Learn Spanish Opposites: Essential Vocabulary Guide
Spanish Nouns and Their Opposites
| Spanish | English | Spanish Opposite | English Opposite | Example Sentences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alegría | Joy | Tristeza | Sadness |
La alegría era contagiosa. (Joy was contagious.) La tristeza llenó el ambiente. (Sadness filled the air.) |
| Amigo | Friend | Enemigo | Enemy |
Él es mi mejor amigo. (He is my best friend.) Su enemigo juró venganza. (His enemy swore revenge.) |
| Amor | Love | Odio | Hatred |
El amor lo cambió todo. (Love changed everything.) El odio consume el corazón. (Hatred consumes the heart.) |
| Belleza | Beauty | Fealdad | Ugliness |
La belleza del paisaje era impresionante. (The beauty of the landscape was stunning.) La fealdad dominaba el paisaje. (Ugliness dominated the landscape.) |
| Bienestar | Well-being | Malestar | Discomfort |
El bienestar de todos es importante. (The well-being of everyone is important.) El malestar no le permitió dormir. (The discomfort did not let him sleep.) |
| Calidez | Warmth | Frialdad | Coldness |
La calidez de su abrazo me reconfortó. (The warmth of his embrace comforted me.) La frialdad del ambiente era evidente. (The coldness of the atmosphere was evident.) |
| Cima | Top | Fondo | Bottom |
Alcanzó la cima de la montaña. (He reached the top of the mountain.) El fondo del lago era profundo. (The bottom of the lake was deep.) |
| Comienzo | Beginning | Final | Ending |
El comienzo del día fue tranquilo. (The beginning of the day was calm.) El final de la película fue sorprendente. (The ending of the movie was surprising.) |
| Éxito | Success | Fracaso | Failure |
El éxito no llegó sin esfuerzo. (Success did not come without effort.) El fracaso fue una lección. (Failure was a lesson.) |
| Entrada | Entrance | Salida | Exit |
La entrada estaba cerrada. (The entrance was closed.) Tomaron la salida más cercana. (They took the nearest exit.) |
| Esperanza | Hope | Desesperación | Despair |
Sigo teniendo esperanza. (I still have hope.) La desesperación se apoderó de él. (Despair took over him.) |
| Felicidad | Happiness | Tristeza | Sadness |
La felicidad se veía en su rostro. (Happiness was visible on his face.) La tristeza era inevitable. (Sadness was inevitable.) |
| Fuerza | Strength | Debilidad | Weakness |
La fuerza de su carácter era admirable. (The strength of his character was admirable.) Mostró su debilidad en ese momento. (He showed his weakness at that moment.) |
| Humildad | Humility | Arrogancia | Arrogance |
La humildad es una virtud importante. (Humility is an important virtue.) La arrogancia lo llevó al fracaso. (Arrogance led him to failure.) |
| Igualdad | Equality | Desigualdad | Inequality |
Luchamos por la igualdad de derechos. (We fight for equality of rights.) La desigualdad aún persiste. (Inequality still persists.) |
| Inicio | Start | Fin | End |
El inicio de la carrera fue emocionante. (The start of the race was exciting.) El fin de la aventura llegó pronto. (The end of the adventure came quickly.) |
| Justicia | Justice | Injusticia | Injustice |
Buscamos justicia para todos. (We seek justice for all.) La injusticia era evidente. (The injustice was evident.) |
| Juventud | Youth | Vejez | Old age |
La juventud es un regalo. (Youth is a gift.) La vejez trae sabiduría. (Old age brings wisdom.) |
| Libertad | Liberty | Cautiverio | Captivity |
La libertad es invaluable. (Liberty is invaluable.) Vivió en cautiverio. (He lived in captivity.) |
| Luz | Light | Oscuridad | Darkness |
La luz iluminó el camino. (The light illuminated the path.) La oscuridad lo envolvió todo. (The darkness engulfed everything.) |
| Orgullo | Pride | Vergüenza | Shame |
El orgullo por su trabajo era evidente. (The pride in his work was evident.) Sintió vergüenza por sus acciones. (He felt shame for his actions.) |
| Orden | Order | Caos | Chaos |
Mantuvieron el orden en la reunión. (They kept order in the meeting.) El caos reinó tras la tormenta. (Chaos reigned after the storm.) |
| Paz | Peace | Guerra | War |
El paz es nuestro objetivo. (Peace is our goal.) La guerra trajo destrucción. (The war brought destruction.) |
| Premio | Prize | Castigo | Punishment |
Recibió un premio por su esfuerzo. (He received a prize for his effort.) El castigo fue severo. (The punishment was severe.) |
| Riqueza | Wealth | Pobreza | Poverty |
Su riqueza era conocida. (His wealth was well-known.) Vivió en pobreza toda su vida. (He lived in poverty his whole life.) |
