rival
Loading your saved state.
rival
A person, group, or company that competes with another for the same goal. Rivalry can relate to areas such as sports, business, politics, or even personal relationships.
Die beiden Firmen sind seit Jahren erbitterte Rivalen auf dem Technologiemarkt.
The two companies have been bitter rivals in the technology market for years.
'Der Rivale' (the rival) is an N-declension noun. This means it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular. A common mistake is to forget this ending.
Er traf seinen alten Rivalen auf der Konferenz.
He met his old rival at the conference.
'Rivale' (rival) is often combined with adjectives that describe the intensity of the competition. Typical examples are 'ein erbitterter Rivale' (a bitter rival), 'der größte Rivale' (the biggest rival), or 'ein ewiger Rivale' (an eternal rival).
Die beiden Läufer waren jahrelang erbitterte Rivalen.
The two runners were bitter rivals for years.
To name the competitor, you often use the preposition 'von' (of/from). To name the goal of the competition, you use the preposition 'um' (for).
Das Unternehmen ist ein starker Rivale von uns.
The company is a strong rival of ours.
opponent
'der Gegner' and 'der Rivale' can both mean a person or group that faces you in competition. 'Gegner' fits especially well when you compete directly against someone, for example in a game, contest, or argument. 'Rivale' puts more emphasis on both sides wanting the same goal and competing with each other over a longer period, for example for a prize, customers, or a position. The words can be confused because a 'Rivale' is often also a 'Gegner'. But not every 'Gegner' is a 'Rivale'; sometimes you meet an opponent only once.
Das kleine Geschäft hat in der Nachbarstraße einen starken Rivalen bekommen.
The small shop has gained a strong rival on the neighboring street.
Am Wochenende spielt unsere Mannschaft gegen einen neuen Gegner.
At the weekend, our team is playing against a new opponent.