pronounced more or less: o conh-trAIR
Literal translation: to the contrary
Meaning: on the contrary, to the contrary, quite the opposite
Variation: Bien au contraire ! Just the opposite! / (It's) exactly the opposite!
Implications: Au contraire expresses opposition to a comment just made, either by you yourself or by someone else (obviously). It is used either to emphasize a point you're trying to make or to disagree with someone else's point.
Remark: Sometimes au contraire is coupled with mon cher. Beware the temptation: mon cher can be perceived as condescending. In fact, it usually is condescending!
Example One (underscoring a point you're trying to make):
Last week the Mayor's office called to inform me that my application for a work permit was incomplete. This did not surprise me, au contraire: it's nearly impossible to be granted a work permit without first having a job contract, which is nearly impossible to get without first being granted a work permit. And if you're a freelancer asking for a work permit, you first must sign up with the Trade Registry, which is nearly impossible to do unless you have contracts or a work permit! C'est n'importe quoi! Yes, but zeess eez zee French way.
Example Two (disagreeing with someone's point of view):
-French student, complaining: "English makes way more sense than French! French is impossible! I don't get it: it doesn't look anything like it's pronounced!"
"Au contraire!" explains the French teacher. "Take a look at these frequently used English words: horse, worse, tears (crying), tears (rips), heart, heard, paid, plaid, pipe, recipe, wholly, holly, war, far, ballet, wallet, round, wound, stranger, anger, fury, bury, berry, bought, caught, doughnut, hint, pint, gas, and alas, Arkansas!"
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