How to Say "to oppose" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to oppose” is “oponer” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El equipo decidió oponer una fuerte resistencia al ataque.
The team decided to put up a strong resistance to the attack.
Muchos ciudadanos se oponen a la nueva ley de impuestos.
Many citizens are against the new tax law.
No puedes oponer tus deseos a las necesidades de la familia.
You cannot put your desires before the needs of the family.
The 'Poner' Pattern
This verb is exactly like 'poner' (to put). If you know 'yo pongo' or 'yo puse', you simply add 'o-' to the front: 'yo opongo', 'yo opuse'.
Being Against Something
When you want to say you disagree with something, you must use the reflexive form (adding me, te, se) followed by the word 'a'. Example: 'Me opongo a la idea'.
Forget the 'a'
Mistake: “Me opongo el plan.”
Correction: Me opongo AL plan. Always use 'a' (which becomes 'al' with 'el') when mentioning what you oppose.
Using the wrong Past Participle
Mistake: “He oponido.”
Correction: He opuesto. Because it follows 'poner', the past form is irregular.
Related Translations
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