dañen

Dañen is a form of the Spanish verb dañar, used as a present subjunctive for the third-person plural (ellos, ellas, Uds.). It is not a standalone verb tense but a mood form that appears in subordinate clauses after verbs of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or possibility, among others. In contexts outside the subjunctive, the corresponding indicative form is dañan.

The verb dañar comes from Latin damnare, meaning to condemn or harm, and entered Spanish with a meaning related to causing damage. Dañar is a regular -ar verb, so its principal parts are: dañar, daño, dañas, daña, dañamos, dañáis, dañan, with the subjunctive forms extending the same stem across moods, including dañen for the third-person plural present subjunctive.

Typical usage of dañen occurs in clauses introduced by conjunctions or verbs that trigger the subjunctive, such as deseo, es importante, es posible, espero, or quizá. Examples: “Espero que dañen menos el ecosistema” (I hope they cause less damage to the ecosystem) or “Es importante que no dañen la reputación ajena.” The form can also appear in indirect commands or exhortations within reported speech.

Synonyms linked to dañar include perjudicar, estropear, perjudicar, and quebrantar, though each carries its own nuance. The related noun daño denotes damage or harm, while the gerund dañando and the participle dañado share the same semantic field.