Disputer vs. se disputer
The French verbs disputer and se disputer both revolve around the concepts of conflict and competition. The main difference lies in their grammatical structure and focus: disputer is a transitive verb focusing on the object being competed for, while se disputer is a pronominal verb focusing on the reciprocal action of arguing or competing between people.
Disputer
B1As a transitive verb, disputer requires a direct object and means to compete for something, to play a match, or to challenge/contest a fact or decision. The focus is on the thing being contested, not the argument itself.
Les deux clubs vont disputer la finale la semaine prochaine.
(The two clubs will play the final next week.)
Personne ne peut lui disputer le titre de meilleur joueur.
(No one can contest his title of best player.)
L'avocat a longuement disputé la validité de cette preuve.
(The lawyer contested the validity of this evidence at length.)
Chaque année, plusieurs villes se disputent l'organisation du festival.
(Each year, several cities compete to host the festival.)
Se disputer
A2As a pronominal verb, se disputer describes a reciprocal action between two or more people. Its most common meaning is to argue, to quarrel, or to have a dispute. It can also mean to fight over or to compete for something, emphasizing the rivalry between the subjects.
Les enfants se disputent constamment pour avoir le même jouet.
(The children are constantly arguing to have the same toy.)
Je me suis disputé avec mon frère à propos de politique.
(I argued with my brother about politics.)
Arrêtez de vous disputer pour des bêtises !
(Stop arguing over silly things!)
Les deux héritiers se sont disputé la maison de leurs parents.
(The two heirs fought over their parents' house.)
J'entends les voisins se disputer tous les soirs.
(I hear the neighbors arguing every evening.)
Summary
In essence, use disputer when you are talking about competing for or challenging a specific thing, like a match or a title (disputer un match). Use se disputer when people are arguing with each other (ils se disputent) or fighting over an object (ils se disputent un gâteau). The key distinction is the focus: disputer focuses on the object of the contest, while se disputer focuses on the mutual conflict between the people.