Spanish Phrase
Evita usar cajas dañadas o débiles.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct recommendation: ‘Avoid using damaged or weak boxes.’ It uses the informal imperative to give a clear, practical instruction, often found in safety guidelines or moving instructions.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are giving packing or shipping advice, in a warehouse, during a move, or any situation where the integrity of a container matters. It works well in both spoken and written safety notices.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Evitausarcajasdañadasodébiles
Imperative (tú) – Evita
‘Evita’ is the affirmative imperative form of the verb ‘evitar’ for the informal ‘tú’ subject, used to give direct advice or a command.
Infinitive after Imperative – usar
When an imperative verb is followed by another action, the second verb stays in its infinitive form (e.g., ‘usar’).
Noun Agreement – cajas
‘Cajas’ is a feminine plural noun; any adjectives that modify it must also be feminine plural.
Adjective Agreement – dañadas / débiles
Both ‘dañadas’ and ‘débiles’ are feminine plural adjectives that agree with ‘cajas’ in gender and number.
Coordinating Conjunction – o
‘O’ connects two alternative adjectives, meaning ‘or’.
🗨In Conversation
¿Puedo usar estas cajas para enviar los libros?
Can I use these boxes to ship the books?
No, evita usar cajas dañadas o débiles.
No, avoid using damaged or weak boxes.
✕Common Mistakes
No usar cajas dañadas o débiles.
The negative command should be ‘No uses…’ not ‘No usar…’ because the verb must be conjugated in the imperative.
Evita usar cajas dañados o débiles.
‘Cajas’ is feminine plural, so the adjective must be ‘dañadas’, not ‘dañados’.
Evita usar cajas dañadas o débil.
When describing multiple boxes, the adjective must agree in number: ‘débiles’, not ‘débil’.
↔Alternatives
No uses cajas rotas o frágiles.
Don't use broken or fragile boxes.
Es mejor no emplear cajas en mal estado.
It's better not to employ boxes in bad condition.
Utiliza solo cajas en buen estado.
Use only boxes in good condition.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking workplaces, safety instructions are often phrased in the informal imperative (tú) when speaking to a team, but the formal ‘usted’ form (e.g., ‘Evite…’) is used in written manuals or when addressing customers. Also, the word ‘débil’ can sound a bit harsh for objects; native speakers often prefer ‘frágil’ or ‘en mal estado’ for packaging advice.