Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Keep Playing Fair in Spanish
This guide helps you support your child through competitive activities. You will learn to use 'sin' followed by an infinitive to describe actions performed without another specific action occurring, which is essential for teaching sportsmanship and resilience.
What you'll learn
- Express actions occurring without a secondary action using 'sin' + infinitive.
- Handle reflexive pronouns in infinitive clauses (e.g., sin rendirte).
- Use vocabulary related to competition and fair play.
Spanish phrases for keep playing fair
Puedes perder un partido sin rendirte.
You can lose a match without giving up.
'Rendirte' is the reflexive form of 'rendir' (to yield/give up) attached to the infinitive.
Puedes explicar tu opinión sin insultar a los demás jugadores.
You can explain your opinion without insulting the other players.
'Insultar' is followed by 'a' when referring to people (personal 'a').
Podemos hablar del resultado sin culpar a nadie.
We can talk about the result without blaming anyone.
'Nadie' means 'anyone' or 'nobody' depending on the context.
Puedes felicitar a tu amigo sin ocultar tu decepción.
You can congratulate your friend without hiding your disappointment.
'Ocultar' is the standard verb for 'to hide' a feeling or object.
Puedes tomarte un breve descanso sin dejar el equipo.
You can take a short break without leaving the team.
'Dejar' here means 'to leave' or 'to quit'.
Podemos disfrutar del torneo sin ganar todos los partidos.
We can enjoy the tournament without winning every game.
'Disfrutar' is often followed by 'de' when describing the source of enjoyment.
Puedes pedir consejo sin sentirte avergonzado.
You can ask for advice without feeling embarrassed.
'Sentirte' is reflexive; the pronoun 'te' matches 'puedes'.
Puedes estar en desacuerdo con una decisión sin gritar.
You can disagree with a decision without shouting.
'Estar en desacuerdo' is the idiomatic way to say 'to disagree'.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
rendirse
to give up / to surrender
A reflexive verb essential for sports contexts.
partido
match / game
Used for sports matches; 'juego' is more general.
culpar
to blame
Used with 'a' when blaming a specific person.
decepción
disappointment
Common false friend; it does not mean 'deception' (which is 'engaño').
Using 'Sin' + Infinitive
In Spanish, to say 'without [verb]-ing', we use the preposition 'sin' followed by the infinitive form of the verb. If the verb is reflexive, the pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) is attached to the end of the infinitive and must match the subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Structure | sin + [infinitive] | Sin llorar (Without crying) |
| Reflexive Structure | sin + [infinitive] + [pronoun] | Sin quejarte (Without complaining [yourself]) |
More examples
Él juega sin preocuparse por el marcador.
He plays without worrying about the scoreboard.
Note how 'se' is used for 'él'.
Salieron del campo sin decir una palabra.
They left the field without saying a word.
Using 'sin' with a non-reflexive verb.