conquistar
/konkisˈtaɾ/
To conquer in Spanish is conquistar.
The verb conquistar means to acquire something by force of arms. Much like in English, it can be used to describe taking over physical territory or to address abstract concepts, such as overcoming a fear or winning someone's heart.
Meaning: acquire by force of arms (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of conquistar is conquistado. If you wish to express the act of defeating someone, you might use the verb derrotar.
How do you pronounce it?
/konkisˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- While conquistar describes taking territory, the word conquista is often used in Spanish to describe the specific act of flirting or romantic pursuit to win someone over.
- The word 'conquistador' refers specifically to the historical Spanish explorers of the Americas, making it a heavy term with deep political and colonial connotations in many Spanish-speaking countries.
- The verb 'conquistar' is closely related to the English word 'acquire' through its Latin root 'conquiro', which implies a process of searching for and gathering things.
Examples in context
- Vamos a conquistar el mundo.Let's conquer the world.This sentence illustrates the use of conquistar regarding the world.Tatoeba #1514292 by marcelostockle, translation #1514293 by marcelostockle
- Nos llevó seis años conquistar Constantinopla.It took us six years to conquer Constantinople.This sentence shows how conquistar is used in a historical context regarding Constantinople.Tatoeba #1256004 by marcelostockle, translation #1256059 by CM
- Debes conquistar tu miedo a la oscuridad.You must conquer your fear of the dark.This sentence demonstrates using conquistar for abstract concepts like fear.Tatoeba #727822 by Fanki, translation #16323 by CK
- Logró vencer los obstáculos y alcanzar el éxito.He managed to conquer the obstacles and achieve success.
- Juan logró vencer su miedo a las alturas.Juan managed to conquer his fear of heights.
- Laura superó todas las dificultades y conquistó su sueño de ser médica.Laura overcame all the difficulties and conquered her dream of becoming a doctor.
- ¡Finalmente logré dominar ese videojuego!I finally managed to conquer that video game!
- Me propuse conquistar su corazón.I set out to conquer their heart.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are discussing a history documentary.
- AlejandroFue difícil conquistar ese territorio.It was difficult to conquer that territory.
- LucíaSí, las batallas fueron muy largas.Yes, the battles were very long.
- AlejandroÉl quería conquistar más tierras.He wanted to conquer more lands.
- LucíaPero no pudo lograrlo.But he could not achieve it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry conquistar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries conquistar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
