There are several ways to give opinions when speaking. However, sometimes they can be pretty subjective or you just want to give a piece of advice. As a result, the need for expression like Para mí, En mi opinión, and Yo creo que arises. These Spanish phrases help you to express your point of view, thoughts, or opinions. These can be actions, circumstances, problems, or people.
Although you can use Para mi, En mi opinion, and Yo creo que alternatively, there are different things you need to take into account when using one or another. Adding these phrases to your vocabulary is a great choice since they will help you improve your speaking and express your ideas in a better way. Thus, if you want to improve your Spanish skills, keep reading this brief explanation.
When to use para mí
The expression para mi, in Spanish, refers to our point of view or what we believe. As we said, it can be towards an action, circumstance, or person, among others. Even though you can, sometimes, base your opinion on facts or something real. In general, Spanish speakers use it in a subjective way and will provide an idea of your personal way of thinking. Let’s see some examples to understand how to use this Spanish expression.
Para mí, él no se va a devolver, solo está haciendo tiempo para decirle a su familia en el momento indicado.
To me, he’s not going back, he’s just making time to tell his family at the right time.
Para mí, ellos están haciendo estos cambios para sacar a Gustavo de la selección porque ya no está jugando igual que antes. / For me they are making these changes to remove Gustavo from the national team because he is no longer playing the same as before.
No lo sé, para mí, eso no es así. Yo sí pienso que él la quiere, se lo ha demostrado por años.
I don’t know, for me that’s not the case. I do think that he loves her, he has shown it to her for years.
You can place Para mí at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence. However, depending on its place, it may help you highlight something better. When you use it at the beginning of the sentence, everyone will know that the thing you’re going to say after is your personal opinion based on what you believe or think.
Another way to use para mí is without a tilde. The difference between Para mí and Para mi is that if para mi accompanies a noun, then it will not have a tilde. For example,
Esta cartera es para mi mamá, se la compré cuando me fui de luna de miel a Francia.
This bag is for my mom, I bought it for her when I went on my honeymoon to France.
Este logro es para mi persona, después de tantas horas estudiando y trabajando al mismo tiempo para pagar las deudas, al fin pude lograrlo. /
This achievement is for me, after so many hours studying and working at the same time to pay off debts, I was finally able to achieve it.
In other words, para mi helps you express purpose, while Para mí helps you express your opinion.
How to use en mi opinión
Just like with Para mí, you can use En mi opinión to give your perspective of things. En mi opinión is the Spanish equivalent to the English phrase “In my opinion”. Using en mi opinion is a great alternative during formal or informal conversations. In fact, it’s quite popular among native Spanish speakers, and adding it to your vocabulary will help you sound like one. If you begin a sentence with this phrase, you will mean that what comes next it’s all about based on your thoughts. To put it in another way, it’s highly probable that it’s not a fact.
In general, people use En mi opinion and the beginning of the sentence. Then, let’s see a few examples to understand how to use it.
En mi opinión, la película de Doctor Strange fue mejor que la de Spiderman, aunque eso depende de los gustos de cada quien.
In my opinion, the Doctor Strange movie was better than the Spiderman movie, although that depends on the tastes of each person.
En mi opinión, no hace falta beber para pasarla bien en una fiesta.
In my opinion, you don’t have to drink to have a good time at a party.
En mi opinión, los beneficios que nos da la compañía no compensa lo que nosotros trabajamos a diario.
In my opinion, the benefits that the company gives us do not compensate for what we work on a daily basis.
Another way is putting en mi opinión at the end of the sentence. Although it is not very common, it is still correct. Here are some other examples.
Los niños menores de 9 años no deberían usar teléfonos inteligentes, en mi opinión.
Children under 9 should not use smartphones, in my opinion.
Parece que le gustas mucho, en mi opinión.
He seems to like you a lot, in my opinion.
Es mejor tener un carro propio que tomar taxi, en mi opinión.
It is better to have your own car than to take a taxi, in my opinion.
How to use Yo creo que
Yo creo que is the Spanish phrase for “I think/ believe that”. It helps you express the opinion or the certainty that you have about an idea or a certain fact. This phrase is generally used by Spanish speakers during informal conversations, with friends or family, for example. Yet, it’s also a good alternative when you’re in a business meeting if your opinion is based on a fact.
Frequently, you can use yo creo que with subordinate clauses, in which the verb can be in the indicative or subjunctive mood. When the clause is affirmative, you have to conjugate the verb in the indicative. Whereas when it is negative, you have to use the subjunctive. Although this is a rule for the expression creo que, it does not happen in all cases. There are situations when you can use both or reverse that pattern. Let’s see some examples.
Yo creo que él aprobará el examen de mañana, ha estudiado mucho para sacar la mejor nota y se lo merece.
I think he will pass tomorrow’s exam, he has studied hard to get the best grade and he deserves it.
Yo creo que ya estas muy grande para esos juegos, eso es para niños pequeños.
I think you’re too old for those games, that’s for small children.
Yo creo que todo en la vida es un misterio, pero si hacemos las cosas bien pasan cosas buenas.
I believe that everything in life is a mystery, but if we do things well, good things happen.
Generally speaking, expressing your personal opinion with Para mi, En mi opinion, and Yo creo que will help you sound more convincing and emphasize any idea you need. Although native speakers use these expressions to talk about subjective thoughts, you can use En mi opinion to talk about facts. Different from Para mi and En mi opinion, Yo creo que will always start your statement. Unless when you are speaking, you’re saying a subordinate statement.
Moreover, En mi opinion, Yo creo que, and Para mi can help you talk about things that happened in the past, present, or will happen in the future. So, never think twice when giving your opinion, and make use of these tools to enhance your speaking.