A Fun Kids’ Guide to Opposites in Spanish (Free Lesson and Activities)
Here is a useful and practical guide of opposite words for kids for them to be able to express contrary concepts that relate to one another.
Recognizing these concepts in Spanish is key for young learners to grasp the art of describing in conversation. It teaches them how to express when objects, places, people, and other nouns are different from one another.
Join me in this Kid’s Guide to Opposites in Spanish as I review the importance of opposite words for kids and share a list of resources and activities you can use in this fun and essential lesson.
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Opposite Words for Kids Activity Pack
Download FREE Opposites in Spanish Activities for Kids!
Type your name and email below to get six activities for kids about Opposites in Spanish! You will receive: Flashcards, Scavenger Hunt, Word Search, Find the Opposites, Word Scramble, Choose the Adjective.
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Why Are Opposite Words for Kids Important?
Los opuestos (opposites) are building blocks for young Spanish learners to contextualize and construct descriptive sentences.
Knowing opposites in Spanish enables your child to understand how comparisons work. They learn how to differentiate and identify traits and characteristics that stand out in a noun. These words in Spanish are also known as antónimos (antonyms).
If you want your child to speak Spanish fluently and intuitively you need to take advantage of their drive to learn and immerse them in new words as often as possible.
What Are Opposite Words for Kids?
Opposites in Spanish are descriptive adjectives that are used in conjunction with different nouns. Here’s a list of opposite words for kids you can teach your child as part of this lesson.
Opposites in Spanish Part 1
| English | Spanish |
| bad or good | malo o bueno |
| big or small | grande o pequeño |
| black or white | negro o blanco |
| cheap or expensive | barato o caro |
| close or far | cerca o lejos |
| clean or dirty | limpio o sucio |
| closed or open | cerrado o abierto |
| dangerous or safe | peligroso o seguro |
| difficult, hard or easy | difícil o fácil |
| expensive or cheap | caro o barato |
| fast or slow | rápido o lento |
| full or empty | lleno o vacío |
| generous or selfish | generoso o egoísta |
| happy or sad | feliz o triste |
Example Sentences Part 1
¿La casa está limpia o sucia?
Is the house clean or dirty?
Me gusta la puerta abierta, si está cerrada hace calor.
I like the door open, if it’s closed it gets hot.
El carro pequeño me gusta más que el grande.
I like the small car better than the large one.
¿Vives cerca o lejos de la escuela?
Do you live close or far from school?
Esa orilla es peligrosa, mejor párate donde es seguro.
That ridge is dangerous, you should stand here where it’s safe.
Mi hermana maneja muy rápidamente y mi mamá maneja lentamente; no le gusta correr.
My sister drives fast and my mom drives slowly; she doesn’t like to rush.
La historia es triste pero tiene un final feliz.
The story is sad but it has a happy ending.
Opposites in Spanish Part 2
| English | Spanish |
| hot or cold | caliente o frío |
| late or early | tarde o temprano |
| lazy or hardworking | perezosa o trabajadora |
| left or right | izquierda o derecha |
| light or dark | claro u oscuro |
| light or heavy | liviano o pesado |
| loose or tight | flojo o apretado |
| low, short or high | bajo o alto |
| narrow or wide | estrecho o amplio |
| nervous or relaxed | nervioso o relajado |
| old or new | viejo o nuevo |
| old or young | mayor o joven |
| poor or rich | pobre o rico |
| serious or funny | serio o gracioso |
Example Sentences Part 2
¿Te gusta el té caliente o frío?
Do you like hot or cold tea?
Si no me levanto temprano, voy a llegar trade.
If I don’t get up early, I’ll be late.
El día es claro y la noche es oscura.
The day is light and the night is dark.
Tu eres más bajo, Juan es mucho más alto que tú.
You’re shorter, Juan is much taller than you.
¿Te sientes nervioso o relajado antes de un examen?
Do you feel nervous or relaxed before a test?
Mi padre se ve mayor; mi mamá es más joven.
