When would you use one over the other? I see Google Translate says both equate to "soft" in English.
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1Welcome to the site. An upvote to get you going. – Tom Au May 06 '12 at 00:11
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"blando" = easy to deform
"suave" = soft to the tact
"blando" is a property of the body or volume. Its opposite is "duro" or "rígido".
"suave" is a property of the surface. Its opposite is "áspero".
A piece of rubber, or a mattress, is "blando"
A kitten fur is "suave".
Muscles are "blandos", skins are "suaves".
"blando" can be also applied to semi-liquids materials (thin, as opposed to thick ; eg: honey). Furthermore, both have many analogous uses: "blando" can be used for a maleable personality; "suave" can mean soft to the ear ("música suave"), etc
leonbloy
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3I love the breadth of examples and also the fact that you listed their opposites. Thanks. – Bill Paetzke May 05 '12 at 22:49
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In social terms, "suave" implies "smooth." That's a positive kind of "soft."
"Blando" implies weak or "wimpy." That's a negative kind of "soft."
Tom Au
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