- Meaning: to conquer, to defeat, to overcome
- Usage: Winning over an opponent, surmounting obstacles, overcoming challenges
- Conjugation Type: Regular -cer verb, with a spelling change (c → z) before 'e' to preserve pronunciation
Example:
- El equipo venció a sus rivales. (The team defeated its rivals.)
- Solo los fuertes pueden vencer los obstáculos. (Only the strong can overcome the obstacles.)
Conjugation Highlights
Present Tense (Indicative)
yo venzo
tú vences
él/ella vence
nosotros vencemos
vosotros vencéis
ellos/ellas vencen
Preterite
yo vencí
tú venciste
él/ella venció
nosotros vencimos
vosotros vencisteis
ellos/ellas vencieron
Subjunctive Present
yo (que) venza
tú (que) venzas
él/ella (que) venza
nosotros (que) venzamos
vosotros (que) venzáis
ellos/ellas (que) venzan
Imperative
(tú) vence / (no tú) no vengas
(usted) venza / (ustedes) venzan
Vencer means 'to conquer,' 'to defeat,' or 'to overcome.'
'Vencer' is used for defeating, conquering, or overcoming—not for starting or simply winning a lottery.
Source Material
Author: WordReference
Document: vencer | Definición | WordReference
Date Published: 2024
Present Tense Usage
In the present tense, "vencer" expresses the act of conquering or overcoming in a general or ongoing sense.
- Positive: Ellos vencen todas las dificultades. (They overcome all difficulties.)
- Negative: No vencemos el miedo fácilmente. (We don't overcome fear easily.)
- Question: ¿Vences a tus oponentes en los debates? (Do you defeat your opponents in debates?)
The correct present tense form for "we" is "vencemos."
The correct 'yo' form is 'venzo.'
Present Practice:
Conjugate vencer for all subjects and write a sentence about a soccer team "defeating" its rivals.
Preterite Tense Usage
Use the preterite to describe a completed act of conquering or defeating.
- Positive: El ejército venció al enemigo hace cien años. (The army defeated the enemy 100 years ago.)
- Negative: No vencieron los problemas de inmediato. (They didn't overcome the problems immediately.)
- Question: ¿Venciste a todos en la competencia? (Did you defeat everyone in the competition?)
The preterite 'yo' form is 'vencí.'
vencí, venciste, venció, vencimos, vencieron are correct preterite forms.
Preterite Practice:
Write three sentences in the preterite about people who "defeated" challenges in different contexts.
Subjunctive Usage
Use the subjunctive with "vencer" when expressing desires, doubts, or hypotheticals about overcoming or defeating something.
- Desire: Espero que ganes, pero que no venzas a nadie injustamente. (I hope you win, but don’t defeat anyone unfairly.)
- Doubt: Dudo que ellos venzan el examen sin estudiar. (I doubt they will overcome the exam without studying.)
- Hypothetical: Si tú vencieras tus miedos, serías invencible. (If you overcame your fears, you would be invincible.)
The correct form is 'venza.'
Subjunctive is used for hopes, wishes, and hypotheticals—not for stating facts.
Subjunctive Practice:
Form sentences using the subjunctive of vencer after phrases like "Espero que...", "Es posible que...", and "Ojalá que...".
Imperative Usage
Use the imperative to give direct commands or encouragements about conquering or overcoming.
- Affirmative: Vence tus dudas y avanza. (Overcome your doubts and move forward.)
- Negative: No venzas a nadie con mala intención. (Don’t defeat anyone with bad intentions.)
The affirmative tú command is 'vence.'
For formal commands: 'venza' (usted), 'venzan' (ustedes).
Imperative Practice:
Give advice to a friend using the verb vencer in both affirmative and negative commands.
Vencer is a powerful verb for expressing triumph over opponents or obstacles, and mastering its conjugations lets you discuss success in many contexts.
- Use vencer for both literal and metaphorical forms of “defeating” and “overcoming.”
- Remember the “c to z” spelling change in the present and subjunctive (yo venzo, que yo venza).
- Practice with real-life examples of challenges, competitions, and victories to internalize its usage.