Expressing disagreement in Spanish
I bought the book "Advanced Spanish Grammar" by McGraw Hill a couple months ago and I learned about a way of expressing disagreement with something that was said previously that I hadn't seen before, so I thought I would share it. The book is completely in Spanish. The sentences below are taken verbatim from the book. The English translations are mine.
Para mostrar desacuerdo con una información anterior:
To show disagreement with some previous information:
¿Cómo que + información anterior? o
¿Cómo que + presente de indicativo ir + a + infinitivo + información anterior?
Ejemplos:
Rocio ayuda mucho. ¿Cómo que ayuda mucho? Si no está nunca en casa.
Rocio helps a lot. What (the H) do you mean she helps a lot? She's never even home!
Espero que me den el puesto. ¿Cómo te van a dar el puesto? Si no has acabado la carrera.
I hope they give me the job. How are they going to give you the job? You haven't even finished your degree.
No sé dónde vive María. ¿Cómo que no vas a saberlo? Si es muy amiga tuya.
I don't know where Maria lives. How are you not going to know that? She's your best friend!
No creo que Eva me invite a su boda. ¿Cómo que no te va a invitar? Os conocéis hace años.
I don't think Eva will invite me to her wedding. How is she not going to invite you? You've known each other for years.
Anyway, I think you get the drift, you just say ¿Cómo que? and then repeat the prior information (somewhat indignantly
taking care to revise the pronouns and verb conjugations if necessary, and then follow up with some contrary statement.
3 Answers
I would be interested in seeing some other ways of expressing disagreement. I'll start the ball rolling with a few that I know.
No es cierto. (Yo) creo que...
No es la verdad. Pienso que...
No te creo. No me digas más mentiras.
¡Qué tonto! No me hables más por hoy.
Here's some more from a Spanish teacher on the web. You can listen and watch her in a video giving this lesson by following the link.
• Estoy de acuerdo: I agree
• OK/Vale: OK
• ¡Claro que sí!: Of course!
• ¡Muy bien dicho!: Well said!
• En efecto: Indeed
• Por supuesto: Of course
• Estoy a favor: I am in favour
• Evidentemente: Evidently
• Lógico: Logically
• Es indudable: There is no doubt about it
• Es obvio: It’s obvious
• Soy de la misma opinión: I am of the same opinion
To express partial agreement:
• No estoy de acuerdo al cien por cien: I don’t completely agree
• No lo veo muy claro: I am not very sure
• No es que lo vea mal, pero…: It’s not that I think it’s terrible, but…
• Puede ser, pero…: It could be, but….
To disagree:
• No estoy de acuerdo: I disagree
• No lo veo bien: I don’t think it’s right
• Eso no tiene sentido: This doesn’t make sense
• Yo en eso discrepo: I disagree with that
Let´s see now some colloquial ways to say no or disagree in Spanish:
To say no:
• ¡Jamás de los jamases!: Never ever!
• ¡Nunca en la vida!: Never in my lifetime!
• ¡Anda ya!: Get away! / What are you talking about!
• ¡Ni de coña/broma!: No way!
• ¡Ni lo sueñes!: Don’t even dream/think about it!
To disagree:
• ¡Estás mal de la cabeza!: You’re crazy!
• ¿Y eso, de dónde lo has sacado?: Where did you hear that?
• ¡Deja de decir chorradas!: Stop talking rubbish/trash!
• ¡Esto no tiene ni pies ni cabeza!: That doesn’t make sense!
• ¡No me vengas con historias!: Don’t give me that rubbish/trash!
• ¡No digas tonterías!: Don’t talk rubbish/trash!
• ¡Tú estás loco/a!: You’re crazy!
• ¡Que te crees tú eso!: Even you can’t believe that!
• Pero, ¿qué dices?: But, what are you saying?
• ¡No sabes lo que dices!: You don’t know what you’re talking about!
Don't use this in a Spanish class. It's slang, but you might hear it in a conversation with someone who is a native speaker. ¡A huevo! It means of course, or absolutely. Just in case you ever hear it. Again: whatever you do, don't use it in an essay!
