cambié de opinión
/kambje de opinjon/from spelling rules
To say "I changed my mind" in Spanish, use cambié de opinión.
This phrase is used when someone decides to do or think something different than they previously intended.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally translated as "I changed of opinion".
Which one should you use?
While cambié de opinión is a neutral way to express the change, me arrepentí is often used if the change of mind involves a sense of regret or deciding not to follow through on a previous commitment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form cambio de opinión can be used to express a current state or a habitual action, whereas cambié de opinión is specifically for a completed past decision. To say "you changed your mind" in the informal singular, use cambiaste de opinión.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a change of mind might be expressed through the phrase ya no quiero ('I don't want to anymore') in casual settings, which can sound more blunt than the English 'I changed my mind'.
- While cambié de opinión is neutral, using me arrepentí to say you changed your mind can imply you are 'repenting' for a mistake, as it shares the same root as the English word 'repent'.
- The word opinión comes from the Latin opīniōnem, which originally referred to a 'belief' or 'suspicion' rather than a formal viewpoint.
Examples in context
- He cambiado de opinión sobre el proyecto y creo que necesitamos una estrategia diferente.I changed my mind about the project and I think we need a different strategy.
- Lo siento, cambié de opinión.I'm sorry, I changed my mind.
- Al final cambié de opinión sobre el color.In the end, I changed my mind about the color.
- No iré al cine, cambié de opinión.I won't go to the cinema, I changed my mind.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- Daniel¿Quieres pizza para cenar?Do you want pizza for dinner?
- LucíaSí, suena muy bien.Yes, that sounds great.
- DanielPerdón, cambié de opinión. Prefiero sushi.Sorry, I changed my mind. I prefer sushi.
- LucíaEstá bien, pidamos sushi entonces.That's fine, let's order sushi then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, opinión, CC BY-SA 4.0.