| Sabiduría | Wisdom | Ignorancia | Ignorance |
La sabiduría viene con la experiencia. (Wisdom comes with experience.) La ignorancia no es una excusa. (Ignorance is not an excuse.) |
| Salud | Health | Enfermedad | Illness |
Cuidar la salud es esencial. (Taking care of health is essential.) La enfermedad lo debilitó. (The illness weakened him.) |
| Seguridad | Safety | Peligro | Danger |
La seguridad del edificio fue prioritaria. (The building's safety was a priority.) El peligro era inminente. (The danger was imminent.) |
| Verdad | Truth | Mentira | Lie |
La verdad salió a la luz. (The truth came to light.) La mentira destruyó su reputación. (The lie destroyed his reputation.) |
| Victoria | Victory | Derrota | Defeat |
Celebraron la victoria con entusiasmo. (They celebrated the victory enthusiastically.) Aceptaron la derrota con dignidad. (They accepted defeat with dignity.) |
| Vida | Life | Muerte | Death |
La vida está llena de sorpresas. (Life is full of surprises.) La muerte es inevitable. (Death is inevitable.) |
Spanish Verbs and Their Opposites
| Spanish | English | Spanish Opposite | English Opposite | Example Sentences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrir | To open | Cerrar | To close |
Abrí la puerta (I opened the door) Cerré la ventana (I closed the window) |
| Amar | To love | Odiar | To hate |
Amamos viajar (We love to travel) Odio las mentiras (I hate lies) |
| Añadir | To add | Eliminar | To remove |
Añadí sal a la sopa (I added salt to the soup) Eliminé la cuenta vieja (I removed the old account) |
| Aumentar | To increase | Disminuir | To decrease |
La empresa aumentó los precios (The company increased the prices) Disminuyó la demanda (The demand decreased) |
| Comer | To eat | Ayunar | To fast |
Me gusta comer pizza (I like to eat pizza) Ayunamos por razones de salud (We fast for health reasons) |
| Comprar | To buy | Vender | To sell |
Compré un coche nuevo (I bought a new car) Vendieron su casa (They sold their house) |
| Construir | To build | Destruir | To destroy |
Construyeron un puente (They built a bridge) El huracán destruyó el pueblo (The hurricane destroyed the town) |
| Dar | To give | Recibir | To receive |
Ella me dio un regalo (She gave me a gift) Recibí buenas noticias (I received good news) |
| Empezar | To start | Terminar | To finish |
Voy a empezar el proyecto (I am going to start the project) Terminamos la reunión tarde (We finished the meeting late) |
| Encender | To turn on | Apagar | To turn off |
Encendí las luces (I turned on the lights) Apagamos la televisión (We turned off the TV) |
| Entrar | To enter | Salir | To exit |
Entré en la casa (I entered the house) Salimos del restaurante (We exited the restaurant) |
| Ganar | To win | Perder | To lose |
Ganamos el partido (We won the game) Perdieron la oportunidad (They lost the opportunity) |
| Hablar | To speak | Callar | To be silent |
Hablé con el profesor (I spoke with the teacher) Prefiero callar en esta situación (I prefer to be silent in this situation) |
| Llegar | To arrive | Irse | To leave |
Llegué temprano a la estación (I arrived early at the station) Nos fuimos después de cenar (We left after dinner) |
| Reír | To laugh | Llorar | To cry |
Nos reímos mucho ayer (We laughed a lot yesterday) Ella lloró de felicidad (She cried from happiness) |
| Recordar | To remember | Olvidar | To forget |
Recuerdo tus palabras (I remember your words) Olvidé mi contraseña (I forgot my password) |
| Subir | To climb | Bajar | To descend |
Subí las escaleras rápidamente (I climbed the stairs quickly) Bajamos al sótano (We went down to the basement) |
| Vestir | To dress | Desvestir | To undress |
Me vestí para la ocasión (I dressed for the occasion) Se desvistió rápidamente (He undressed quickly) |
| Vivir | To live | Morir | To die |
Vivimos en paz (We live in peace) Moriré tranquilo (I will die peacefully) |
Spanish Adjectives and Their Opposites
| Spanish | English | Spanish Opposite | English Opposite | Example Sentences | Abierto | Open | Cerrado | Closed |
La puerta está abierta. (The door is open.) El cofre está cerrado. (The chest is closed.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alto | Tall | Bajo | Short |
Es un edificio muy alto. (It is a very tall building.) Ese niño es bajo. (That boy is short.) |
| Amigable | Friendly | Antipático | Unfriendly |
Ella es muy amigable. (She is very friendly.) Él parece antipático. (He seems unfriendly.) |
| Ancho | Wide | Estrecho | Narrow |
