Desempeñar vs Empeñar in Spanish: Verb Comparison
Desempeñar and empeñar are two Spanish words that look similar and have common roots but have gone totally separate ways in common, everyday usage.
Are you ready to get rid of the confusion between these two verbs?
Keep reading!
Desempeñar vs Empeñar: Why It’s Confusing
There’s no doubt about it, desempeñar and empeñar are confusing.
Why?
For starters, desempeñar uses the prefix des-, which denotes negation or inversion of the meaning of the stem word empeñar. This makes us assume that these two words are antonyms—something like desconfiar (mistrust) is to confiar (trust).
But they’re not!
When you look up these words in a dictionary, here is what you find:
- empeñar – to pawn or to dedicate
- desempeñar – to redeem, to carry out, to play
Wait, what?
In one sense, “to pawn” (empeñar) is an antonym to “to redeem” (desempeñar), but all other definitions for each verb don’t have anything to do with one another!
If you think it’s confusing, I agree with you! But, let’s break it down to explore the several meanings of empeñar and desempeñar to help remedy this confusion.
Empeñar
Let’s begin with empeñar. It comes from the Latin words “pignus, pignoris,” which mean to pledge, security, hostage. When Romans used the expression “in pignus,” they meant “in pledge.” From there, two Spanish words arose: pignorar and empeñar, which both mean “to pawn.”
3 Different Meanings
The following 3 meanings of empeñar include example sentences to show the verb in action.
1. To pawn
This meaning is synonymous with the expression dejar en prenda.
Mi padre empeñó la televisión para comprar dos boletos para las Olimpiadas.
My father pawned the television to buy two tickets for the Olympics.
2. To give
It’s a synonym of dar and we usually use it in the expression empeñar la palabra, meaning “to pledge one’s word.”
El presidente empeñó su palabra al decir que el sueldo base aumentaría.
The president pledged his word saying the minimum wage would increase.
3. To spend
You could also use pasar to express this meaning, but empeñar is more formal.
Empeñó toda su vida ayudando a las personas sin techo.
He spent his entire life helping the homeless.
Empeñarse
This is the reflexive, or pronominal, form of the verb empeñar.
3 Different Meanings
Let’s discover how this verb’s meaning changes when it becomes empeñarse, a pronominal verb.
1. To insist on
It’s a synonym for obstinarse en algo. It always precedes the preposition en.
Se empeñó en que fuera su novia y ella finalmente le dijo que sí.
He insisted on her being his girlfriend and she finally said “yes.”
2. To endeavor
Synonym to esforzarse. It also precedes the preposition en.
¡Me empeñé en aprender español y lo logré!
I endeavored to learn Spanish and I accomplished it!
3. To fall into debt
It’s a synonym for endeudarse.
Me empeñé con mi amigo para poder pagar la operación de mi hermana.
I fell into debt with my friend so I could pay for my sister’s surgery.
How to Conjugate Empeñar
Let’s now see the conjugation of empeñar in some Spanish sentences using the present, past, and future tenses. For the English translation, you’ll see the verb “to pawn,” but remember that there are more meanings to this verb.
Preterite Tense Conjugation Chart: Empeñar
| ENGLISH | SPANISH |
| I pawned | Yo empeñé |
| You pawned | Tú empeñaste |
| He, she, it pawned (fml. You pawned) | Él, ella, usted empeñó |
| We pawned | Nosotros empeñamos |
| You pawned | Ustedes empeñaron |
| They pawned | Ellos, ellas empeñaron |
Future Tense Conjugation Chart: Empeñar
| ENGLISH | SPANISH |
| I will pawn | Yo empeñaré |
| You will pawn | Tú empeñarás |
| He, she, it will pawn (fml. You will pawn) | Él, ella, usted empeñará |
| We will pawn | Nosotros empeñaremos |
| You will pawn | Ustedes empeñarán |
| They will pawn | Ellos, ellas empeñarán |
Noun Form of Empeñar is El Empeño
The noun el empeño can mean:
1. Determination
Él siempre trabaja con empeño.
