los pros y los contras
/los pɾos i los kontɾas/from spelling rulesmasculine, plural
The English phrase 'pros and cons' can be translated into Spanish as los pros y los contras. Wiktionary also lists el pro y el contra.
Meaning: for and against (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| los pros y los contras | /los pɾos i los kontɾas/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
| el pro y el contra | /el pɾo i el kontɾa/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
This phrase is used to describe the advantages and disadvantages of a particular situation, decision or object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase los pros y los contras is a literal translation of 'the pros and the cons' using the Spanish masculine plural articles and nouns.
Which one should you use?
When referring to a single advantage and a single disadvantage, use the singular form el pro y el contra.
How do you pronounce it?
/los pɾos i los kontɾas/
Did you know?
- The word pro in this phrase may be a recent 'Latinism' borrowed from Latin or even a modern 'anglicism' borrowed from English.
- While 'pros y contras' is perfectly understood, many native speakers prefer to use the phrase ventajas y desventajas to express the same idea in everyday conversation.
- The word pro is a doublet of the common Spanish preposition por, as both share a distant ancestor in the Latin word prō.
Examples in context
- Estamos considerando todos los pros y los contras antes de decidir qué haremos.We are considering all the pros and cons before deciding what we will do.This sentence shows how to use los pros y los contras when considering a decision.Tatoeba #3680029 by Seael, translation #3680690 by robbieheslop
- ¿Cuáles son los pros y los contras de la tecnología?What are the pros and cons of technology?This sentence uses los pros y los contras to ask about the aspects of technology.Tatoeba #10135758 by Ricardo14, translation #10137967 by Ricardo14
- Debemos analizar los pros y los contras de este plan.We must analyze the pros and cons of this plan.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing whether to move to a new city.
- Elena¿Crees que mudarnos sea una buena idea?Do you think moving is a good idea?
- MateoNo lo sé, hay que ver los pros y los contras.I don't know, we have to see the pros and cons.
- ElenaEs cierto, Mateo, todo tiene su lado bueno y malo.That's true, Mateo, everything has its good and bad side.
- MateoHagamos una lista para decidir con calma.Let's make a list to decide calmly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pros and cons” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
