Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Quiero escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir. - I want to hear your opinion on this topic before deciding.

In this context, English would normally say “I want to hear your opinion before deciding”, so Spanish uses querer + infinitive (quiero escuchar) to match that idea of desire/intention.

What is the difference between escuchar and oír in this sentence? Could I say Quiero oír tu opinión?

Both are possible, but they’re not identical in nuance.

escuchar = to listen (to), with attention and intention.
oír = to hear, more about the sound reaching your ears, not necessarily focused.

So:

Quiero escuchar tu opinión… suggests I want to listen carefully to your opinion…
Quiero oír tu opinión… is understood and correct, but sounds a bit more like “I want to hear your opinion” in a neutral / less “attentive” way.

In practice, escuchar is more natural in this context, because you want someone’s thoughtful opinion and you plan to pay attention to it.

Why is it tu opinión and not su opinión?

Spanish distinguishes between informal tú and formal usted (and also between singular and plural “you”).

tu opinión = your opinion (informal singular tú)
su opinión can mean:
- your opinion (formal usted, singular), or
- your opinion (plural ustedes, in Spain or Latin America), or
- his / her / their opinion, depending on context.

So:

To a friend, colleague, family member (informal):
- Quiero escuchar tu opinión…
To someone you address formally (usted), you’d say:
- Quiero escuchar su opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.

The sentence you gave assumes an informal, singular “you.”

How would I say this to more than one person in Spain?

In Spain, plural “you” has a special informal form: vosotros with possessive vuestro.

Informal plural (talking to several people you know well):
- Quiero escuchar vuestra opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.
Formal plural (usted / ustedes), or in Latin America (where vosotros isn’t used):
- Quiero escuchar su opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.

So vuestra opinión is specifically “your (plural, informal) opinion” in Spain.

Why is it sobre este tema? Could I use de or acerca de instead?

All three can work, but sobre is very common and natural here.

sobre este tema = about / on this topic
de este tema = also about / on this topic, slightly more neutral, sometimes a bit vaguer
acerca de este tema = regarding / about this topic, a little more formal / written.

You could say:

Quiero escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema… ✅
Quiero escuchar tu opinión de este tema… ✅ (also correct, maybe a bit less standard)
Quiero escuchar tu opinión acerca de este tema… ✅ (a bit more formal)

In everyday speech, sobre is probably the most natural choice in this exact sentence.

What does tema mean exactly, and is it masculine or feminine?

Tema means “topic, subject, theme, issue.”

It is masculine: el tema, este tema, un tema interesante.
This can be surprising because it ends in -a, but it’s one of a group of Greek-origin words that are masculine in Spanish (like el problema, el sistema, el programa, el tema).

So este tema is correct (not esta tema).

Could I say Quiero escuchar la opinión sobre este tema instead of tu opinión?

You can, but it changes the meaning slightly.

Quiero escuchar tu opinión… = I specifically want your personal opinion.
Quiero escuchar la opinión sobre este tema… = I want to hear the opinion on this topic (more general/impersonal, maybe “the official opinion” or “the opinion” people have).

If you want to make it clear it’s the other person’s opinion, use the possessive:

tu opinión (informal “you”)
su opinión (formal / plural “you”).

Why is it antes de decidir and not antes que decidir or antes de que decida?

Here antes de is followed by an infinitive because the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence.

Subject in main clause: yo (quiero)
Subject of decidir is also yo (implicit): before I decide.

Spanish rule of thumb:

Same subject in both actions → preposition + infinitive
- antes de decidir
Different subject → antes de que + subjunctive
- Quiero escuchar tu opinión antes de que tú decidas.
- I want to hear your opinion before you decide.

Antes que decidir is not correct in modern standard Spanish in this structure; use antes de + infinitive here.

Could I say antes de decidirme instead of antes de decidir? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say both, but there’s a nuance:

decidir (non‑reflexive) = to decide (something) in general.
- antes de decidir = before deciding / before I decide.
decidirse (reflexive) = to make up one’s mind, to come to a decision.
- antes de decidirme = before making up my mind.

In many contexts they’re almost interchangeable:

Quiero escuchar tu opinión antes de decidir.
Quiero escuchar tu opinión antes de decidirme.

The version without me is slightly more neutral; decidirme can put a tiny extra emphasis on the personal act of making up your mind. Both are fine in everyday speech.

Could I put antes de decidir at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Both word orders are correct:

Quiero escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.
Antes de decidir, quiero escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema.

The second version gives more emphasis to the condition before deciding, but it’s mainly a stylistic choice. Both sound natural.

Is quiero too strong? In English I might say “I’d like to hear your opinion.” How would I soften it in Spanish?

Quiero can sound more direct than English “I’d like,” although in everyday Spanish it’s often perfectly normal and not rude. To soften it, you can use:

Me gustaría escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.
- Very close to “I’d like to hear your opinion…”
Or with a bit more politeness:
- Me gustaría mucho escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.

So:

Quiero… = I want… (direct, common)
Me gustaría… = I’d like… (more polite / softer).

Why is it tu opinión and not tu opinión sobre de este tema? Can I use sobre de?

You should not say sobre de este tema.

In standard Spanish:

Use sobre este tema or de este tema, but not both together.

So correct options are:

tu opinión sobre este tema ✅
tu opinión de este tema ✅
tu opinión acerca de este tema ✅

But tu opinión sobre de este tema ❌ is incorrect.

Is there any difference between opinión and consejo here? Could I say Quiero escuchar tu consejo?

Yes, they mean different things:

opinión = your view, what you think about something.
consejo = advice, what you recommend I should do.

So:

Quiero escuchar tu opinión sobre este tema antes de decidir.
- I want to know what you think.
Quiero escuchar tu consejo sobre este tema antes de decidir.
- I want to know what you advise / recommend.

Use opinión if you’re focusing on their thoughts; consejo if you want guidance on what action to take.