Confusing Verbs #9: Win vs Beat

Are you a fan of sports? How about any other kind of game? I suppose you like winning – so do I – but are you using the verb «win» correctly? Take a look at these sentences and try to think why they are incorrect:

I’m better than you at chess. I can win you any time!

Manchester United won Liverpool 3 – 0 in the last game.

Did you guess? I hope so. Just in case, keep on reading.

The verb «win» is used for events or competition. For instance, we can say «win a match/competition/tournament/game/…«. Or you can say «win a prize/the lottery/etc.«. However, we can’t say «win someone/a team/etc.«. For this use, we have the verb «beat«, which in Spanish translates as «vencer«. So, bearing this in mind, analyse the following sentences and try to notice the difference between «win» and «beat«:

My dad used to beat me at table tennis when I was younger.

My dad used to win every table tennis game we played when I was younger. 

Big teams like Real Madrid usually beat smaller teams.

Big teams like Real Madrid usually win matches against smaller teams. 

So whenever you talk about football, basketball, or any other sport or game, bear this tip in mind:

You WIN a GAME, but you BEAT an OPPONENT.

You should also remember that both «win» and «beat» are irregular verbs:

win – won – won
beat – beat – beaten

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