cooperar
verbCEFR B2
What does “cooperar” mean in English?
to cooperate
to cooperate (cooperar con — formal willingness to work together; often institutional)
Example sentences
Los países de la región acordaron cooperar en la gestión de los recursos hídricos compartidos.
The countries of the region agreed to cooperate in the management of shared water resources.
La empresa coopera con varias ONG para garantizar que su cadena de suministro cumple los estándares éticos.
The company cooperates with several NGOs to ensure that its supply chain meets ethical standards.
Para que la misión tenga éxito, todas las agencias implicadas deben cooperar de manera fluida y sin rivalidades.
For the mission to succeed, all agencies involved must cooperate smoothly and without rivalries.
How to use it
Cooperar means 'to cooperate' or 'to work together'. The preposition is con (cooperate with someone): cooperar con las autoridades, cooperar con los socios. The alternative construction is en: cooperar en un proyecto (cooperate on a project). At B2, cooperar appears frequently in formal diplomatic, institutional, and organisational contexts. Key collocations: cooperar estrechamente (cooperate closely), acuerdo de cooperación (cooperation agreement). Don't confuse with colaborar (to collaborate — slightly less formal, often more creative or tactical) or coordinar (to coordinate — involves managing sequencing).
Common mistake
Cooperar (formal cooperation, often institutional) vs. colaborar (collaborate — more creative, team-based, or project-specific): cooperar tends to appear in diplomatic, intergovernmental, and regulatory contexts; colaborar is more common in professional, creative, and research team contexts. Also: cooperar is not the same as coordinarse (to coordinate/synchronise actions) — cooperation is about working towards a shared goal, while coordination is about timing and sequencing.