{"id":143362,"date":"2023-04-21T02:38:52","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T06:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/opposites-in-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T07:15:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T12:15:21","slug":"opposites-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/opposites-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Antonyms to Discuss Opposites in Spanish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adjectives<\/a> are an essential part of a sentence in any language. Tt may seem like there are endless adjectives to learn in Spanish, but fear not.<\/p>\n

Learning adjectives with antonym sets<\/strong> is an effective way to boost your Spanish vocabulary quickly\u2014every time you learn a new adjective, try learning its opposite, too.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Antiguo<\/em> & Moderno <\/em> \u2014 Old & Modern<\/h2>\n

Antiguo<\/em> can also mean \u201cantique\u201d or \u201cancient,\u201d while moderno\u00a0<\/em>can also\u00a0be slang for \u201ctrendy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Las cosas en el museo son muy antiguas<\/strong>, pero el edificio es muy moderno<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(The things in the museum are very old, but the building is very modern.)<\/p>\n

2. Corto<\/em> & Largo <\/em> \u2014 Short & Long<\/h2>\n

A Juan solamente le gusta el pelo largo<\/strong>, pero Lupe tiene el pelo corto<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(Juan only likes long hair, but Lupe has short hair.)<\/p>\n

3. Estrecho<\/em> & Ancho <\/em> \u2014 Narrow & Wide<\/h2>\n

Cuando hay coches, la calle parece\u00a0muy estrecha<\/strong>, pero en realidad\u00a0es ancha<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(When there are cars, the street feels\u00a0very narrow, but actually\u00a0it is wide.)<\/p>\n

4. Bueno<\/em> & Malo <\/em> \u2014 Good & Bad<\/h2>\n

Las verduras son muy buenas<\/strong> para la salud, pero los dulces son malos<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(Vegetables are very good for health, but candies are bad.)<\/p>\n

5. C\u00f3modo<\/em> & Inc\u00f3modo<\/em> \u2014 Comfortable & Uncomfortable<\/h2>\n

C\u00f3modo<\/em> can also mean \u201cconvenient,\u201d and inc\u00f3modo<\/em> can also mean \u201cawkward.\u201d<\/p>\n

El sof\u00e1 es c\u00f3modo<\/strong>, pero la silla es inc\u00f3moda<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(The couch is comfortable, but the chair is uncomfortable.)<\/p>\n

6. Caro<\/em> & Barato <\/em> \u2014 Expensive & Cheap<\/h2>\n

Barato\u00a0<\/em>can also be translated to mean “trashy.”<\/p>\n

Quiero un coche caro<\/strong>, pero solamente tengo un coche barato<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(I want an expensive car, but I only have a cheap car.)<\/p>\n

7. Antip\u00e1tico<\/em> & Simp\u00e1tico<\/em> \u2014 Unfriendly & Friendly<\/h2>\n

Antip\u00e1tico<\/em> can also be used to mean \u201cunpleasant\u201d or \u201cdisagreeable,\u201d and simp\u00e1tico<\/em> on the other hand can also be used to mean \u201cpleasant\u201d or \u201cagreeable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ella es muy antip\u00e1tica<\/strong>, pero su familia es muy simp\u00e1tica<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(She is very unfriendly, but her family is very pleasant.)<\/p>\n

8. D\u00e9bil<\/em> & Fuerte<\/em> \u2014 Weak & Strong<\/h2>\n

Muchas personas en el gimnasio son d\u00e9biles<\/strong>, pero Margarita es muy fuerte<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(Many people in the gym are very weak, but Margarita is very strong.)<\/p>\n

9. Duro<\/em> & Blando<\/em> \u2014 Hard & Soft<\/h2>\n

Duro<\/em> also means \u201ctough\u201d or \u201csevere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Las piedras son duras<\/strong>\u00a0y mi colch\u00f3n es blando<\/strong>. Lo prefiero as\u00ed.
\n<\/em>(Rocks are hard and my mattress\u00a0is soft. I prefer it like this.)<\/p>\n

10. Fr\u00edo<\/em> & Caliente<\/em> \u2014 Cold & Hot<\/h2>\n

El helado est\u00e1 fr\u00edo<\/strong>\u00a0y mi caf\u00e9 est\u00e1 caliente<\/strong>. Me duelen los\u00a0dientes.
\n<\/em>(The ice cream is cold and my coffee is hot. My teeth hurt.)<\/p>\n

11. Grande<\/em> & Peque\u00f1o<\/em> \u2014 Big & Small<\/h2>\n

El bajo es un instrumento grande\u00a0<\/strong>y el ukelele es peque\u00f1o<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(The bass is a big instrument and the ukulele is small.)<\/p>\n

12. Delgado<\/em> & Gordo<\/em> \u2014 Thin & Fat<\/h2>\n

Mi hermana es delgada<\/strong>, pero yo soy gorda<\/strong>.
\n<\/i>(My sister is thin, but I’m fat.)<\/p>\n

