In this topic we are going to learn different ways to give Opinion in Spanish.
Giving opinion in Spanish and understanding how someone else is expressing their opinion is a very useful skill. So let’s see some handy verbs and sentence structures!
Ways to express our Opinion in Spanish
Here you are going to learn some of the most common and useful structures.
We are going to practice these new structures with the modal verbs Tener que (To have to), Deber (Must), and Hay que (One has to) we learned in recent topics.
Creer: To believe
The first structure is with the verb Creer which translates to To believe, in English.
So, if we wish to say ‘I believe that…’ we will say: (Yo) Creo que…
For example:
- Creo que todos debemos reciclar más: I believe that we must all recyle more
- Creo que tienes que estudiar si quieres aprobar el examen: I believe that you have to study if you want to pass the exam
- Creo que hay que relajarse y disfrutar la vida: I believe that one has to relax and enjoy life
Let’s also see some example questions with Creer:
- ¿Tú qué crees?: What do you believe?
- ¿Tu padre cree en Dios?: Does your father believe in God?
- ¿De verdad creen que está bien echar aceite por el fregadero?: Do they really believe it’s ok to pour oil down the sink?
Pensar: To think
The second structure is with the verb Pensar which translates to To think, in English.
So, if we wish to say ‘I think that…’ we will say: (Yo) Pienso que…
For example:
- Pienso que el gobierno debe considerar una semana laboral de cuatro días: I think that the government must consider a four day working week
- Pienso que Miguel tiene que entrenar más duro para ser mejor futbolista: I think that Miguel has to train harder to be a better footballer
- Pienso que hay que pensar menos: I think that one has to think less
Let’s also see some example questions with Pensar:
- ¿Qué piensa tu madre de eso?: What does your mother think about that?
- ¿Quién piensa que es buena idea aumentar la edad de jubilación?: Who thinks it’s a good idea to increase the retirement age?
- ¿Pensáis que es buena idea aumentar la edad para votar? Do you think it’s a good idea to increase the voting age?
More ways to give opinion in Spanish
Parecer: To think
The third structure is with the verb Parecer which also translates to To think, in English.
So, if we wish to use Parecer to say ‘I think that…’ we will say: (A mí) Me parece que…
For example:
- A mí me parece que los vehículos eléctricos deben ser mucho más baratos: I think that electric vehicles must be much cheaper
- A mí me parece que el gobierno tiene que mejorar el transporte público: I think that the government has to improve public transport
- A mí me parece que hay que dormir más de ocho horas al día: I think that one has to sleep more than eight hours a day
Let’s also see some example questions with Parecer:
- ¿Qué te parece?: What do you think?
- ¿Te parece bien eso?: Do you think that’s ok?
- ¿Qué le parece a tu padre?: What does your father think?
Para mí…: For me…
Another way to express opinion in Spanish is by using Para mí… which translates to For me…, in English.
Let’s look at some example sentences showing how to give opinion in Spanish with Para mí…:
- Para mí en el sur de España hace demasiado calor: For me in the south of Spain it is too hot
- Para mí en el norte de España llueve demasiado: For me in the north of Spain it rains too much
- Para mí la comida india es demasiado picante: For me Indian food is too spicy
En mi opinión…: In my opinion…
A final way to express opinion in Spanish is by using En mi opinión… which translates to In my opinion…, in English.
Let’s look at some example sentences showing how to give opinion in Spanish with En mi opinión…:
- En mi opinión, el plástico es el peor invento de la historia: In my opinion plastic is the worst ever invention
- En mi opinión, las redes sociales deben estar prohibidas: In my opinion social media must be banned
- En mi opinión, hay que viajar en avión una vez al año como máximo: In my opinion one has to travel by aeroplane, at most, once a year
Now time to practice giving opinion in Spanish!
Practice really does make perfect when learning a second langugae.
We recommend you practice using these different structures to express your opinion in Spanish by writing lots of your own invented sentences and also, of course, by getting involved with as many conversations as you can!
