Conjugating the Spanish verb competir (to compete) involves understanding its patterns, particularly its stem changes. As an "-ir" verb, "competir" follows a general conjugation structure, but it's also a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in its stem changes in certain forms. Specifically, "competir" is an e > i stem-changing verb in many conjugations.
Understanding Verb Conjugation in Spanish
Verb conjugation is the process of changing the form of a verb to match the subject (who is performing the action) and the tense (when the action occurs). For "competir," mastering its present tense forms is a great starting point, as it's one of the most frequently used tenses.
Present Tense Conjugation of 'Competir'
The present tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that are happening now, habitual actions, or facts that are always true. For "competir," this tense shows a consistent pattern of the "e" in the stem changing to "i" for most singular forms and the third-person plural.
Here is a breakdown of "competir" in the present indicative tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | compito | I compete | Stem change (e > i) |
| Tú (You - informal singular) | compites | You compete | Stem change (e > i) |
| Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You - formal singular) | compite | He/She/You compete | Stem change (e > i) |
| Nosotros/Nosotras (We) | competimos | We compete | No stem change |
| Vosotros/Vosotras (You - informal plural, Spain) | competís | You compete | No stem change |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You - formal plural) | compiten | They/You compete | Stem change (e > i) |
Key Takeaways for Present Tense:
- Notice the e > i stem change in all forms except for nosotros/nosotras and vosotros/vosotras. This is characteristic of many "-ir" stem-changing verbs.
- The endings for "-ir" verbs in the present tense are: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en.
Practical Examples in Present Tense
To better understand how "competir" is used in sentences, consider these examples:
- Yo compito en torneos de ajedrez cada mes. (I compete in chess tournaments every month.)
- ¿Tú compites en el equipo de baloncesto? (Do you compete on the basketball team?)
- Él siempre compite con su hermano por el primer lugar. (He always competes with his brother for first place.)
- Nosotros competimos en un nivel muy alto. (We compete at a very high level.)
- (In Spain) Vosotros competís muy bien en la liga. (You all compete very well in the league.)
- Ellas compiten para ganar la beca. (They compete to win the scholarship.)
Beyond the Present Tense
While the present tense is fundamental, "competir" also conjugates in many other tenses, such as the preterite (past simple), imperfect (past continuous), future, conditional, and subjunctive. The stem change pattern (e > i) often carries over to other tenses, especially in forms where the stem vowel is stressed. Mastering the present tense provides a solid foundation for understanding its conjugation across the full spectrum of Spanish verb tenses.
