contraste
/konˈtɾaste/masculine
The English word 'contrast' translates to the Spanish noun contraste.
contraste is a noun used to describe a difference between two objects, people or concepts. To express the relationship of contrast between two things, you can use the idiom en contraste con, which functions similarly to the English 'in contrast to' or 'in contrast with'. You can intensify this noun by using adjectives such as fuerte (strong) or marcado (marked). Additionally, Spanish speakers often use words like Aunque (although), Sin embargo (however) or Por otro lado (on the other hand) within sentence structures to emphasize contrast.
Meaning: difference between two objects, people or concepts (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun contraste is masculine and is therefore preceded by the masculine article el to form el contraste (the contrast). The related verb contrastar can mean to contrast two things or to verify and check something against a standard.
How do you pronounce it?
/konˈtɾaste/
Did you know?
- In the world of jewelry and metallurgy, the term contraste refers to the official hallmark stamped into precious metals like gold or silver.
- In a legal or administrative setting, to contrastar two documents actually means to confirm that they are identical and match perfectly. This is the opposite of looking for differences.
- If you say an idea no contrasta con la realidad, you are not saying it looks different, but that it is factually incorrect or inconsistent with the truth.
Examples in context
- El contraste salta inmediatamente a los ojos.The contrast immediately jumps out at one.This sentence shows how a contraste can be visually striking.Tatoeba #1210072 by marcelostockle, translation #1188217 by Imp
- En contraste con el perro, el gato se ha domesticado sólo recientemente.In contrast to the dog, the cat has become domesticated only in recent times.This sentence demonstrates the use of the idiom en contraste con.Tatoeba #2869168 by cueyayotl, translation #65932 by shekitten
- Un hombre que se concentra ante una obra de arte es absorbido por ella. En contraste, las masas distraídas absorben la obra de arte.A man who concentrates before a work of art is absorbed by it. In contrast, the distracted mass absorbs the work of art.This sentence shows how to use en contraste to start a sentence that highlights a difference.Tatoeba #1583583 by marcelostockle, translation #392652 by Scott
- El contraste entre la vida rural y la vida urbana es evidente en este documental.The contrast between rural life and urban life is evident in this documentary.
- Hay una diferencia marcada entre sus puntos de vista políticos.There is a marked difference between their political viewpoints.
- El contraste entre esos dos vestidos es impresionante.The contrast between those two dresses is impressive.
- Aquí hay una gran diferencia entre los precios de los restaurantes.There is a big difference in restaurant prices here.
- La discrepancia entre su actitud y sus acciones es muy obvia.The discrepancy between their attitude and actions is very obvious.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are looking at modern art in a gallery.
- DanielSofía, mira ese contraste de luces.Sofía, look at that contrast of lights.
- SofíaEs cierto, Daniel, es muy impresionante.It's true, Daniel, it is very impressive.
- Daniel¿Te gusta este estilo de pintura?Do you like this style of painting?
- SofíaSí, me encanta la fuerza de sus trazos.Yes, I love the strength of its strokes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “contrast” translations and entries contraste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
