to compete
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to compete
To enter into competition with someone or something in order to achieve a shared goal that only one can reach. This can refer to sports, business, or other areas of life and is often used with the prepositions 'mit' (with) and 'um' (for).
Zwei große Unternehmen konkurrieren um die Vorherrschaft auf dem Markt.
Two large companies are competing for dominance in the market.
Careful: 'konkurrieren' means 'to compete'. It is a false friend of the English verb 'to concur', which means 'zustimmen' (to agree) or 'übereinstimmen' (to correspond / agree).
Die beiden Firmen konkurrieren auf dem globalen Markt.
The two companies are competing in the global market.
The verb 'konkurrieren' is almost always used with two prepositions: you compete 'mit' someone (dative) 'um' something (accusative).
Die Läufer konkurrieren miteinander um die Goldmedaille.
The runners are competing with one another for the gold medal.
Like many verbs that end in '-ieren', 'konkurrieren' comes from another language. These verbs are regular in German and form their past participle without 'ge-', so it is 'hat konkurriert' (has competed).
Er hat lange mit seinem Bruder um die Aufmerksamkeit der Eltern konkurriert.
He competed with his brother for his parents' attention for a long time.
The word is frequently used in business contexts (companies compete for market share) or in sports (teams compete for victory).
Mehrere Software-Anbieter konkurrieren um die Gunst der Kunden.
Several software providers are competing for customers' favor.
to fight
'kämpfen' and 'konkurrieren' can both describe situations where several people or groups want to achieve the same goal. 'konkurrieren' neutrally means that someone is in competition, for example for customers, a prize, or a place. 'kämpfen' sounds stronger and emphasizes effort or commitment. You can compete for a job, but fight hard for that job. The words can be confused especially in sports, work, or business. 'konkurrieren' describes the competition; 'kämpfen' describes the intense effort within it.
Zwei Firmen konkurrieren um denselben großen Auftrag.
Two companies are competing for the same large contract.
Vor dem letzten Spiel kämpft das Team noch um den ersten Platz.
Before the last game, the team is still fighting for first place.