↔️ English Opposites

⏱ 12 min read

In this section you'll learn common English opposite words and how to use them naturally to describe people, places, objects, weather, and everyday situations. Each English word includes a simple meaning plus translations in several languages.

🟢 Essential Opposite Pairs

⬆️ Big ↔ Small
big = large; small = not large
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Grande ↔ Pequeño / Pequeña
🇫🇷 French: Grand / Grande ↔ Petit / Petite
🇩🇪 German: Groß ↔ Klein
🇮🇹 Italian: Grande ↔ Piccolo / Piccola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Grande ↔ Pequeno / Pequena
😊 Good ↔ Bad
good = nice or right; bad = not good
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Bueno / Buena ↔ Malo / Mala
🇫🇷 French: Bon / Bonne ↔ Mauvais / Mauvaise
🇩🇪 German: Gut ↔ Schlecht
🇮🇹 Italian: Buono / Buona ↔ Cattivo / Cattiva
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bom / Boa ↔ Mau / Má
😄 Happy ↔ Sad
happy = feeling good; sad = feeling unhappy
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Feliz ↔ Triste
🇫🇷 French: Heureux / Heureuse ↔ Triste
🇩🇪 German: Glücklich ↔ Traurig
🇮🇹 Italian: Felice ↔ Triste
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Feliz ↔ Triste
⚡ Fast ↔ Slow
fast = moving quickly; slow = not fast
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Rápido / Rápida ↔ Lento / Lenta
🇫🇷 French: Rapide ↔ Lent / Lente
🇩🇪 German: Schnell ↔ Langsam
🇮🇹 Italian: Veloce ↔ Lento / Lenta
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Rápido / Rápida ↔ Lento / Lenta
📚 Easy ↔ Difficult
easy = not hard; difficult = hard to do
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Fácil ↔ Difícil
🇫🇷 French: Facile ↔ Difficile
🇩🇪 German: Einfach ↔ Schwierig
🇮🇹 Italian: Facile ↔ Difficile
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fácil ↔ Difícil
💪 Strong ↔ Weak
strong = has a lot of power; weak = not strong
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Fuerte ↔ Débil
🇫🇷 French: Fort / Forte ↔ Faible
🇩🇪 German: Stark ↔ Schwach
🇮🇹 Italian: Forte ↔ Debole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Forte ↔ Fraco / Fraca

🟡 More Common Opposite Pairs

📏 Long ↔ Short
long = from one end to the other is far; short = not long
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Largo / Larga ↔ Corto / Corta
🇫🇷 French: Long / Longue ↔ Court / Courte
🇩🇪 German: Lang ↔ Kurz
🇮🇹 Italian: Lungo / Lunga ↔ Corto / Corta
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Longo / Longa ↔ Curto / Curta
🆕 New ↔ Old
new = made or started a short time ago; old = from a long time ago
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Nuevo / Nueva ↔ Viejo / Vieja
🇫🇷 French: Nouveau / Nouvelle ↔ Vieux / Vieille
🇩🇪 German: Neu ↔ Alt
🇮🇹 Italian: Nuovo / Nuova ↔ Vecchio / Vecchia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Novo / Nova ↔ Velho / Velha
⬆️ Tall / High ↔ Short / Low
tall/high = up a long way; short/low = not tall
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Alto / Alta ↔ Bajo / Baja
🇫🇷 French: Grand / Haut ↔ Petit / Bas
🇩🇪 German: Hoch ↔ Niedrig
🇮🇹 Italian: Alto / Alta ↔ Basso / Bassa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Alto / Alta ↔ Baixo / Baixa
🔓 Open ↔ Closed
open = not shut; closed = shut
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Abierto / Abierta ↔ Cerrado / Cerrada
🇫🇷 French: Ouvert / Ouverte ↔ Fermé / Fermée
🇩🇪 German: Offen ↔ Geschlossen
🇮🇹 Italian: Aperto / Aperta ↔ Chiuso / Chiusa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aberto / Aberta ↔ Fechado / Fechada
✨ Clean ↔ Dirty
clean = not dirty; dirty = has dirt or marks
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Limpio / Limpia ↔ Sucio / Sucia
🇫🇷 French: Propre ↔ Sale
🇩🇪 German: Sauber ↔ Schmutzig
🇮🇹 Italian: Pulito / Pulita ↔ Sporco / Sporca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Limpo / Limpa ↔ Sujo / Suja
📍 Near ↔ Far
near = close; far = a long way away
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cerca ↔ Lejos
🇫🇷 French: Près ↔ Loin
🇩🇪 German: Nah ↔ Weit
🇮🇹 Italian: Vicino ↔ Lontano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Perto ↔ Longe

