compensar
verbCEFR B2
What does “compensar” mean in English?
to offset, to outweigh
to offset, to outweigh (one factor neutralising or failing to neutralise another; las ventajas no compensan los inconvenientes)
Example sentences
Las ventajas económicas de la propuesta no compensan los daños medioambientales que se derivarían de su aplicación.
The economic advantages of the proposal do not offset the environmental damage that would result from its application.
El beneficio a corto plazo difícilmente compensa el riesgo de crear una dependencia estructural a largo plazo.
The short-term benefit can hardly offset the risk of creating a structural dependency in the long term.
How to use it
Compensar means 'to compensate for', 'to offset', 'to make up for'. In debate and analysis it drives a key trade-off move: asserting or denying that one factor offsets another. The standard frame is 'A no compensa B' or 'A compensa B' (A offsets/makes up for B). It can also take an infinitive subject: 'no compensa invertir tanto' (it is not worth investing so much). The valence is often negative in argumentative contexts: speakers use 'no compensar' to argue that the costs outweigh the benefits — a classic rebuttal move. Collocates: los daños, los costes, las pérdidas, el esfuerzo.
Common mistake
Compensar (offset/make up for) vs indemnizar (to compensate financially/legally as in paying damages). In trade-off arguments, use compensar. Also: 'no vale la pena' is a more colloquial equivalent of 'no compensa' — at B2 formal register, compensar is the appropriate choice. The infinitive subject frame 'no compensa + infinitive' (not worth doing) is common and maps to English 'it doesn't pay to…' or 'it's not worth…'.