Spanish Phrase
Se descuentan los daños que excedan el desgaste normal.
Meaning
The sentence states that any damage which goes beyond what is considered normal wear and tear will be deducted (usually from a deposit or a final bill). It is a typical clause found in rental contracts, insurance policies, and service agreements.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to explain a deduction policy in formal or semi‑formal contexts such as car‑rental agreements, apartment leases, equipment hire contracts, or insurance claim forms. It signals a clear, legal‑style rule about what will be charged back to the client.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Sedescuentanlosdañosqueexcedaneldesgastenormal
Pasiva refleja (se + verbo)
‘Se’ + third‑person verb creates a passive‑like construction without mentioning the agent; the subject (los daños) appears after the verb.
Conjugación de ‘descontar’
‘Descuentan’ is present indicative, third‑person plural, agreeing with the plural subject ‘los daños’.
Pronombre relativo ‘que’
Introduces a relative clause that qualifies ‘los daños’.
Subjuntivo en cláusula relativa
When the antecedent is indefinite or qualified by a limiting expression (daños que… ), Spanish often uses the present subjunctive ‘excedan’.
Núcleo del complemento ‘el desgaste normal’
‘Desgaste’ is a masculine noun; ‘normal’ is an adjective that agrees in gender and number.
🗨In Conversation
¿Qué pasa si el coche tiene una abolladura después de la semana?
What happens if the car has a dent after the week?
Se descuentan los daños que excedan el desgaste normal.
Damages that exceed normal wear and tear are deducted.
✕Common Mistakes
Se descuentan los daños que exceden el desgaste normal.
The verb should be in the subjunctive ‘excedan’ because the relative clause refers to a non‑specific set of damages.
Los daños son descontados si exceden el desgaste normal.
While grammatically correct, ‘son descontados’ sounds more clunky in contracts; the passive ‘se descuentan’ is the idiomatic choice.
Se descuentan los daños que excedan el desgaste usual.
‘Desgaste normal’ is the standard legal term; ‘usual’ is less precise and may sound informal.
↔Alternatives
Se deducen los daños que superen el desgaste normal.
The damages that surpass normal wear and tear are deducted.
Se restarán los daños que vayan más allá del desgaste habitual.
The damages that go beyond the usual wear will be subtracted.
Los daños que excedan el desgaste normal serán descontados.
Damages that exceed normal wear and tear will be discounted.
Cultural Tip
In Spanish legal and administrative language the ‘pasiva refleja’ (se + verb) is preferred because it avoids naming the party responsible for the action, keeping the tone neutral and formal. The use of the subjunctive ‘excedan’ after a relative clause with an indefinite antecedent is a subtle but important nuance that signals a condition rather than a factual statement. Learners should keep the register slightly formal when using this structure, especially in written contracts.