vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Descompuesto" is an adjective which is often translated as "broken", and "roto" is an adjective which is also often translated as "broken". Learn more about the difference between "descompuesto" and "roto" below.
descompuesto(
dehs
-
kohm
-
pwehs
-
toh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (out of order) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. broken
El teléfono está descompuesto y no puedo llamar.I can't call because the telephone is broken.
b. broken down
Estupendo, la camioneta está descompuesta y no tenemos celular.Perfect, the truck's broken down and we don't have a cell phone.
2. (indisposed)
a. sick
Si estás descompuesto, debes quedarte en cama y cuidarte con la comida.If you are sick, you should stay in bed and watch what you eat.
c. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Hace una hora que está en el baño porque está descompuesto.He's been in the bathroom for an hour because he has diarrhea.
Hoy no puedo ir a trabajar; estoy descompuesto.I can't go to work today; I have an upset stomach.
3. (putrefied)
b. decomposed (corpse)
La policía tiró abajo la puerta y encontró el cuerpo descompuesto del anciano.The police broke down the door and found the decomposed body of the old man.
4. (upset)
a. distorted
Por su rostro descompuesto, parece que no quiere hablar con nadie.His distorted face suggests that he doesn't want to talk to anybody.
5. (colloquial) (inebriated) (Central America) (Puerto Rico)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
Regionalism used in Puerto Rico
a. drunk
Tengo una resaca horrible, pero anoche no estaba descompuesta.I have a terrible hangover, but I wasn't drunk last night.
b. sozzled (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
¿No recuerdas lo que hiciste anoche en el bar? - No, estaba descompuesto.You can't remember what you did last night at the bar? - No, I was sozzled.
roto(
rroh
-
toh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (in pieces)
a. broken
El palo que usé para tostar mi malvavisco está roto en dos.The stick I used for roasting marshmallows is broken in two.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
