ceder
“ceder” means “to give up” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to give up, to hand over
Also: to yield
📝 In Action
Le cedí mi asiento a la señora mayor.
A2I gave up my seat to the elderly lady.
En esta intersección tienes que ceder el paso.
B1At this intersection, you have to yield the right of way.
La empresa cedió los derechos de autor a una organización benéfica.
C1The company handed over the copyrights to a charity.
to give in, to yield
📝 In Action
Después de mucho insistir, mis padres cedieron y me dejaron ir.
B1After a lot of insisting, my parents gave in and let me go.
No cedas ante sus chantajes.
B2Don't give in to their blackmail.
to give way, to collapse
Also: to subside
📝 In Action
La estantería cedió por el peso de los libros.
B2The shelf gave way under the weight of the books.
La fiebre empezó a ceder después de la medicina.
B2The fever began to subside after the medicine.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ceder
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is a correct use of 'ceder el paso'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'cedere,' which originally meant 'to go,' 'to proceed,' or 'to leave.' Over time, it evolved to mean leaving something for someone else.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'ceder' regular or irregular?
It is completely regular! It follows the standard pattern for all -er verbs like 'comer' or 'beber'.
Can I use 'ceder' to mean 'to quit a job'?
No, for quitting a job you should use 'renunciar' or 'dejar el trabajo'.
What's the difference between 'ceder' and 'rendirse'?
'Rendirse' is more like total surrender (giving up a fight), while 'ceder' is more about compromise or giving in to a specific request.