descomponer

to break down

descomponer(dehs-kohm-poh-nehr)

transitive verb

1. (to separate)

a. to break down

La celulosa se descompondrá y el papel se volverá quebradizo.

The cellulose will be broken down and the paper will become brittle.

b. to break up

Descompuse la luz con un prisma para formar un arco iris de colores.

I used a prism to break up the light into a rainbow of colors.

c. to split up

Si descompones las fórmulas, podrás ver qué sucede con cada átomo.

You can see what happens to each atom if you split up the formulas.

2. (to damage)

a. to break

Un virus descompuso mi computadora y ahora ni siquiera puedo encenderla.

A virus broke my computer, and now I can't even turn it on.

3. (to make sick)

a. to give ... diarrhea

(United States)

El pescado que comimos anoche me descompuso.

The fish we ate yesterday gave me diarrhea.

b. to give ... diarrhoea

(United Kingdom)

Todavía no sé qué me descompuso, si la col o el pollo al curry.

I'm still not sure what gave me diarrhoea, the kale or the chicken curry.

4. (to alter one's mood)

a. to irritate

Me descompone ver cómo coquetea con el jefe para obtener un aumento.

Watching her flirting with the boss for a raise really irritates me.

b. to annoy

Me descompone que trate a los meseros como si fueran sus sirvientes.

It annoys me that he treats waiters as if they were his servants.

5. (to disturb)

a. to mess up (hairdo or plan)

El viento descompuso mi peinado y tuve que volver a la peluquería a que me lo hicieran de nuevo.

The wind messed up my hair, and I had to return to the hairdresser's to get it done again.

b. to upset (plan)

El escándalo por corrupción descompuso su intención de postularse a presidente.

The corruption scandal upset his plans to run for president.

c. to disrupt (communication)

Un apagón repentino descompuso la comunicación y tuvimos que esperar una hora para volver a hablar.

A sudden blackout disrupted the communication and we had to wait for an hour to continue talking.

6. (mathematics)

a. to factorize

En este ejercicio, tienes que descomponer los trinomios con un factor común.

In this exercise you have to factorize the trinomials with a common factor.

b. to break down

Intenta usar la división sintética para descomponer la función.

Try using synthetic division to break down the function.

7. (to putrefy)

a. to decompose

La naturaleza había descompuesto el cadáver hasta tal punto que la policía no pudo moverlo entero.

Nature had decomposed the body to a degree that the police couldn't move it in one piece.

b. to make rot

Dejar las cerezas afuera en el calor las descompondrán.

Leaving the cherries sitting outside in the heat will make them rot.

descomponerse

pronominal verb

8. (to break down)

(Latin America)

a. to stop working

¿Cuál es la hora exacta? Mi reloj se descompuso.

What time is it exactly? My watch stopped working.

9. (to putrefy)

a. to decompose

El olor repugnante venía de una rata muerta descomponiéndose debajo de las tablas del suelo.

The foul smell was coming from a dead rat that was decomposing under the floorboards.

b. to rot

La basura se descomponía en el calor del verano.

The trash was rotting in the summer heat.

10. (to fall ill)

a. to have an attack of diarrhea

(United States)

Me descompuse y tuve que abandonar el aula.

I had an attack of diarrhea and had to leave the classroom.

b. to have an attack of diarrhoea

(United Kingdom)

Estaba en una cita en un restaurante y me descompuse. ¡Qué vergüenza!

I was on a date at a restaurant and I had an attack of diarrhoea. So embarrassing!

c. to feel sick

No tomes agua del grifo. Yo lo hice y me descompuse.

Don't drink water from the tap. I did it and it made me feel sick.

11. (to alter one's mood)

a.

no direct translation

Me descompongo cada vez que escucho la canción favorita de mi ex.

Every time I hear my ex's favorite song, it really gets to me.

Mi mamá se descompuso cuando le dije que había embarazado a mi novia.

My mother's face fell when I told her that I got my girlfriend pregnant.