How to Say "competitor" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “competitor” is “rival” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El equipo perdió contra su rival directo en la final.
The team lost against their direct rival in the final.
Ella es mi rival principal por el puesto de trabajo.
She is my main competitor for the job position.
Los dos países han sido rivales históricos.
The two countries have been historical rivals.
Gender is Flexible
The word 'rival' itself never changes its ending. To show if the person is male or female, you only change the article: 'el rival' (male competitor) or 'la rival' (female competitor).
Confusing 'rival' and 'enemigo'
Mistake: “Using 'enemigo' (enemy) when you mean 'rival'.”
Correction: A rival is usually someone you compete against fairly (like in sports). An 'enemigo' is someone you have a hostile or hateful relationship with. They are not always the same!
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