🔵 Describing People & Things

🏠 The house is big, but the apartment is small.
the house is large; the apartment is not large
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La casa es grande, pero el apartamento es pequeño.
🇫🇷 French: La maison est grande, mais l'appartement est petit.
🇩🇪 German: Das Haus ist groß, aber die Wohnung ist klein.
🇮🇹 Italian: La casa è grande, ma l'appartamento è piccolo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A casa é grande, mas o apartamento é pequeno.
📚 This exercise is easy, but the next one is difficult.
this task is not hard; the next task is hard
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Este ejercicio es fácil, pero el siguiente es difícil.
🇫🇷 French: Cet exercice est facile, mais le suivant est difficile.
🇩🇪 German: Diese Übung ist einfach, aber die nächste ist schwierig.
🇮🇹 Italian: Questo esercizio è facile, ma il prossimo è difficile.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Este exercício é fácil, mas o próximo é difícil.
🐕 This dog is strong, and that one is weak.
this dog has a lot of power; that dog does not
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Este perro es fuerte y aquel es débil.
🇫🇷 French: Ce chien est fort et celui-là est faible.
🇩🇪 German: Dieser Hund ist stark und der dort ist schwach.
🇮🇹 Italian: Questo cane è forte e quello è debole.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Este cachorro é forte e aquele é fraco.
🚗 My car is old, but yours is new.
my car is not new; your car is new
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Mi coche es viejo, pero el tuyo es nuevo.
🇫🇷 French: Ma voiture est vieille, mais la tienne est neuve.
🇩🇪 German: Mein Auto ist alt, aber deins ist neu.
🇮🇹 Italian: La mia macchina è vecchia, ma la tua è nuova.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Meu carro é velho, mas o seu é novo.

🌡️ Talking About Temperature

☀️ It's hot.
the weather is very warm
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Hace calor.
🇫🇷 French: Il fait chaud.
🇩🇪 German: Es ist heiß.
🇮🇹 Italian: Fa caldo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Está calor.
❄️ It's cold.
the weather is not warm
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Hace frío.
🇫🇷 French: Il fait froid.
🇩🇪 German: Es ist kalt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Fa freddo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Está frio.
☕ The coffee is hot.
the coffee has a high temperature
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El café está caliente.
🇫🇷 French: Le café est chaud.
🇩🇪 German: Der Kaffee ist heiß.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il caffè è caldo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O café está quente.
🥤 The drink is cold.
the drink is not warm
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La bebida está fría.
🇫🇷 French: La boisson est froide.
🇩🇪 German: Das Getränk ist kalt.
🇮🇹 Italian: La bevanda è fredda.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A bebida está fria.

🧠 Useful Language Tip

English adjectives never change for gender or number. The adjective stays the same whether the noun is singular, plural, masculine, or feminine.

The small car
The small house
The small houses
In English, adjectives usually come before the noun.

A strong dog
A strong woman

Beginner Tip: Unlike Spanish, English adjectives do not change form. The word strong is the same for everyone and everything.

💬 Everyday Conversations

Shopping
asking if a shirt is large or not
A: Is the T-shirt big?
B: No, it's quite small.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Es grande la camiseta?
🇪🇸 B: No, es bastante pequeña.

🇫🇷 A: Le T-shirt est-il grand ?
🇫🇷 B: Non, il est assez petit.

🇩🇪 A: Ist das T-Shirt groß?
🇩🇪 B: Nein, es ist ziemlich klein.

