vencer
Lemma Details
Translation: to defeat; to overcome; to conquer; to beat; to win; to expire; to elapse
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Vencer comes from Latin 'vincere' meaning 'to conquer' or 'to overcome'. This Latin root also gave English words like 'convince', 'invincible', 'victor', and 'victory'. The core concept of overcoming or prevailing remains consistent across these cognates. The Latin 'vincere' ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European *weik- ('to fight, conquer').
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El equipo logró vencer a sus rivales en la final.
The team managed to defeat their rivals in the final.
Necesitamos vencer nuestros miedos para avanzar.
We need to overcome our fears to move forward.
La fecha de pago vence mañana.
The payment deadline expires tomorrow.
Vencieron todas las dificultades juntos.
They overcame all difficulties together.
El plazo vence a fin de mes.
The deadline expires at the end of the month.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'vencer' as related to 'convince' - when you convince someone, you overcome their resistance.
- Connect it to 'invincible' - someone who cannot be vencido (defeated).
- For the expiration meaning, imagine a calendar date that 'defeats' or 'overcomes' the validity of something.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish culture, 'vencer' has strong connotations in sports, military history, and personal achievement contexts. The concept of 'vencimiento' (expiration) is commonly used in financial and commercial contexts for due dates of payments or product expiration.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'vencer' means 'to defeat' or 'to overcome', 'convencer' means 'to convince' or 'to persuade'. They share the Latin root 'vincere', but have different meanings and uses.
Confused word:
Logró convencer a sus padres para ir a la fiesta.
She managed to convince her parents to go to the party.
Notes: Both verbs are regular -er verbs but have different meanings in context.
Mnemonic: 'Convencer' has 'con' (with) + 'vencer', suggesting bringing someone with you through persuasion rather than defeating them.
Explanation: 'Vencer' (to defeat/expire) and 'vender' (to sell) look and sound similar but have completely different meanings and etymologies.
Confused word:
Quiero vender mi coche usado.
I want to sell my used car.
Notes: The confusion often happens in writing or quick speech due to the similar spelling and pronunciation.
Mnemonic: 'Vender' has a 'd' like 'deal' or 'dollar' - things related to selling.