How to Say "competitor" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “competitor” is “competidor” — use 'competidor' when referring to a person or business that is actively trying to win or be more successful than others, especially in a general sense or in business.
competidor
kom-peh-tee-dorkompetiˈðoɾ
Examples
Él es un competidor muy fuerte en la carrera.
He is a very strong competitor in the race.
Nuestra empresa tiene un nuevo competidor en la ciudad.
Our company has a new competitor in the city.
A pesar de ser amigos, en la cancha son grandes competidores.
Despite being friends, they are great competitors on the court.
Making it plural
Since this word ends in a consonant (r), simply add 'es' to the end to make it plural: 'competidores'.
The feminine version
Even though we are looking at the male version, you can talk about a woman by adding 'a' to the end: 'la competidora'.
Confusing with 'competition'
Mistake: “El competidor fue muy difícil.”
Correction: La competición fue muy difícil.
rival
ree-VAHLriˈβal
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!
concursante
kon-koor-SAN-tehkonkuɾˈsante
Examples
El concursante respondió todas las preguntas correctamente.
The contestant answered all the questions correctly.
Había más de cien concursantes esperando para la audición.
There were more than a hundred contestants waiting for the audition.
La concursante número cinco es la ganadora del primer premio.
Contestant number five is the winner of the first prize.
One Word for Everyone
Unlike many Spanish words that change their ending for men and women, this word stays the same. You just change the small word before it: 'el concursante' for a man and 'la concursante' for a woman.
The '-nte' Pattern
Words ending in '-nte' usually describe a person doing an action. Here, it comes from the verb 'concursar' (to compete). It's just like how 'student' comes from 'study'!
Avoid 'Concursanta'
Mistake: “La concursanta es muy inteligente.”
Correction: La concursante es muy inteligente. Even though you are talking about a woman, the word always ends in 'e'.
General vs. Specific Context
Related Translations
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