competition
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competition
A sporting competition between individuals or teams to determine a winner.
Die Athleten bereiten sich intensiv auf den olympischen Wettkampf vor.
The athletes are preparing intensively for the Olympic competition.
The word 'Wettkampf' (competition) is composed of 'Wette' (bet/competition) and 'Kampf' (fight). So it literally describes a fight in which the goal is to win.
Der Zehnkampf ist ein sehr anspruchsvoller Wettkampf.
The decathlon is a very demanding competition.
You can tell from context whether the sporting or figurative meaning is intended. Words like 'Athleten' (athletes), 'Mannschaft' (team), or 'Stadion' (stadium) point to sports. Words like 'Unternehmen' (companies), 'Marktanteile' (market shares), or 'Politik' (politics) point to economic or social competition.
Die Schwimmer bereiten sich auf den Wettkampf vor.
The swimmers are preparing for the competition.
In a sports context, 'Wettkampf' (competition) is often used with certain verbs: you can take part in a competition, contest a competition, win one, or lose one.
Unsere Mannschaft hat am letzten Wettkampf nicht teilgenommen.
Our team did not take part in the last competition.
In the figurative meaning, people often speak of a 'harter' (tough) or 'fairer' (fair) 'Wettkampf' (competition). It is frequently used with the preposition 'um', which names the goal of the competition.
Die beiden Kandidaten lieferten sich einen fairen Wettkampf um die Wählerstimmen.
The two candidates engaged in a fair competition for votes.
game / play
'das Spiel' and 'der Wettkampf' can both refer to a sporting situation in which someone wants to win. 'das Spiel' fits especially when referring to a single game or match between two people or teams, for example in soccer or basketball. 'der Wettkampf' is more general for a sporting competition, often with several participants or disciplines, for example in swimming or athletics. Learners may confuse the words because a game can also be a competition. As a simple guide: in ball and team sports, people often say 'Spiel'; for sporting events involving performance and a winner, 'Wettkampf' is more likely.
Vor dem Wettkampf wärmt sich die Läuferin zehn Minuten lang auf.
Before the competition, the runner warms up for ten minutes.
Unsere Schule hat das Spiel gegen die andere Klasse knapp gewonnen.
Our school narrowly won the game against the other class.