¿estás seguro de eso?
In Spanish, 'are you sure about that?' is said as ¿estás seguro de eso?
This phrase is used to ask if someone is certain about a specific fact or a decision. While English uses the preposition 'about' in this context, Spanish speakers use the preposition 'de' (of) with the adjective 'seguro'.
What does it mean word for word?
The part de eso literally translates to 'of that', because the Spanish adjective seguro requires the preposition de to indicate the object of the certainty.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you may come across the phrase ¿Estás seguro/a de eso?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on who you are addressing: use ¿estás segura de eso? if the person you are talking to is female. To address someone formally using usted, use ¿está seguro de eso? When asking a group of people if they are sure, use the plural form ¿están seguros de eso?
Did you know?
- While seguro means 'sure', it is also the standard word for a 'safety' lock on a firearm or a 'safety pin'.
- In Spanish, you can use de seguro as an adverbial phrase meaning 'probably' or 'most likely', which is a shift from the absolute certainty of the adjective seguro.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, answering seguro as a one-word response is a common way to say 'of course' or 'certainly' rather than just answering a question.
Examples in context
- María: Voy a ganar la próxima carrera. Juan: ¿Seguro?María: I'm going to win the next race. Juan: Are you sure?
- Alberto: El partido empezará a las 8 pm. Carlos: ¿Estás seguro?Alberto: The game will start at 8 pm. Carlos: Are you sure?
- Cliente: El informe está completo y sin errores. Profesional: ¿Está seguro?Cliente: The report is complete and error-free. Profesional: Are you sure?
- ¿Está seguro de ese dato?Are you sure about that piece of information?
- No sé, ¿estás seguro de eso?I don't know, are you sure about that?
- Parece extraño, ¿estás seguro de eso?It seems strange, are you sure about that?
Example conversation
Maria and Mateo are discussing a travel plan.
- MaríaEl hotel es muy barato, vamos a reservarlo.The hotel is very cheap, let's book it.
- Mateo¿Estás seguro de eso? Parece sospechoso.Are you sure about that? It looks suspicious.
- MaríaSí, tiene muy buenas opiniones.Yes, it has very good reviews.
- MateoEstá bien, entonces reservemos.Alright, let's book it then.
