Cooperar

Cooperar is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese to indicate acting together with others to achieve a common objective. It encompasses joint actions in personal relationships, organizations, communities, and international contexts. The expression is commonly used with prepositions such as cooperar con (to cooperate with), cooperar para (to cooperate for), and cooperar entre países (to cooperate among/between countries).

The word derives from Latin cooperari, from com- “together” and operari “to work.” It is a regular -ar verb in both languages, and its meaning is closely related to colaborar (to collaborate), though usage can differ in nuance.

In Spanish, cooperar is a regular -ar verb. Present indicative forms are: yo coopero, tú cooperas, él coopera, nosotros cooperamos, vosotros cooperáis, ellos cooperan. Other tenses follow regular -ar patterns: cooperé, cooperaste, cooperó, cooperamos, cooperasteis, cooperaron; cooperaba, cooperabas, cooperaba, cooperábamos, cooperabais, cooperaban; gerund cooperando; participle cooperado.

Usage and nuance: cooperar emphasizes coordinating actions and contributing to a shared task, sometimes involving coordination of resources or information. Colaborar stresses active participation and joint creation, and the two terms are often used interchangeably in everyday speech. In institutional contexts, la cooperación (the noun) and phrases like cooperación internacional describe formal arrangements among actors such as states, companies, and NGOs.

Related forms include cooperativo (adjective) and cooperación (noun). In Portuguese, cooperar is used similarly, with spelling identical but pronunciation slightly different.