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contrastar

kohn-trahs-TAHR/kontɾasˈtaɾ/

“contrastar” means “to contrast” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to contrast

Also: to stand out, to compare
VerbB1regular ar
A bright white circle placed directly next to a solid black circle on a neutral background.
gerundcontrastando
past Participlecontrastado
infinitivecontrastar

📝 In Action

Sus acciones contrastan con sus palabras.

B1

His actions contrast with his words.

Me gusta cómo contrasta el color blanco sobre el fondo oscuro.

A2

I like how the white color contrasts against the dark background.

Es interesante contrastar la cultura de España con la de México.

B2

It is interesting to contrast the culture of Spain with that of Mexico.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desentonar (to clash)
  • comparar (to compare)

Antonyms

  • armonizar (to harmonize)
  • asemejarse (to look alike)

Common Collocations

  • contrastar con – to contrast with
  • fuertemente contrastado – strongly contrasted

to verify

Also: to cross-check, to confirm
VerbB2regular arformal
A person holding two identical keys side by side to see if they match.
gerundcontrastando
past Participlecontrastado
infinitivecontrastar

📝 In Action

El periodista debe contrastar la noticia antes de publicarla.

B2

The journalist must verify the news story before publishing it.

Hemos contrastado los datos con tres fuentes distintas.

C1

We have cross-checked the data with three different sources.

Es vital contrastar los resultados del experimento.

B2

It is vital to confirm the results of the experiment.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • contrastar información – to verify information
  • contrastar fuentes – to cross-check sources

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescontrastaran
yocontrastara
túcontrastaras
vosotroscontrastarais
nosotroscontrastáramos
él/ella/ustedcontrastara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescontrasten
yocontraste
túcontrastes
vosotroscontrastéis
nosotroscontrastemos
él/ella/ustedcontraste

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedescontrastaron
yocontrasté
túcontrastaste
vosotroscontrastasteis
nosotroscontrastamos
él/ella/ustedcontrastó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescontrastaban
yocontrastaba
túcontrastabas
vosotroscontrastabais
nosotroscontrastábamos
él/ella/ustedcontrastaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescontrastan
yocontrasto
túcontrastas
vosotroscontrastáis
nosotroscontrastamos
él/ella/ustedcontrasta
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "contrastar" in Spanish:

to compare→to confirm→to contrast→to cross-check→to verify→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: contrastar

Question 1 of 3

If you want to check if a rumor is true by looking at a trusted website, you are...

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
contraste(contrast) — Noun
contrastado(verified / contrasted) — Adjective
contrastable(verifiable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'contra' (against) and 'stare' (to stand). It literally means 'to stand against' something to see the differences.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: contrastFrench: contrasterItalian: contrastare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'contrastar' only for colors?

No, while it is common in art, it is also used for comparing ideas, personalities, and verifying facts in news or research.

What is the difference between 'comparar' and 'contrastar'?

'Comparar' is a general term for looking at similarities and differences. 'Contrastar' specifically emphasizes finding the differences or verifying something against a standard.

Is 'contrastar' formal?

It can be neutral in everyday speech (like talking about decor), but it is very common and expected in formal writing and journalism.