dañarse

Dañarse is a Spanish reflexive verb that means to injure oneself or to become damaged. It is the pronominal form of dañar and is used when the subject experiences harm or when an object or system suffers damage. The construction can describe physical injury, wear and tear, or malfunction.

Grammatical notes: dañarse is conjugated like a regular -ar verb in its reflexive forms, with the appropriate reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se. It is common to use it in contexts such as bodily injury or damage to objects, sometimes interchangeable with hacer daño or lastimarse depending on region and nuance. The sense can be active (the subject damages themselves) or passive/involuntary (something damages itself).

Usage examples:

- Me dañé la espalda al levantar la caja. (I hurt my back lifting the box.)

- El coche se dañó durante el viaje. (The car got damaged during the trip.)

- Se dañaron todas las piezas por la tormenta. (All the parts were damaged by the storm.)

Contexts and nuance: daño and daño personal often emphasize harm accumulated through activity or accident. Daño to objects is common in consumer, mechanical, and maintenance contexts. In some cases, se damaged can express accidental or involuntary damage, whereas other verbs like lastimar or romper may be used for stronger or more specific injuries.

Related terms: dañar (to damage), lastimarse (to injure oneself), hacerse daño (to harm oneself), dañino (damaging, harmful). Etymologically, dañarse derives from daño, the noun for damage, and the verb dañar.