13. Tonto<\/em> & Inteligente<\/em> \u2014 Dumb & Intelligent<\/h2>\n

Los estudiantes que no estudian son tontos<\/strong>, pero los que estudian son inteligentes<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(The students that do not study are dumb, but those that study are intelligent.)<\/p>\n

14. Lleno<\/em> & Vac\u00edo<\/em> \u2014 Full & Empty<\/h2>\n

Mi taza est\u00e1 llena<\/strong>, pero tu taza est\u00e1 vac\u00eda<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00bfTienes sed?
\n<\/em>(My cup is full, but your cup is empty. Are you thirsty?)<\/p>\n

15. Claro<\/em> & Oscuro<\/em> \u2014 Light & Dark<\/h2>\n

Along with meaning \u201cclear,\u201d claro<\/em> also means \u201clight,\u201d \u201cbright,\u201d \u201cpale\u201d or even \u201cthin\u201d\/\u201dweak.\u201d Oscuro<\/em>, on the other hand, as well as meaning \u201cdark,\u201d can also translate to \u201cuncertain,\u201d \u201cshady\u201d or \u201covercast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tu camisa es\u00a0clara<\/strong>, pero la m\u00eda es\u00a0oscura<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(Your shirt is light, but mine is dark.)<\/p>\n

16. Alto<\/em> & Bajo<\/em> \u2014 Tall & Short<\/h2>\n

Alto\u00a0<\/em>can also be used to mean “high,\u201d or \u201cloud\u201d when talking about sound. Similarly, b<\/em>ajo\u00a0<\/em>can also mean \u201clow\u201d or \u201cquiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Los jugadores de baloncesto son muy altos<\/strong>, pero los gimnastas son muy bajos<\/strong>.
\n<\/i>(Basketball players are very tall, but gymnasts are very short.)<\/p>\n

17. F\u00e1cil<\/em> & Dif\u00edcil<\/em> \u2014 Easy & Difficult<\/h2>\n

Preferir\u00eda que la tarea fuera f\u00e1cil<\/strong>, pero es dif\u00edcil<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(I would prefer the homework to be easy, but it is difficult.)<\/p>\n

18. Limpio<\/em> & Sucio<\/em> \u2014 Clean & Dirty<\/h2>\n

Quiero una casa limpia<\/strong>, pero siempre tengo una casa sucia<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(I want a clean house, but I always have a dirty house.)<\/p>\n

19. C\u00f3mico<\/em> & Tr\u00e1gico<\/em> \u2014 Funny & Tragic<\/h2>\n

Prefiero las obras c\u00f3micas<\/strong> a las obras tr\u00e1gicas<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(I prefer funny\/comedic plays to tragic plays.)<\/p>\n

20. Hermoso<\/em> & Feo<\/em> \u2014 Beautiful & Ugly<\/h2>\n

La Cenicienta es hermosa<\/strong> y sus hermanastras son feas<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(Cinderella is beautiful and her stepsisters are ugly.)<\/p>\n

21. Interesante<\/em> & Aburrido<\/em> \u2014 Interesting & Boring<\/h2>\n

La clase es interesante<\/strong>, pero la tarea es aburrida<\/strong>.
\n<\/i>(The class is interesting, but the homework is boring.)<\/p>\n

22. Joven<\/em> & Viejo<\/em> \u2014 Young & Old<\/h2>\n

Quiero ser joven<\/strong>, pero soy viejo\/vieja<\/strong><\/em>.
\n<\/i>(I want to be young, but I’m old.)<\/p>\n

23. M\u00e1s<\/em> & Menos<\/em> \u2014 More & Less<\/h2>\n

Quiero m\u00e1s<\/strong> dinero y menos<\/strong> problemas.
\n<\/em>(I want more money and fewer problems.)<\/p>\n

24. Mejor<\/em> & Peor<\/em> \u2014 Better & Worse<\/h2>\n

Mi coche es mejor<\/strong> que el tuyo, pero es peor<\/strong> que el de Juan.
\n<\/em>(My car is better than yours, but it’s worse than Juan’s.)<\/p>\n

25. Mucho<\/em> & Poco<\/em> \u2014 A lot & Not much<\/h2>\n

Mucho\u00a0<\/i>can also \u201cmuch,\u201d \u201cmany,\u201d \u201ctoo much,\u201d \u201ctoo many\u201d or \u201ca lot of.\u201d Poco\u00a0<\/em>can also mean \u201clittle\u201d or \u201cfew.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tengo muchos<\/strong> intereses pero poco<\/strong> tiempo.
\n<\/em>(I have many interests but little time.)<\/p>\n

26. R\u00e1pido<\/em> & Lento<\/em> \u2014 Fast & Slow<\/h2>\n

Es m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido<\/strong> ir a trabajar en mi coche que en el autob\u00fas. El autob\u00fas va muy lento<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(It’s faster to go to work in my car than on the bus. The bus is very slow.)<\/p>\n