My dad looks older; my mom is younger.
Usted se ve muy serio; yo nunca esperé que fuera gracioso.
You look so serious; I never expected you to be funny.
Opposites in Spanish Part 3
| English | Spanish |
| sick or healthy | enfermo o saludable |
| shallow or deep | poco profundo o profundo |
| short or long | corto o largo |
| straight or curly | liso o rizado |
| strong or weak | fuerte o débil |
| sweet or salty | dulce o salado |
| thin or fat | flaco o gordo |
| thin or thick | delgado o grueso |
| tidy or messy | ordenado o desordenado |
| ugly or pretty | feo o bonito |
| wet or dry | mojado o seco |
| wrong or right | equivocado o correcto |
Example Sentences Part 3
Mi pelo es rizado, pero me gusta llevarlo liso.
My hair is curly, but I like wearing it straight.
¿Prefieres el sabor dulce o salado?
Do you prefer the taste of sweet or salty?
Mi cuarto está ordenado; no me gusta tenerlo desordenado.
My room is tidy; I don’t like it messy.
No puedo tener el cabello mojado, es mejor si está seco.
I can’t have my hair wet, it’s best if it’s dry.
¿Esta respuesta está equivocada o correcta?
Is this question right or wrong?
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The Adjective-Noun Agreement of Opposites in Spanish
After reviewing the opposite words for kids list, you’ll notice that adjectives change depending on the gender of the noun. Spanish is a gendered language so when using an adjective you must consider if the noun is female, male, or gender-neutral.
The adjective also needs to match the number or quantity of the noun, If the noun is plural, the adjective is plural. If the noun is singular, the adjective is singular. Here are some examples of the norm.
Mi hermano es alto.
My brother is tall.
Mi hermana es alta.
My sister is tall.
Mis hermanos son altos.
My siblings are tall.
Opposites in Spanish Activities for Kids
Plan your Spanish lesson with creative and educational activities for elementary students. Make sure to download your free opposites in Spanish activity pack to use as you teach this insightful topic.
Opposites in Spanish Cards
Flashcards are easy to include your kids’ daily routine. Use our printable set to constantly reinforce memorizing the different opposite words for kids. The cards are illustrated and enable children to identify opposites easily with visual resources. You can use them to play a game of memory match between opposites or simply for reviewing the lesson.
Scavenger Hunt
Download our opposites in Spanish scavenger hunt checklist and make this lesson more dynamic by going outside of the classroom. Our list has several opposite words for kids you can identify easily around the house, garden, or street. This activity encourages healthy competition and also tests the visual understanding your kids have of opposites in Spanish.
Word Search
Use our sopa de letras (word search) template as a lesson worksheet where your kids reinforce their Spanish reading, spelling, and writing skills. Our template has 14 illustrated opposite words for kids to locate.
Find & Draw Opposites
Our find & draw worksheet is a fun and educational activity for this lesson. The goal is to match each illustration on the left to the opposite illustration of the right. Allow your kids to color the illustrations and let their imagination and creativity fly.
Word Scramble
Test your child’s Spanish spelling skills and reading comprehension with our Opposites in Spanish Word Scramble worksheet. The activity includes 10 different vocabulary words in Spanish for them to rearrange and spell correctly.
Choose the Adjective
Complete this worksheet quiz and work on your child’s sentence-building capacity. This activity works fantastically as an overall review of this important lesson and tests your child’s ability to retain new vocabulary.
Go From Beginner To Advanced Spanish
Learning how to describe nouns using opposites in Spanish is essential for your child’s road to being fully bilingual. As your children learn to grasp these concepts and vocabulary, they become more confident and start using Spanish intuitively.
Speaking with a native Spanish-speaking teacher is another exceptional way to fast-track your child’s Spanish. Sign them up for a free class with our teachers from Guatemala and let them expand your child’s knowledge of Spanish vocabulary.
Bilingual children have the capacity of becoming fluent at a young age. The earlier you expose them to a language, the easier they absorb it and use it as they grow.
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