partido
/par-TEE-doh/
game
Partido means a sports game.
📝 In Action
¿A qué hora es el partido de fútbol?
A1What time is the soccer game?
Vimos un partido de tenis increíble ayer.
A2We watched an incredible tennis match yesterday.
El resultado del partido fue inesperado.
B1The result of the match was unexpected.
⭐ Usage Tips
Partido vs. Juego
Think of partido as a specific competition between two teams or players (a match). Juego is more general, referring to the sport or activity itself (e.g., 'el juego de ajedrez' - the game of chess). If you're watching it on TV, it's almost always a partido.
In a political context, partido translates to a political party.
📝 In Action
Mi abuelo siempre vota por el mismo partido político.
A2My grandfather always votes for the same political party.
El líder del partido dio un discurso importante.
B1The leader of the party gave an important speech.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Not a Celebration!
Mistake: "Voy a un partido esta noche. (Meaning you're going to a celebration)"
Correction: Voy a una fiesta esta noche. Use `partido` only for sports or politics. A celebration or social get-together is a `fiesta`.
When used as an adjective, partido describes something that is split or divided in two.
📝 In Action
Encontré un billete partido por la mitad en la calle.
B1I found a bill split in half on the street.
Con este frío, siempre tengo los labios partidos.
B1With this cold weather, I always have chapped lips.
El espejo está partido, ten cuidado.
B2The mirror is cracked, be careful.
💡 Grammar Points
Making it Match
Because this is a describing word (an adjective), it needs to match the thing it's describing. Use partido for masculine things ('el coco partido') and partida for feminine things ('la manzana partida').
Partido is the past participle form of the verb 'to split'.
partido(Past Participle)
split
?as in 'I have split'
,left
?as in 'they have left'
,broken
?as in 'we have broken'
📝 In Action
Hemos partido la tarta en seis trozos.
A2We have split the cake into six pieces.
El tren ha partido hace cinco minutos.
B1The train has left five minutes ago.
💡 Grammar Points
Two Main Jobs
Partido does two things as a verb form. First, it teams up with haber to talk about completed actions (e.g., he partido - I have split). Second, it can act as a describing word, just like the adjective version (e.g., la leña partida - the split firewood).
Partido can also mean an advantage or benefit gained.
📝 In Action
Intenta sacar más partido a tu tiempo libre.
B2Try to get more out of your free time.
Es una profesional que sabe sacarle partido a sus habilidades.
C1She's a professional who knows how to make the most of her skills.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Positive Spin
The phrase sacar partido means 'to make the most of' a situation or skill. It's generally positive. For a more negative meaning, like someone unscrupulously taking advantage of another person, you'd more likely use aprovecharse de alguien.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: partido
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'partido' to mean a political group?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'partido' and 'juego' for 'game'?
Generally, 'partido' refers to a specific match or competition between two sides, like a soccer match or a tennis match. 'Juego' is a broader term for the game or sport itself. You would say 'Me gusta el juego del baloncesto' (I like the game of basketball), but 'Voy a ver el partido de baloncesto' (I'm going to watch the basketball game).
How do I know if 'partido' means 'game' or 'political party'?
Context is everything! Look at the other words in the sentence. If you see words like 'fútbol', 'tenis', 'ganar' (to win), or 'equipo' (team), it's a sports game. If you see words like 'político', 'votar' (to vote), 'elecciones' (elections), or 'gobierno' (government), it refers to a political party.