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desafío

deh-sah-FEE-ohde.saˈfi.o

challenge

Also: dare, test
NounmA2
A tiny, determined hiker looking up at a vast, steep, colorful mountain, symbolizing a difficult task or challenge.

📝 In Action

El cambio climático es el mayor desafío que enfrenta nuestro planeta.

A2

Climate change is the greatest challenge facing our planet.

Acepté el desafío de aprender a cocinar comida tailandesa.

B1

I accepted the challenge of learning to cook Thai food.

Superar ese obstáculo fue un desafío personal muy importante.

B2

Overcoming that obstacle was a very important personal challenge.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • afrontar un desafío – to face a challenge
  • superar un desafío – to overcome a challenge

I challenge

Also: I dare
VerbB1regular (-ar conjugation with stress shift) ar
A cartoon child pointing firmly toward a distant object, issuing a challenge to another child who stands ready to accept.
infinitivedesafiar
gerunddesafiando
past Participledesafiado

📝 In Action

Yo desafío a cualquiera a encontrar una solución mejor.

B1

I challenge anyone to find a better solution.

Desafío tus creencias sobre la vida saludable.

B2

I challenge your beliefs about healthy living.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/usteddesafía
yodesafío
túdesafías
ellos/ellas/ustedesdesafían
nosotrosdesafiamos
vosotrosdesafiáis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddesafiaba
yodesafiaba
túdesafiabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesdesafiaban
nosotrosdesafiábamos
vosotrosdesafiabais

preterite

él/ella/usteddesafió
yodesafié
túdesafiaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesdesafiaron
nosotrosdesafiamos
vosotrosdesafiasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/usteddesafíe
yodesafíe
túdesafíes
ellos/ellas/ustedesdesafíen
nosotrosdesafiemos
vosotrosdesafiéis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddesafiara/desafiase
yodesafiara/desafiase
túdesafiaras/desafiases
ellos/ellas/ustedesdesafiaran/desafiasen
nosotrosdesafiáramos/desafiásemos
vosotrosdesafiarais/desafiaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "desafío" in Spanish:

i challenge→i dare→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: desafío

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'desafío' (the noun)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
desafiar(to challenge) — Verb
desafiante(challenging) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
confíofrío
📚 Etymology▼

The noun 'desafío' comes from the verb 'desafiar'. This verb originated in the late Latin period from 'des-' (meaning 'un-' or 'reversal') and 'fiar' (meaning 'to trust' or 'to pledge loyalty'). The original meaning was 'to withdraw allegiance' or 'to renounce trust,' which quickly evolved into challenging someone to a duel or confrontation.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: desafioFrench (Old): desfier

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'desafío' a strong word?

'Desafío' is a neutral word, but it carries weight. It implies a serious obstacle, goal, or confrontation. It's stronger than just 'dificultad' (difficulty) because it suggests a test that must be actively faced.

How is 'desafío' pronounced correctly?

The accent on the 'i' is key! It is pronounced 'deh-sah-FEE-oh,' with the stress clearly on the second-to-last syllable (the 'í').