au contraire

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French au contraire.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əʊ ˈkɒntɹɛː(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /oʊ ˌkɑnˈtɹɛ(ə)ɹ/

Adverb

au contraire (not comparable)

1. (usually humorous, emphatic) on the contrary

Usage notes

Used for more humorous, ironic, or dramatic effect than on the contrary.

Translations

on the contrary — see also on the contrary

• Bulgarian: напротив (bg) (naprotiv)
• Czech: právě naopak
• Dutch: integendeel (nl)
• Estonian: hoopis vastupidi, vastupidi
• Finnish: vaan (fi), päinvastoin (fi)
• French: au contraire (fr)
• German: im Gegenteil, au contraire (de)
• Greek: τουναντίον (el) (tounantíon), αντίθετα (el) (antítheta)
• Haitian Creole: okontrè
• Hebrew: להיפך
• Hindi: उल्टे
• Icelandic: þvert á móti, á hinn bóginn, hins vegar
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: al contrario
• Kurdish: , ,
• Latin: sed contra
• Occitan: au contra, au contrari, al revèrs
• Polish: przeciwnie (pl)
• Portuguese: ao contrário, pelo contrário
• Russian: наоборо́т (ru) (naoborót)
• Spanish: en contrario, por el contrario, en contra, al contrario
• Swedish: tvärtom (sv)
• Ukrainian: навпаки (uk) (navpaky)
• Walloon: e l' plaece (wa), el plaece (wa), estô (wa)

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o kɔ̃.tʁɛʁ/

Adverb

au contraire

1. on the contrary, quite the contrary, quite the opposite; au contraire