ты уверен?
ty uveren?
The Russian phrase for "are you sure?" is ты уверен? (ty uveren?)
A question used to ask if someone is certain about something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes depending on who you are addressing. The default form ты уверен? is the masculine singular form used for a male. To address a female, use the feminine form ты уверена? When addressing more than one person, or when using the formal вы, use вы уверены?
How do you pronounce it?
ty uveren?
Did you know?
- The word ты is a cognate of the English 'thou', an archaic version of 'you'. Both words share a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European language.
- The root of уверен is tied to the concept of 'trust', meaning that to be sure of something in Russian carries a subtle connotation of relying upon it.
- In some contexts, instead of ты уверен?, Russians use the phrase точно?, which literally means 'exactly?' It is a much faster way to ask 'are you sure?' in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- Ты уверен, что это правильный адрес?Are you sure this is the correct address?
Example conversation
Sergey tells Maria that the store is closed.
- Сергей SergeyМария, магазин уже закрыт.Mariya, magazin uzhe zakryt.Maria, the store is already closed.
- Мария MariaТы уверен? Сейчас же только шесть.Ty uveren? Seychas zhe tolko shest.Are you sure? It is only six o'clock.
- Сергей SergeyДа, я видел объявление на двери.Da, ya videl ob'yavleniye na dveri.Yes, I saw the announcement on the door.
- Мария MariaЖаль, мне нужны были продукты.Zhal, mne nuzhny byli produkty.Too bad, I needed some groceries.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ты, CC BY-SA 4.0.
