reputation. In financial contexts, it is common to contrast arruinarse with terms like quebrar or ir a la bancarrota, depending on formality and legal nuance.

Conjugation and form: arruinarse follows the regular pattern of -ar verbs in Spanish and forms with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se). The present tense forms are me arruino, te arruinas, se arruina, nos arruinamos, os arruináis, se arruinan; the verb also appears in pretérito, imperfecto, subjuntivo, and other moods like any standard -ar verb. For precise conjugations in all tenses, consult a conjugation resource.

See also: quiebra, bancarrota, hundimiento, ruina.