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How to Say "conflicting" in Spanish

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opuesto

oh-PWEH-stoh/oˈpwesto/

adjectiveB1general
Use 'opuesto' when describing opinions, ideas, or interests that are directly contrary or in opposition to each other.
A happy sun and a grumpy rain cloud side by side.

Examples

Tienen opiniones opuestas sobre la película.

They have opposite (conflicting) opinions about the movie.

El blanco y el negro son colores opuestos.

Black and white are opposite colors.

Describing Ideas

When 'opuesto' describes an idea, it usually comes after the noun, like 'ideas opuestas'.

encontrado

/en-kon-TRA-do//en.konˈtɾa.ðo/

adjectiveB1general
Use 'encontrado' when referring to something that has been discovered or found, implying a state of being discovered rather than a clash of ideas. Note: This is less common for the abstract sense of 'conflicting' as in 'conflicting opinions'.
A stylized human figure whose body is split down the middle, with one half colored bright red (joy) and the other half colored deep blue (sadness), illustrating conflicting emotions.

Examples

El perro encontrado en el parque ya está con su familia.

The found dog in the park is already with its family.

Tengo sentimientos encontrados sobre irme a vivir a otro país.

I have mixed feelings about going to live in another country.

Tenemos opiniones encontradas sobre ese tema.

We have conflicting opinions on that topic.

A Describing Word That Changes

When 'encontrado' is used to describe something, it has to match the thing it's describing. It changes for masculine/feminine and singular/plural: el objeto encontrado (the found object), la carta encontrada (the found letter), los tesoros encontrados (the found treasures).

Confusing 'opuesto' with 'encontrado'

Learners often confuse 'opuesto' and 'encontrado' because 'encontrado' can mean 'found'. However, for conflicting opinions or interests, 'opuesto' is the correct choice. 'Encontrado' is typically used for something that has been discovered or located.

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