contento o feliz

Question

When looking at the lessons I notice that

Estamos contento = We are happy

Y

Estoy feliz = I am happy

Could they be "Estamos feliz y Estoy contento" or are there certian rules'

Answer 1

In a broad sense, they are synonyms, but they are not identical. I'd say that "feliz" refers more to a general happy feeling that "feels your heart" and takes you to wonderland, whereas "contento" is is due to some specific reason or event that cheer you up, pleases you, makes your day,...

Fueron felices y comieron perdices = They lived happily ever after.

By the way, it is "Estoy contento de". This "de" is not optional, no matter what follows.

I thought you were back but I see this was a July answer. Still helpful. - katydew, ENE 14, 2012

Answer 2

¡Gracias amigos y personas!

I can study that now!

Answer 3

estoy felíz porque me gané la lotería..(seguirá estando felíz por mucho tiempo).

Supuestamente ... pero yo he conocido muchos ejemplos al contrario. El dinero no le hace a uno feliz. Es por eso que muchas personas ricas (en dinero) se suicidan, desilusionadas de esa esperanza falsa y engañadora.

Pero, bueno, eso no fue tu punto; ya entendí tu punto. Gracias por explicarnos eso, vag.

Answer 4

contento y felíz son sinónimos. y se pueden usar con todos los pronombres. yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, ustedes, ello o ellas.

La única diferencia es que contento es más pasajero. por ejemplo:

estoy contento por mi nuevo trabajo. (pero al siguiente día ya no puedes estarlo).

y felíz es mas duradero. por ejemplo:

estoy felíz porque me gané la lotería..(seguirá estando felíz por mucho tiempo).

Answer 5

where are the lessons

Try the menu button on the upper left of your screen, right above the word "Forum" or "Forums" (I don't know which, because my screen is set on Spanish). I think on your English screen it says "Learn Spanish."

Or there is a button on the upper right, just to the right of your Private Messages box and under the word "Dictionary" that says "Free Spanish Lessons." They both should take you to the same place.

Welcome to SpanishDict.com! Have fun with the lessons, and if you have any questions, come back to the forum to post them here.

Answer 6

where are the lessons

Answer 7

OK, great. Those "sounded" right to me (with con), but as I am seeing more and more since joining these forums, many times what I have learned by observing is incorrect.

Answer 8

So my other example should have been "Estoy contento de mi trabajo", right?

He is not happy with you = (ÿl) No está contento de ti. Correct?

Now I regret what I just said. Unless there is a subordinate, you say:

Estoy contento con mi trabajo.
No está contento contigo.

I need to research into this to give you a satisfying reason for this seemingly unusual behaviour. All I can say is that you cannot attach a noun after "contento" without a preposition. For subordinates, "de" seems to be the right one, but with plain nouns, "con" appears to be the right one most of the time.

Answer 9

By the way, it is "Estoy contento de". This "de" is not optional, no matter what follows.

Thank you for pointing that out. These are "little" errors that no native I know will correct me on. I'm glad you take the time to do that. Forgive my queísmo.

So my other example should have been "Estoy contento de mi trabajo", right?

He is not happy with you = (ÿl) No está contento de ti. Correct'

Answer 10

I'm not sure, Eric, but my impression is that "feliz" refers to our state (in general). We are happy. "Contento" can be used this way as well, but I think it is not quite as strong a term, meaning more content/satisfied.

But if I want to say that I am "happy" about a certain thing, I would say, "Estoy contento con ... (el trabajo, for example)" or, "Estoy contento que ...". I don't know that I have ever heard "feliz" in this context.

I hope some native speakers will enlighten us further.

Also, I think you were asking if either one can be used with "yo" or "nosotros". The answer is yes, both can be used with any subjective case pronoun (yo, tú, él, nosotros, etc.)

Good question, Eric!

Answer 11

When looking at the lessons I notice that

Estamos contento = We are happy

Y

Estoy feliz = I am happy

Could they be "Estamos feliz y Estoy contento" or are there certian rules?

I truly don't see why it couldn't happen. I guess think of it as: Can I be happy/content? or Can we be happy as a group? Again, I am not an expert and the true experts will weigh in on this soon enough. Good luck and I can't wait to see what they say.

Answer 12

Estoy contento, estoy contenido, estoy satisfecho, estoy creciendo, no tengo todo lo que deseo pero poco a poco lo estoy logrando, por eso estoy contento... Estas frases denotan madurez y autocontrol... son un tipo de felicidad, pero menos eufórica, que estar feliz.... feliz es el clímax de estar contento.... cuando uno esta contento o satisfecho, uno trabaja y vive de una forma mas creativa y esto produce éxitos crecientes, que nos dan felicidad... la constitución de US dice que uno tiene el derecho de perseguir la felicidad, pero estar contento es un estado continuo que no se persigue, sino que se elige, cuando se alcanza algún nivel de madurez, esto produce actos correctos, que producen resultados positivos que nos hacen felices... espero que sea de ayudad.