contra
“contra” means “against” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
against, versus
Also: into / against, for
📝 In Action
Estoy en contra de esa idea.
A2I am against that idea.
El partido de hoy es Argentina contra Brasil.
A2Today's match is Argentina versus Brazil.
El coche chocó contra un árbol.
B1The car crashed into a tree.
Te cambio mi manzana contra tu naranja.
B2I'll trade you my apple for your orange.
con
Also: disadvantage, drawback
📝 In Action
Antes de decidir, debemos analizar los pros y los contras.
B1Before deciding, we must analyze the pros and cons.
El único contra de este plan es el costo.
B2The only drawback of this plan is the cost.
against
📝 In Action
¿Estás a favor o en contra?
B1Are you for or against it?
Todos los miembros del comité votaron en contra.
B2All the committee members voted against.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: contra
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'contra' to mean a disadvantage or a 'con'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word `contrā`, which means 'against' or 'opposite'. It has kept its core meaning for thousands of years, making it a very stable and ancient word in the language.
First recorded: Before the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between `contra`, `en contra`, and `en contra de`?
Great question! `contra` is the simple preposition: 'Argentina contra Brasil'. `en contra` is an adverbial phrase meaning 'against': 'Votaron en contra'. `en contra de` is a more complex preposition used to state an opinion against something: 'Estoy en contra de la contaminación' (I'm against pollution).