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empatar

em-pah-TAR/empaˈtaɾ/

“empatar” means “to tie” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to tie

Also: to draw
VerbA2regular ar
Two soccer jerseys, one red and one blue, hanging side-by-side with the score shown as two equal stacks of soccer balls.
gerundempatando
past Participleempatado
infinitiveempatar

📝 In Action

Mi equipo de fútbol empató ayer.

A1

My soccer team tied yesterday.

Ellos empataron a dos goles en el último minuto.

A2

They tied at two goals in the last minute.

Si logramos empatar el partido, pasaremos a la siguiente ronda.

B1

If we manage to tie the match, we will move on to the next round.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • empatar a cero – to tie zero-zero
  • lograr empatar – to manage to tie

to match, to equal

VerbB1regular ar
Two identical trophies sitting on a wooden shelf at the exact same height.
gerundempatando
past Participleempatado
infinitiveempatar

📝 In Action

Ella empató el récord mundial de salto de altura.

B1

She matched the world record for high jump.

Es difícil empatar las ventas del año pasado.

B2

It is difficult to match last year's sales.

Nadie ha podido empatar su marca personal todavía.

B2

Nobody has been able to equal his personal best yet.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • empatar el récord – to tie the record

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesempataran
yoempatara
túempataras
vosotrosempatarais
nosotrosempatáramos
él/ella/ustedempatara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesempaten
yoempate
túempates
vosotrosempatéis
nosotrosempatemos
él/ella/ustedempate

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesempataron
yoempaté
túempataste
vosotrosempatasteis
nosotrosempatamos
él/ella/ustedempató

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesempataban
yoempataba
túempatabas
vosotrosempatabais
nosotrosempatábamos
él/ella/ustedempataba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesempatan
yoempato
túempatas
vosotrosempatáis
nosotrosempatamos
él/ella/ustedempata
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "empatar" in Spanish:

to draw→to equal→to match→to tie→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: empatar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'We tied at two' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
empate(a tie (noun)) — Noun
desempatar(to break a tie) — Verb
desempate(tie-breaker) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Spanish word 'pacto' (agreement/pact), suggesting that a tie is like an agreement where no one loses. It is also linked to the idea of 'making things equal'.

First recorded: 17th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: empatar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'empatar' mean necktie?

No. The verb for 'to tie' (as in tying a knot or a necktie) is 'atar' or 'amarrar'. 'Empatar' is only used for scores and matching results.

Can I use 'empatar' for a business deal?

Not usually. For a deal, we might say 'llegar a un acuerdo' (reach an agreement). 'Empatar' is mostly for games, sports, and measurable records.

Is it a regular verb?

Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in '-ar'. Once you learn the pattern, you can conjugate it in any tense easily.