La calle es ancha. (The street is wide.) El pasillo es estrecho. (The hallway is narrow.) |
| Barato | Cheap | Caro | Expensive |
Este producto es barato. (This product is cheap.) Ese bolso es caro. (That bag is expensive.) |
| Bonito | Pretty | Feo | Ugly |
Qué vestido más bonito. (What a pretty dress.) El cuadro es feo. (The painting is ugly.) |
| Bueno | Good | Malo | Bad |
El libro es bueno. (The book is good.) El clima es malo. (The weather is bad.) |
| Caliente | Hot | Frío | Cold |
El café está caliente. (The coffee is hot.) El agua está fría. (The water is cold.) |
| Claro | Clear | Oscuro | Dark |
El cielo está claro. (The sky is clear.) El bosque es oscuro. (The forest is dark.) |
| Corto | Short (length) | Largo | Long |
El texto es corto. (The text is short.) El río es largo. (The river is long.) |
| Cortés | Polite | Maleducado | Rude |
Ella es muy cortés. (She is very polite.) Él fue maleducado. (He was rude.) |
| Dulce | Sweet | Amargo | Bitter |
El postre es dulce. (The dessert is sweet.) El café es amargo. (The coffee is bitter.) |
| Fácil | Easy | Difícil | Difficult |
El ejercicio es fácil. (The exercise is easy.) El problema es difícil. (The problem is difficult.) |
| Feliz | Happy | Triste | Sad |
Estoy feliz. (I am happy.) Ella está triste. (She is sad.) |
| Fuerte | Strong | Débil | Weak |
El atleta es muy fuerte. (The athlete is very strong.) Me siento débil. (I feel weak.) |
| Generoso | Generous | Egoísta | Selfish |
Ella es generosa. (She is generous.) Él es muy egoísta. (He is very selfish.) |
| Grande | Big | Pequeño | Small |
El perro es grande. (The dog is big.) La casa es pequeña. (The house is small.) |
| Inteligente | Intelligent | Tonto | Foolish |
El estudiante es inteligente. (The student is intelligent.) Fue un comentario tonto. (It was a foolish comment.) |
| Interesante | Interesting | Aburrido | Boring |
El libro es interesante. (The book is interesting.) La película fue aburrida. (The movie was boring.) |
| Justo | Fair | Injusto | Unfair |
El juez fue justo. (The judge was fair.) La decisión es injusta. (The decision is unfair.) |
| Libre | Free | Ocupado | Busy |
Estoy libre. (I am free.) Estoy ocupado ahora. (I am busy right now.) |
| Ligero | Light (weight) | Pesado | Heavy |
La caja es ligera. (The box is light.) El mueble es pesado. (The furniture is heavy.) |
| Limpio | Clean | Sucio | Dirty |
El cuarto está limpio. (The room is clean.) El coche está sucio. (The car is dirty.) |
| Lleno | Full | Vacío | Empty |
El vaso está lleno. (The glass is full.) La caja está vacía. (The box is empty.) |
| Natural | Natural | Artificial | Artificial |
El jugo es natural. (The juice is natural.) El sabor es artificial. (The flavor is artificial.) |
| Nuevo | New | Viejo | Old |
El coche es nuevo. (The car is new.) El libro es viejo. (The book is old.) |
| Ordenado | Organised | Desordenado | Disorganised |
El escritorio está ordenado. (The desk is organised.) La habitación está desordenada. (The room is disorganised.) |
| Público | Public | Privado | Private |
El parque es público. (The park is public.) La reunión es privada. (The meeting is private.) |
| Rápido | Fast | Lento | Slow |
El tren es muy rápido. (The train is very fast.) El servicio es lento. (The service is slow.) |
| Rico | Rich | Pobre | Poor |
El empresario es rico. (The businessman is rich.) La familia es pobre. (The family is poor.) |
| Seguro | Safe | Peligroso | Dangerous |
El barrio es seguro. (The neighborhood is safe.) El trabajo es peligroso. (The job is dangerous.) |
| Suave | Soft | Duro | Hard |
La almohada es suave. (The pillow is soft.) La roca es dura. (The rock is hard.) |
| Transparente | Transparent | Opaco | Opaque |
El cristal es transparente. (The glass is transparent.) El plástico es opaco. (The plastic is opaque.) |
| Mojado | Wet | Seco | Dry |
El suelo está mojado. (The floor is wet.) La ropa está seca. (The clothes are dry.) |
| Positivo | Positive | Negativo | Negative |
Tiene una actitud positiva. (He has a positive attitude.) El resultado fue negativo. (The result was negative.) |
| Puro | Pure | Contaminado | Contaminated |
El aire es puro aquí. (The air is pure here.) El río está contaminado. (The river is contaminated.) |
| Real | Real | Falso | False |
La joya es real. (The jewel is real.) El documento es falso. (The document is false.) |
| Saludable | Healthy | Enfermo | Sick |
La comida es saludable. (The food is healthy.) Se siente enfermo. (He feels sick.) |
