vencer
/vẽˈse(ʁ)/
To win in Portuguese, you can use vencer or ganhar.
Meaning: transitive: achieve victory in (verb)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| vencer | /vẽˈse(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /vẽˈse(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
| ganhar | /ɡɐ̃ˈɲa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /ɡɐ̃ˈɲa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
Both words mean to achieve victory, but they are used in different contexts. Use ganhar when you are talking about winning a game, a competition or a prize, such as ganhar um prêmio. Use vencer when you want to express the sense of overcoming or conquering an obstacle, an opponent or an abstract challenge like vencer o medo (to overcome fear).
Which one should you use?
ganhar is the most common way to say 'to win' a game or prize, but it also means 'to earn' money or 'to gain' something. In contrast, vencer often implies overcoming an obstacle or defeating an opponent.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/vẽˈse(ʁ)/
Did you know?
- In many contexts, vencer can also mean to expire or pass a deadline, such as when a food item's date is reached.
- Because ganhar means 'to gain', it is used in contexts where someone receives something they did not necessarily compete for, like gaining a new friend.
- The word vencer shares a deep ancestral link with the English word 'win' through the Proto-Indo-European root *wi-n-k-.
Examples in context
- Tom não vai ganhar.Tom won't win.This sentence shows how to use ganhar in a negative future context.Tatoeba #4689352 by bill, translation #4667269 by CK
- Eu tenho que vencer.I have to win.This sentence illustrates the use of vencer to express necessity.Tatoeba #2855895 by MarlonX19, translation #1744787 by Amastan
- Eu não posso vencer.I can't win.This sentence shows how to use vencer to express inability.Tatoeba #4933864 by Ricardo14, translation #4928208 by gustonrankin
- O time de futebol venceu a partida.The soccer team won the match.
- Ela ganhou o prêmio de melhor atriz.She won the award for best actress.
- Nós levamos a partida de pôquer.We won the poker game.
- Ele arrebatou o prêmio do jogo de loteria.He won the lottery prize, literally: he snatched the lottery prize.
- 426 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Juliana are talking about a football match.
- JulianaRodrigo, você acha que vamos vencer?Rodrigo, do you think we are going to win?
- RodrigoSim, eu acredito que vamos vencer hoje.Yes, I believe we are going to win today.
- JulianaO time dele é muito forte.His team is very strong.
- RodrigoNão se preocupe, Juliana, nós venceremos.Don't worry, Juliana, we will win.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “win” translations and entries vencer, ganhar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ganhar, vencer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