27. Soltero<\/em> & Casado<\/em> \u2014 Single & Married<\/h2>\n

Pablo ya no est\u00e1 soltero<\/strong>. El a\u00f1o pasado se cas\u00f3 y ahora es un hombre casado<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(Pablo is no longer single. Last year he got married and now he is a married man.)<\/p>\n

28. Abierto<\/em> & Cerrado<\/em> \u2014 Open & Closed<\/h2>\n

\u00bfEl restaurante est\u00e1 abierto<\/strong> o cerrado<\/strong> hoy?
\n<\/em>(Is the restaurant open or closed today?)<\/p>\n

29. Feliz<\/em> & Triste<\/em> \u2014 Happy & Sad<\/h2>\n

Desde que viaj\u00f3 a Finlandia ya no est\u00e1 triste<\/b>. Ahora est\u00e1 tan feliz<\/strong> y lleno de vida.
\n<\/em>(Since he traveled to Finland he is no longer sad. Now he is so happy and full of life.)<\/p>\n

30. Ligero<\/em> & Pesado<\/em> \u2014 Light & Heavy<\/h2>\n

Me dijo que la bolsa de patatas era ligera<\/strong> pero es muy pesada<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>(He told me that the bag of potatoes was light but it’s very heavy.)<\/p>\n

31. Posible<\/em> & Imposible<\/em> \u2014 Possible & Impossible<\/h2>\n

\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 dices que es imposible<\/strong> cuando todo es posible<\/strong>?
\n<\/em>(Why do you say that it’s impossible when everything is possible?)<\/p>\n

32. Dulce<\/em> & Salado<\/em> \u2014 Sweet & Salty<\/h2>\n

Salado\u00a0<\/em>can also be translated to mean “savory.”<\/p>\n

A m\u00ed me gusta m\u00e1s el dulce<\/strong> que el salado<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(I like sweet more than salty\/savory.)<\/p>\n

33. Callado<\/em> & Hablador<\/em> \u2014 Quiet & Talkative<\/h2>\n

En el pasado Juan era callado<\/strong>, pero ahora es muy hablador<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(In the past Juan was quiet, but now he’s very talkative.)<\/p>\n

34. Optimista<\/em> & Pesimista<\/em> \u2014 Optimistic & Pessimistic<\/h2>\n

Trato de ser lo m\u00e1s optimista<\/strong> posible, pero mi amigo es bastante pesimista<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(I try to be as optimistic as possible, but my friend is quite pessimistic.)<\/p>\n

35. Extrovertido<\/em> & Introvertido<\/em> \u2014 Extroverted & Introverted<\/h2>\n

Mar\u00eda nunca ha sido una persona introvertida<\/strong>, desde peque\u00f1a ha sido muy extrovertida<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(Mar\u00eda has never been an introvert, since she was a child she has been very outgoing.)<\/p>\n

36. Distinto<\/em> & Igual<\/em> \u2014 Different & Same<\/h2>\n

Cre\u00ed que estos vestidos eran distintos,<\/strong> pero me acabo de dar cuenta que son iguales<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(I thought these dresses were different, but I just realized that they are the same.)<\/p>\n

37. Valiente<\/em> & Cobarde<\/em> \u2014 Brave & Coward<\/h2>\n

Que nadie lo llame cobarde,<\/strong> es la persona m\u00e1s valiente<\/strong>\u00a0que conozco.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(No one should call him a coward, he’s the bravest person I know.)<\/p>\n

38. Barbudo<\/em> &\u00a0Lampi\u00f1o<\/em> \u2014 Bearded & Clean-shaven<\/h2>\n

Guillermo siempre ha sido barbudo<\/strong>, pero su hermano es lampi\u00f1o<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(Guillermo has always been bearded, but his brother is beardless.)<\/p>\n

39. Temprano<\/em> & Tarde<\/em> \u2014 Early & Late<\/h2>\n

Luca iba a despertarse temprano<\/strong> hoy, pero no son\u00f3 su alarma y se despert\u00f3 tarde<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(Luca was going to wake up early today, but his alarm didn’t go off and he woke up late.)<\/p>\n

40. Cercano<\/em> & Lejano<\/em> \u2014 Near & Far<\/h2>\n

En un futuro<\/em> cercano<\/em><\/strong>, a Juan le gustar\u00eda viajar a alg\u00fan lugar lejano<\/strong> para aprender un nuevo idioma<\/em>.
\n<\/em>(In the near future, Juan would like to travel to some faraway place to learn a new language.)<\/p>\n

Spanish Antonyms (Opposites) and Why You Should Study Them<\/h2>\n

Antonyms are words which have opposite meanings. <\/strong><\/p>\n

They’re also generally used to describe the same things: For example, you might describe someone using the antonyms “tall” or “short,” which are both used to describe height. Because of this,\u00a0it’s helpful to be able to remember both terms together.<\/p>\n

Studying antonym sets is a great way to learn vocabulary quickly by connecting related terms in your mind<\/strong>. They will help you start thinking in Spanish <\/strong>and\u00a0provide you with a more complex understanding of these words.<\/p>\n