diferente o distinto - which should I use?

Question

Are 'diferente' and 'distinto' used exactly the same way? Is there some subtle difference in meaning? Or doesn't it matter which one I use?

(And, yes, I did do a search... and found a previous question.. but I didn't really get the answer I was looking for)

Sorry Gilly, I think I just added to your confusion. Thumbs up for a question I thought was easy but realize isn't. - rabbitwho, Jan 21, 2012

diferente = different from one or more known items; distinto = different from all items of a different type. Red is different from green and yellow; Red is a distinct wavelength in the color spectrum. - rongarza, Aug 6, 2012

Answer 1

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2102167

My understanding is that you say "different/differente" in Spanish when you mean something like "various".

I saw lots of different hotels. (The hotels might all have been similar, I saw various hotels)

Vi muchos hoteles diferentes.

I saw lots of distinctive hotels. (I am saying that the hotels were different from each other, I saw a variety of hotels)

Vi muchos hoteles distintos.

Edit: Seeing Gringos answer, it's possible I have this backwards. But this is the root of the difference, the thing is, which word is which...

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1452233 word reference consensus is they are the same. - rabbitwho, Jan 21, 2012

rabbit, with the spanish root words, it would make sense to me the way you explained the subtle differences. - Gillygaloo, Jan 24, 2012

Answer 2

Apples and oranges are different. Manzanas y naranjas son diferentes.

Red and green apples are distinct types of apples. Mananzas rojas y verdes son distinto tipos de manzanas.

Edit: I think of distinto as diferentiating between similar items or situations. While diferente is more general.

Heh, well that's the exact oposite of what I thought! - rabbitwho, Jan 21, 2012

Heck I may be wrong but this is how I have always thought about the two words. - gringojrf, Jan 21, 2012

diferenteS :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 21, 2012

Three comments an not a lousy vote from anybody. i'll give you one. Brilliant! - Jubilado, Jan 21, 2012

Thanks Jubilado. - gringojrf, Jan 21, 2012

Answer 3

They seem pretty interchangeable. From RAE

diferente. (Del lat. diff?rens, -entis). 1. adj. Diverso, distinto. 2. adv. m. diferentemente.

.

distinto1, ta. (Del lat. distinctus, part. pas. de distingu?re, distinguir). 1. adj. Que no es lo mismo, que tiene realidad o existencia diferente de aquello otro de que se trata. 2. adj. Que no es parecido, que tiene diferentes cualidades. 3. adj. Inteligible, claro, sin confusión.

There have been times when I have used one and people have corrected me and told me to use the other, but it seems that this is the truth, they are the same. Confusing. - rabbitwho, Jan 22, 2012

Answer 4

Here's my take, they are mostly similar but can have different nuances. For the most part you can see them as the same, but look at something like this:

If heard: Dos personas diferentes. I'd think: Not the same person.

If heard: Dos personas distintas. I'd think: They are not like each other, different personality etc...

Good example Jeezzle. - gringojrf, Jan 21, 2012