He always works with determination.
2. Effort
Puso todo su empeño en terminar la carrera.
He put all his effort into finishing the race.
3. Fervent wish, desire
Mi empeño es vencer mis miedos.
It’s my fervent wish to overcome my fears.
4. Pawning
Le puso muy triste el empeño del collar que le había regalado su abuela.
He was very sad about having to pawn the necklace his grandmother had given him.
Desempeñar
We’ve covered the meaning “to redeem” for desempeñar, but it has a few more definitions. Let’s explore them here.
4 Different Meanings
1. To redeem
This is the antonym of the empeñar meaning “to pawn.” The synonym is recuperar.
Si no desempeñas tu carro, lo venderán a otra persona.
If you don’t redeem your car, they will sell it to another person.
2. To carry out
A synonym for ejecutar.
Debo reconocer que has desempeñado todas tus tareas de forma ejemplar.
I must recognize that you have carried out all your tasks in an exemplary fashion.
3. To hold
For jobs and positions.
Mi padre desempeña un cargo ejecutivo en esta empresa.
My father holds an executive position in this company.
4. To play
Desempeñar can also mean “to play” in both a literal and metaphorical meaning.
Juan Pérez desempeña el papel de Don Quijote.
Juan Pérez plays the role of Don Quijote.
El hígado desempeña un papel muy importante en nuestro cuerpo.
The liver plays a very important role in our body.
Desempeñarse
Let’s see what happens when desempeñar turns into the reflexive desempeñarse.
1. To work as
You can use it as a synonym to realizar las funciones.
Se desempeñó como director de la empresa durante cinco años.
He worked as the company’s director for five years.
2. To get out of debt
Me desempeñé muy rápido porque decidí pagar dos meses en uno.
I got out of debt very fast because I decided to pay two months in one.
Finding Connections Between Empeñar and Desempeñar
In the past, people would say that someone empeñaba su palabra, meaning that they were pledging their word to pay any type of debt.
Thereafter, the expression desempeñar la palabra referred to the moment when the person paid the debt and recovered their word, good name, and honor—meaning cumplir, or fulfilling one’s duty.
Eventually, the meaning evolved to mean “to perform,” “to carry out a task,” or “to hold a job,” as obliged by word, law, or contract.
How to Conjugate Desempeñar
Let’s now see the conjugation of desempeñar in some Spanish sentences: present tense, past tense, and future tense. For the English translation, you’ll see the verb “to redeem” but remember that there are more meanings of this verb.
Preterite Tense Conjugation Chart: Desempeñar
| ENGLISH | SPANISH |
| I redeemed | Yo desempeñé |
| You redeemed | Tú desempeñaste |
| He, she, it redeemed (fml. You redeemed) | Él, ella, usted desempeñó |
| We redeemed | Nosotros desempeñamos |
| You redeemed | Ustedes desempeñaron |
| They redeemed | Ellos, ellas desempeñaron |
Future Tense Conjugation Chart: Desempeñar
| ENGLISH | SPANISH |
| I will redeem | Yo desempeñaré |
| You will redeem | Tú desempeñarás |
| He, she, it will redeem (fml. You will redeem) | Él, ella, usted desempeñará |
| We will redeem | Nosotros desempeñaremos |
| You will redeem | Ustedes desempeñarán |
| They will redeem | Ellos, ellas desempeñarán |
Noun Form of Desempeñar Is El Desempeño
El desempeño can mean:
1. Execution
Su desempeño de las funciones fue ejemplar.
His execution of duties was exemplary.
2. Performance
(Él) Tiene buen desempeño en el colegio.
He has a good performance at school.
3. Redemption of a pawn loan
No fue fácil conseguir el desempeño de sus joyas; primero tuvo que ahorrar por seis meses.
It wasn’t easy to redeem his jewelry from the pawnshop—he had to save for six months first.
Practice Talking to a Native Spanish Speaker!
It is now easy to distinguish empeñar from desempeñar and use these verbs in your conversations!
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