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simpatía

seem-pah-TEE-ah/simpaˈti.a/

friendliness

Also: charm, likability
NounfA2
Two people sitting on a park bench, smiling warmly at each other and sharing a bowl of fruit.

📝 In Action

Ella tiene mucha simpatía y siempre está sonriendo.

A1

She is very friendly and is always smiling.

Me ganó su simpatía desde el primer momento.

B1

Her charm won me over from the first moment.

La simpatía es fundamental para trabajar en atención al cliente.

B2

Friendliness is essential for working in customer service.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • antipatía (unfriendliness)
  • rudeza (rudeness)

Common Collocations

  • despertar simpatía – to inspire/arouse friendliness
  • tener simpatía – to be charming/friendly
  • derrochar simpatía – to radiate friendliness

affinity

Also: sympathy
NounfB2
A group of diverse people all wearing the same bright blue scarf and looking in the same direction with happy expressions.

📝 In Action

Siento una gran simpatía por los movimientos ecologistas.

B2

I feel a great affinity for environmental movements.

Hay una simpatía mutua entre ambos países.

C1

There is a mutual affinity between both countries.

Nunca ocultó su simpatía por el partido socialista.

C1

He never hid his support for the socialist party.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • afinidad (affinity)
  • apego (attachment)

Antonyms

  • rechazo (rejection)
  • aversión (aversion)

Common Collocations

  • sentir simpatía por – to feel an affinity for
  • simpatía política – political leanings/support

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "simpatía" in Spanish:

likability→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: simpatía

Question 1 of 3

If you want to say your new neighbor is very charming and easy to like, you would say he has...

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
simpático(nice/charming) — Adjective
simpatizar(to hit it off / to sympathize with a cause) — Verb
antipatía(dislike/unfriendliness) — Noun
simpáticamente(pleasantly) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
alegríatíadía
📚 Etymology▼

From the Greek 'sympatheia', which combined 'syn' (together) and 'pathos' (feeling). It originally meant 'feeling together' or 'harmony.'

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: sympathieItalian: simpatiaEnglish: sympathy

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'simpatía' a false friend?

Yes, partially! In English, 'sympathy' usually means feeling sorry for someone. In Spanish, 'simpatía' mostly means friendliness or charm.

How do I describe a nice person?

You can say 'Es una persona con mucha simpatía' or use the adjective 'Es muy simpático/a.'

What is the opposite of 'simpatía'?

The opposite is 'antipatía,' which is the feeling of dislike or being unfriendly.