Quick answer
Ao encontro de agrees or moves toward. De encontro a conflicts or collides.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
ao encontro de
in line with
Use ao encontro de for agreement, support, or movement toward someone.
de encontro a
against
Use de encontro a for opposition, conflict, or collision.
How to choose
- ao encontro de: Choose ao encontro de if the sentence points to agreement, support, or movement toward someone.
- de encontro a: Choose de encontro a if the sentence points to opposition, conflict, or collision.
Examples
A proposta vai ao encontro das nossas metas.
The proposal aligns with our goals.
Isso vai de encontro ao contrato.
That goes against the contract.
Common trap
These expressions can reverse the meaning of a sentence.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with ao encontro de, then once with de encontro a. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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