Acordar vs Estar de acuerdo

Graeme R.B2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Acordar vs Estar de acuerdo

The way I learned, for many of the examples you give here, I would probably use the construction estar de acuerdo. (ie. Estoy de acuerdo contigo = I agree with you). 

Can someone explain what the differences between acordar and estar de acuerdo are. I wonder if the latter is regional variation as I'm not sure if I ever heard it said in Spain?

Asked 4 years ago
c l.A0Kwiziq community member

"Estar de acuerdo" cannot be used in this examples, actually. They mean two different things.

"Acordar" means "to agree" in the sense of "reaching an agreement about something". Ex: we agreed to meet again the next day.

"Estar de acuerdo" means "to agree" in the sense of "being in agreement" (which would be the literal translation). Ex: we agreed that it was not a very good movie.

Note that in the first example you cannot simply replace "we agreed" with "we were in agreement". I mean, you were both ok with meeting again the next day, so you could say you were in agreement, but hopefully you can see the difference it would make in the meaning of the sentence?

InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in Kwiziq

Hola Graeme

If you see the definition in the lesson for "acordar" you realise we are not describing "to agree with someone" in that sense. Our definition is:

 "Acordar = to agree [to do something] / to come to an agreement."

When translating the sentences made specifically for that meaning of acordar we don´t use "to agree" in that sense but we mean "to come to an agreement". 

Saludos

Inma

Acordar vs Estar de acuerdo

The way I learned, for many of the examples you give here, I would probably use the construction estar de acuerdo. (ie. Estoy de acuerdo contigo = I agree with you). 

Can someone explain what the differences between acordar and estar de acuerdo are. I wonder if the latter is regional variation as I'm not sure if I ever heard it said in Spain?

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