Why Ganar Is More Than "To Win"
Ganar means both "to win" and "to earn", so one verb covers paychecks, matches, and small victories. It is also the root of ganas, the noun for "desire", which gives you the everyday chunk tengo ganas de…, "I feel like…".
Learn these six patterns as whole chunks and you will talk about money, games, and wants without translating word by word.
Pattern 1: ¿Cuánto ganas? — "How much do you earn?"
Ganar is the normal verb for what you earn. Add al mes or por hora for the period. A direct question about pay can feel personal, so many speakers prefer a vaguer form like ¿Se gana bien en ese trabajo?
- ¿Cuánto ganas al mes? — How much do you earn a month?
- Gano bastante bien. — I earn quite well.
- Se gana poco en ese sector. — The pay is low in that field.
Chunk to learn:
¿Cuánto ganas (al mes)? / Ganar bien / poco
Pattern 2: Ganarse la vida — "To make a living"
The reflexive ganarse adds the idea of effort: you earn something for yourself. Ganarse la vida is the standard way to say what you do for work. For more on the reflexive pattern, see Reflexive Verbs Chunks.
- ¿Cómo te ganas la vida? — What do you do for a living?
- Me gano la vida dando clases. — I make a living teaching.
- Se gana la vida como traductor. — He makes a living as a translator.
Chunk to learn:
Ganarse la vida + [dando clases / como + job]
Pattern 3: ¿Quién ganó? — "Who won?"
The classic sports and games question. Use the preterite ganó for a finished result, and add the score with por. For more on the past tense, see Preterite vs. Imperfect Chunks.
- ¿Quién ganó el partido? — Who won the match?
- Ganamos dos a uno. — We won two to one.
- Ganó por poco. — He won by a small margin.
Chunk to learn:
¿Quién ganó? / Ganamos + [score] / Ganar por poco
Pattern 4: Salir ganando — "To come out ahead"
With salir plus the gerund you describe who benefits from a deal or a change. Its opposite is salir perdiendo, "to come out worse".
- Todos salimos ganando. — We all come out ahead.
- Con este cambio sales ganando. — You come out ahead with this change.
- Yo salí perdiendo. — I came out the loser.
Chunk to learn:
Salir ganando / Salir perdiendo
Pattern 5: Tener ganas de… — "To feel like…"
This is the chunk learners use most. It says what you feel like doing, and it works with an infinitive or with a noun. Add muchas for strong desire and no for the opposite.
- Tengo ganas de salir. — I feel like going out.
- No tengo ganas de cocinar. — I don't feel like cooking.
- Tengo muchas ganas de verte. — I really want to see you.
Chunk to learn:
Tener ganas de + [infinitive] / Tener muchas ganas de + [infinitive]
Pattern 6: Te lo ganaste — "You earned it"
Ganarse also means to earn something by effort or behavior, for praise or for blame. It is a warm thing to say after hard work and a sharp thing to say after bad choices. For more with attached pronouns, see Object Pronouns Chunks.
- ¡Te lo ganaste! — You earned it!
- Se ganó mi confianza. — He earned my trust.
- Te lo has ganado a pulso. — You really earned it the hard way.
Chunk to learn:
Te lo ganaste / Ganarse + [la confianza / un descanso]
Ganar vs. Ganarse
Plain ganar is for results and pay: ganar un partido, ganar dinero. Ganarse is for what you deserve or work toward: ganarse la vida, ganarse el respeto. For another verb of daily life, see [Escuchar] Chunks.
Start with tengo ganas de… and ¿cómo te ganas la vida?. You will use both the next time you speak Spanish.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.