Expressing opinions in Spanish : complete course

When you start learning Spanish, one of the most useful skills you can develop is the ability to share what you think. Expressing an opinion in Spanish means using specific words and phrases to say what you believe, feel, or think about something. It is a key part of everyday conversations. Whether you are talking about food, movies, or your plans for the weekend, opinions come up all the time.

For example, if someone asks you what you think about a restaurant, you need more than just vocabulary. You need the right structure to express your view clearly and naturally.

Simple examples to get started

Here are a few basic examples of opinions in Spanish:

• Creo que la película es buena. — I think the movie is good.
• En mi opinión, Madrid es una ciudad increíble. — In my opinion, Madrid is an incredible city.
• Me parece que el café está frío. — I think the coffee is cold. (It seems to me that…)
• Pienso que necesitamos más tiempo. — I think we need more time.

These sentences all express a personal point of view. Notice how each one starts with a specific phrase before the main idea.

The key elements of expressing an opinion in Spanish

To express an opinion in Spanish, you need to combine a few simple building blocks. Let us look at the most important ones.

Opinion phrases (frases de opinión)

These are the expressions you use to introduce your opinion. They are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence.

The structure: phrase + ‘que’ + verb

Most opinion expressions in Spanish follow this simple pattern:

Opinion phrase + que + subject + verb

• Creo que + es + interesante. — I think it is interesting.
• Pienso que + el libro + es + difícil. — I think the book is difficult.
• Me parece que + tú + tienes + razón. — It seems to me that you are right.

The word que (that) connects your opinion phrase to the rest of the sentence. In English, we sometimes skip ‘that’ — for example, ‘I think it is good.’ In Spanish, que is almost always required.

Agreeing and disagreeing

Expressing an opinion also includes reacting to what others say. Here are some useful phrases:

• Estoy de acuerdo. — I agree.
• No estoy de acuerdo. — I disagree.
• Tienes razón. — You are right.
• No creo que sea así. — I do not think that is the case.

Why knowing how to express an opinion in Spanish matters

Being able to say what you think makes your Spanish much more alive and personal. Without this skill, your conversations stay very flat — you can only describe facts, not share your perspective.

In everyday life, opinions come up constantly: talking about food, music, travel, news, or even the weather. If you visit a Spanish-speaking country, locals will often ask ‘¿Qué te parece?’ (What do you think?) or ‘¿Cuál es tu opinión?’ (What is your opinion?). Knowing how to answer helps you connect with people and have real conversations.

Opinion phrases also make you sound more polite and thoughtful. Instead of saying ‘The movie is bad,’ you can say ‘En mi opinión, la película no es muy buena’ — which feels much softer and more natural.

Comparison with other languages

If you already speak English or French, you will notice some similarities — but also important differences.

One key difference: in Spanish, you do not need a subject pronoun like ‘it.’ The verb es already tells you who or what is being described. This makes Spanish sentences a little shorter and more direct.

A complete example

Here is a short everyday conversation using opinion phrases:

• Ana: ¿Qué piensas del nuevo restaurante? — What do you think of the new restaurant?
• Luis: En mi opinión, la comida es deliciosa. Me parece que el servicio es un poco lento, pero el ambiente es muy agradable. — In my opinion, the food is delicious. I think the service is a bit slow, but the atmosphere is very pleasant.
• Ana: Estoy de acuerdo. Pienso que vamos a volver pronto. — I agree. I think we will go back soon.

This short dialogue uses several opinion phrases naturally. Notice how each person shares a view and responds to the other.

Key points to remember

• Use phrases like creo que, pienso que, me parece que to introduce your opinion.
• Always use que to connect the opinion phrase to the rest of the sentence.
• En mi opinión and para mí do not require que — they stand alone before the main idea.
• Practise with simple topics: food, films, places, or daily activities.
• Agreeing and disagreeing are also part of expressing opinions — learn a few basic phrases for both.

Start small. Pick two or three of these expressions and use them in your next Spanish conversation or writing exercise. The more you practise, the more natural they will feel.

Sources

• Real Academia Española (RAE) — Diccionario de la lengua española. Available at: rae.es
• Moreno, C., Hernández, C., & Kondo, C. M. (2007). Gramática española para estudiantes de español como lengua extranjera. SGEL.
• Instituto Cervantes — Plan curricular del Instituto Cervantes: Niveles de referencia para el español. Available at: cervantes.es