In any language, expressing whether we agree or disagree with someone else’s opinion is essential for clear communication. In Spanish, moreover, we have a rich variety of expressions that vary depending on the context: it’s not the same to chat with a friend as to speak in a work meeting or write a formal email.
In this MaestroMío article, we’ll explore how to express agreement and disagreement in both colloquial and formal registers, with practical examples and cultural nuances.
Why is it important to choose the correct register?
The linguistic register is the level of formality we use when speaking or writing.
Choosing the wrong register can lead to misunderstandings or give an inappropriate impression.
For example, in a Spanish oral exam, saying “¡Ni de coña!” (No way!) to show disagreement might sound too rude for an academic context.
In general:
Colloquial level: for friends, family, social media, informal conversations.
Formal level: for interviews, professional emails, presentations, academic debates.
Expressing agreement
a) Colloquial register
In relaxed situations, people tend to use short, direct phrases, sometimes with enthusiasm:
- ¡Claro! / ¡Por supuesto! (Of course!)
- Totalmente / Completamente de acuerdo. (Totally / Completely agree.)
- Sí, tienes razón. (Yes, you’re right.)
- Tal cual. (Exactly. — very common in Spain)
- De una. (Absolutely. — more common in Latin America)
- ¡Obvio! (Obviously!)
- ¡Exacto! (Exactly!)
- Eso mismo. (That’s right. / Exactly that.)
- ¡Ya te digo! (coloquial en España) (You bet! / Tell me about it!)
- ¡Sin duda! (Without a doubt! / No doubt!)
Example:
— Creo que deberíamos ir más temprano.
— Sí, tienes razón, así evitamos el tráfico.
b) Formal register
In more careful contexts, agreement is usually expressed with full sentences and a more neutral tone:
- Estoy de acuerdo con su planteamiento. (I agree with your approach.)
- Comparto su opinión. (I share your opinion.)
- Coincido plenamente con lo que expone. (I fully agree with what you state.)
- Considero acertada su propuesta. (I consider your proposal appropriate.)
- Me parece una idea muy razonable. (That seems like a very reasonable idea.)
- Suscribo lo que acaba de señalar. (I agree with what you just pointed out.)
- Apoyo su argumento. (I support your argument.)
- Estoy conforme con esa decisión. (I agree with that decision.)
- No tengo objeciones al respecto. (I have no objections regarding this.)
Example:
— La implementación gradual del plan beneficiará a todos los departamentos.
— Coincido plenamente con su análisis.
Expressing disagreement
a) Colloquial register
Informal disagreement tends to be brief and direct, sometimes with humor or emphasis:
- No lo veo así. (I don’t see it that way.)
- No creo. (I don’t think so.)
- Para nada. (Not at all.)
- Ni hablar / Ni de broma. (No way / No chance.)
- Estás equivocado/a. (You’re wrong. — be careful: it can sound strong depending on tone.)
- Qué va. (muy usado en España) → (No way. / Not at all.)
- ¡Anda ya! (informal, incrédulo) → (Come on! / Yeah, right!)
- Ni loco/a. → (No way in hell. / Not a chance.)
- No me convence. → (I’m not convinced. / It doesn’t convince me.)
- Eso sí que no. → (Absolutely not. / No way.)
Example:
— La pizza con piña es la mejor.
— Ni hablar, eso es un sacrilegio.
b) Formal register
In professional or academic settings, it’s important to soften disagreement to maintain politeness:
- No comparto del todo su punto de vista. (I don’t fully share your point of view.)
- Discrepo en ese aspecto. (I disagree in that aspect.)
- Entiendo su posición, pero difiero en las conclusiones. (I understand your position, but I differ in the conclusions.)
- Me permito señalar una opinión distinta. (Allow me to point out a different opinion.)
- Con el debido respeto, no coincido en este planteamiento. → (With all due respect, I do not agree with this approach.)
- No lo veo de la misma manera. → (I don’t see it the same way.)
- Permítame disentir. → (Allow me to disagree.)
- Tengo algunas reservas respecto a esa propuesta. → (I have some reservations regarding this proposal.)
- En mi opinión, habría que reconsiderar este punto. → (In my opinion, this point should be reconsidered.)
Example:
— Creo que deberíamos reducir el presupuesto en formación.
— Entiendo su planteamiento, pero discrepo: la capacitación es una inversión clave.
Strategies to soften disagreement
In Spanish, especially in formal contexts, people often soften the forcefulness of disagreement to avoid conflict. Some strategies are:
- Introduce your opinion with prior acknowledgment:
“Comprendo su punto, aunque yo lo enfocaría de otra manera…”
( “I understand your point, although I would approach it differently…”) - Use adverbs to reduce certainty:
“No estoy totalmente de acuerdo” rather than “No estoy de acuerdo”.
(“I’m not completely sure I agree” instead of “I disagree.”) - Pose questions instead of making statements:
“¿Y si lo consideramos desde otra perspectiva?”
( “What if we consider it from another perspective?”)
Final tips
- Adapt your tone to the context and the person you’re talking to.
- Listen before responding: in Spanish, interrupting can be seen as disrespectful.
- Pay attention to intonation: the same phrase can sound polite or aggressive depending on how it’s said.
- Remember that culture matters: in some Spanish-speaking countries, direct disagreement is avoided more than in others.
