discapacitado
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “discapacitado” mean in English?
disabled — having a physical or mental impairment; preferred official form: persona con discapacidad
disabled — having a physical or mental impairment; preferred official form: persona con discapacidad (person with a disability)
Example sentences
La normativa vigente obliga a las empresas de más de cincuenta trabajadores a reservar el dos por ciento de las plazas para personas discapacitadas.
Current regulations require companies with more than fifty employees to reserve two percent of positions for disabled people.
El acceso a la cultura sigue siendo un desafío para las personas con discapacidad visual o auditiva en muchos recintos.
Access to culture remains a challenge for people with visual or hearing disabilities in many venues.
Un entorno urbano verdaderamente inclusivo es aquel en el que los ciudadanos discapacitados no se enfrentan a barreras arquitectónicas.
A truly inclusive urban environment is one in which disabled citizens do not face architectural barriers.
How to use it
Discapacitado/a means 'disabled' — having a physical or mental impairment that limits activity. At B2, learners should know both the adjective and the more respectful/official noun form: la persona con discapacidad (person with a disability) — this is the preferred form in official Spanish usage, as persona discapacitada or el/la discapacitado/a are considered less preferred in formal and official contexts, though still common. Takes ser for classification. Key collocations: los derechos de las personas con discapacidad, accesibilidad para personas discapacitadas, el colectivo con discapacidad.
Common mistake
In contemporary Spanish, persona con discapacidad (person with a disability) is the officially preferred term in formal/institutional contexts, placing the person before the disability. Discapacitado/a as a standalone noun (el discapacitado) is being replaced in formal registers. As an adjective in a phrase (persona discapacitada, ciudadano discapacitado) it remains common and correct. At B2, knowing both forms and the register difference is expected.