ganar
/ɡaˈnaɾ/
To win in Spanish is ganar.
It is also the primary verb used for 'to earn' when referring to money or a living.
Which one should you use?
While ganar means 'to win', it is also used to mean 'to earn'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular preterite form (past tense) is ganó, meaning he/she/it won. The first-person singular future tense is ganaré, meaning I will win.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡaˈnaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse ganar with vencer. Use ganar when talking about the prize or the money, and use vencer when you want to say 'to defeat' or 'to overcome' an opponent.
Did you know?
- The expression ganar tiempo is used to describe stalling for time. This treats time as a resource that can be 'won' or acquired.
- In some contexts, saying someone has ganado refers to weight gain, such as ganado peso. This uses the concept of 'winning' to describe an increase in physical mass.
- To describe taking over physical space, Spanish speakers use ganar terreno, which means 'to gain ground'. This treats physical territory as a prize to be won.
Examples in context
- Tom va a ganar.Tom is going to win.This example shows how to use ganar to say someone is going to win.Tatoeba #2496366 by Shishir, translation #2276358 by CK
- Esta vez voy a ganar.This time I'm going to win.This example uses ganar to express the intention of winning this time.Tatoeba #2169387 by marcelostockle, translation #13049472 by araneo
- Es muy difícil ganar.It's very tough to win.This example uses ganar to describe the difficulty of winning.Tatoeba #5022925 by don_ramon, translation #5012696 by CK
- Mi equipo ganó el campeonato de fútbol.My team won the soccer championship.
- Logré ganar el contrato con la empresa.I managed to win the contract with the company.
- La tenista se alzó con el triunfo en el torneo internacional.The tennis player won the international tournament.
- Trabajamos duro para obtener la victoria en el negocio.We worked hard to obtain victory in the business.
- ¡Triunfé en el examen final!I won/succeeded in the final exam!
- Él sabe cómo triunfar en la vida.He knows how to succeed/win in life.
- Nunca te rindas, siempre puedes vencer.Never give up, you can always win.
- Messi se quedó con la gloria al ganar el Balón de Oro.Messi kept the glory by winning the Ballon d'Or.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are playing a board game.
- MaríaCreo que voy a ganar.I think I am going to win.
- DanielTodavía no puedes ganar, María.You cannot win yet, María.
- María¡Mira mi última jugada!Look at my last move!
- DanielTienes razón, acabas de ganar.You are right, you just won.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ganar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
