accidente
Hubo un accidente en la carretera esta mañana.
There was an accident on the road this morning.
An unexpected event causing damage, injury, or loss.
El accidente ocurrió por el mal tiempo.
The accident happened due to bad weather.
Tuvo un accidente de tráfico ayer.
He had a traffic accident yesterday.
Can refer to any unplanned event with negative consequences, not just physical harm.
A minor, often trivial, mishap or misfortune.
Fue solo un accidente, no te preocupes.
It was just a minor mishap, don’t worry.
Common in casual speech to downplay the severity of an event.
In grammar, a grammatical error or irregularity.
El accidente gramatical en la oración es evidente.
The grammatical error in the sentence is evident.
Rarely used in modern linguistics; more common in historical contexts.
Collocations
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Differentiating 'accidente' and 'incidente'
'Accidente' implies an unplanned, often harmful event, while 'incidente' refers to a minor or neutral occurrence. Compare: 'Hubo un accidente en la fábrica' (harmful) vs. 'Hubo un incidente en la reunión' (neutral).
Gold Rule
Context is key
Always consider the context to determine if 'accidente' refers to a serious event, a minor mishap, or a grammatical error.
Word Origin
From Latin *accidens* (accident, event), present participle of *accidere* (to happen, befall), from *ad-* (to) + *cadere* (to fall).
Usage Notes
In Spanish, 'accidente' is widely used in both formal and informal contexts. It can describe anything from a serious crash to a minor mistake, depending on context. Avoid using it for planned events or intentional actions.