How to Say "contestant" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “contestant” is “concursante” — use 'concursante' specifically for someone taking part in a game show, quiz show, or a formal competition where they are judged or ranked..
concursante
/kon-koor-SAN-teh//konkuɾˈsante/
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'.
competidor
/kom-peh-tee-dor//kompetiˈðoɾ/
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.
participante
/par-tee-see-pahn-teh//paɾtisiˈpante/
Examples
El participante número cinco es el ganador.
Participant number five is the winner.
Hay más de cien participantes en el maratón.
There are more than one hundred participants in the marathon.
Cada participante debe firmar un documento de consentimiento.
Each participant must sign a consent document.
One Word, Two Genders
This word belongs to a group of nouns ending in '-ente' or '-ante' that don't change their spelling for men or women. Use 'el participante' for a man and 'la participante' for a woman.
Plural Rules
To make it plural, just add an '-s': 'los participantes' or 'las participantes'.
The 'A' Trap
Mistake: “No digas 'la participanta'.”
Correction: Say 'la participante'. Even though it refers to a female, the ending remains '-e'.
Choosing between 'concursante' and 'competidor'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.