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gané

gah-NEH/gaˈne/

I won

Also: I beat, I got
VerbA1regular ar
A joyful cartoon character standing on a winner's podium, raising a large, shiny gold trophy high above their head, celebrating victory.
infinitiveganar
gerundganando
past Participleganado

📝 In Action

¡Ganamos! Espera, quise decir: ¡Ganamos el torneo!

A1

We won! Wait, I meant: I won the tournament!

Ganó el primer lugar en la carrera de 100 metros.

A2

I won first place in the 100-meter race.

Yo gané la apuesta, así que tú pagas la cena.

A1

I won the bet, so you pay for dinner.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • gané el partido – I won the match
  • gané un premio – I won a prize

I earned

Also: I made
VerbA2regular ar
A smiling person holding a tall, neat stack of golden coins and green paper money, representing earned income.
infinitiveganar
gerundganando
past Participleganado

📝 In Action

Ganó un buen salario en su primer trabajo.

A2

I earned a good salary in my first job.

No gané suficiente dinero para pagar la renta este mes.

A2

I didn't earn enough money to pay the rent this month.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • gané dinero – I earned money
  • gané un sueldo – I earned a salary

I gained

Also: I acquired
VerbB1regular ar
A character proudly looking at a very tall, stable tower of colorful wooden blocks they successfully finished building, symbolizing gained skill or experience.
infinitiveganar
gerundganando
past Participleganado

📝 In Action

Ganó mucha experiencia en ese proyecto tan largo.

B1

I gained a lot of experience in that long project.

Después de las vacaciones, gané unos kilos.

B1

After the vacation, I gained a few pounds (kilos).

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • gané peso – I gained weight
  • gané respeto – I gained respect

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedgana
yogano
túganas
ellos/ellas/ustedesganan
nosotrosganamos
vosotrosganáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedganaba
yoganaba
túganabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesganaban
nosotrosganábamos
vosotrosganabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedganó
yogané
túganaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesganaron
nosotrosganamos
vosotrosganasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedgane
yogane
túganes
ellos/ellas/ustedesganen
nosotrosganemos
vosotrosganéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedganara/ganase
yoganara/ganase
túganaras/ganases
ellos/ellas/ustedesganaran/ganasen
nosotrosganáramos/ganásemos
vosotrosganarais/ganaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "gané" in Spanish:

i earned→i gained→i won→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: gané

Question 1 of 2

Which English sentence correctly translates the Spanish: 'Ganó el respeto de sus colegas'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The verb 'ganar' comes from the Gothic word *'ganon'*, meaning 'to desire' or 'to covet,' which later evolved in Vulgar Latin and Old Spanish to mean 'to acquire' or 'to win' something desirable.

First recorded: Around the 11th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: ganharFrench: gagner

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'gané' and 'ganaba'?

'Ganó' (Preterite) means 'I won/earned' one time, completed in the past (e.g., 'I won the lottery last week'). 'Ganaba' (Imperfect) means 'I used to win/earn' repeatedly or describes an ongoing past situation (e.g., 'I used to earn very little money').

Is 'gané' only used for winning, or also for earning money?

Both! 'Ganar' is a versatile verb. It is used equally often for winning a game ('Ganó el partido') and for earning a salary ('Ganó un buen sueldo').