🇮🇹 A: La maglietta è grande?
🇮🇹 B: No, è piuttosto piccola.

🇵🇹 A: A camiseta é grande?
🇵🇹 B: Não, é bem pequena.
School
asking if a test is hard
A: Is the exam difficult?
B: No, it's quite easy.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Es difícil el examen?
🇪🇸 B: No, es bastante fácil.

🇫🇷 A: L'examen est-il difficile ?
🇫🇷 B: Non, il est assez facile.

🇩🇪 A: Ist die Prüfung schwierig?
🇩🇪 B: Nein, sie ist ziemlich einfach.

🇮🇹 A: L'esame è difficile?
🇮🇹 B: No, è abbastanza facile.

🇵🇹 A: A prova é difícil?
🇵🇹 B: Não, é bem fácil.
Weather
asking if it is cold outside
A: Is it cold outside?
B: No, it's very hot.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Hace frío afuera?
🇪🇸 B: No, hace mucho calor.

🇫🇷 A: Fait-il froid dehors ?
🇫🇷 B: Non, il fait très chaud.

🇩🇪 A: Ist es draußen kalt?
🇩🇪 B: Nein, es ist sehr heiß.

🇮🇹 A: Fa freddo fuori?
🇮🇹 B: No, fa molto caldo.

🇵🇹 A: Está frio lá fora?
🇵🇹 B: Não, está muito quente.

📝 Example Sentences

🚗 This car is fast, but that one is slow.
this car moves quickly; that car does not
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Este coche es rápido, pero aquel es lento.
🇫🇷 French: Cette voiture est rapide, mais celle-là est lente.
🇩🇪 German: Dieses Auto ist schnell, aber das dort ist langsam.
🇮🇹 Italian: Questa macchina è veloce, ma quella è lenta.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Este carro é rápido, mas aquele é lento.
🚪 The door is open, but the window is closed.
the door is not shut; the window is shut
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La puerta está abierta, pero la ventana está cerrada.
🇫🇷 French: La porte est ouverte, mais la fenêtre est fermée.
🇩🇪 German: Die Tür ist offen, aber das Fenster ist geschlossen.
🇮🇹 Italian: La porta è aperta, ma la finestra è chiusa.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A porta está aberta, mas a janela está fechada.
🏨 The hotel is nearby, but the airport is far away.
the hotel is close; the airport is a long way away
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El hotel está cerca, pero el aeropuerto está lejos.
🇫🇷 French: L'hôtel est proche, mais l'aéroport est loin.
🇩🇪 German: Das Hotel ist in der Nähe, aber der Flughafen ist weit weg.
🇮🇹 Italian: L'hotel è vicino, ma l'aeroporto è lontano.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O hotel fica perto, mas o aeroporto fica longe.
🧹 The kitchen is clean, but the garage is dirty.
the kitchen is not dirty; the garage has dirt
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La cocina está limpia, pero el garaje está sucio.
🇫🇷 French: La cuisine est propre, mais le garage est sale.
🇩🇪 German: Die Küche ist sauber, aber die Garage ist schmutzig.
🇮🇹 Italian: La cucina è pulita, ma il garage è sporco.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A cozinha está limpa, mas a garagem está suja.
😊 Today I'm happy, but yesterday I was sad.
I feel good today; yesterday I did not
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Hoy estoy feliz, pero ayer estaba triste.
🇫🇷 French: Aujourd'hui je suis heureux, mais hier j'étais triste.
🇩🇪 German: Heute bin ich glücklich, aber gestern war ich traurig.
🇮🇹 Italian: Oggi sono felice, ma ieri ero triste.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Hoje estou feliz, mas ontem estava triste.
📏 This street is long, and that one is short.
this street goes a long way; that street does not
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Esta calle es larga y aquella es corta.
🇫🇷 French: Cette rue est longue et celle-là est courte.
🇩🇪 German: Diese Straße ist lang und jene ist kurz.
🇮🇹 Italian: Questa strada è lunga e quella è corta.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Esta rua é longa e aquela é curta.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the word that fits.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%