¿es verdad?
The English phrase "is it true?" is translated into Spanish as ¿es verdad?
This phrase is used to ask whether a specific piece of information is correct or factual.
Which one should you use?
While ¿es verdad? is the most common way to ask if something is true, you may also use ¿es cierto? to ask if a specific fact or piece of information is certain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people commonly use the informal phrase ¿En serio…? In Argentina, the colloquial phrase ¿Posta que…? is often used. In Spain, you will frequently hear the relaxed phrase ¿De verdad…? as well as ¿Es verdad que…?
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the question is formed by adding opening and closing question marks around the statement es verdad.
Did you know?
- In Argentina, the slang word posta used in ¿Posta que…? originally referred to the relay stations where horses were changed during postal deliveries.
- While ¿es verdad? asks if a statement is true, the Spanish word verdad is often used as a tag question like 'right?' or 'isn't it?' at the end of a sentence.
- The Spanish word verdad shares the same Latin root as the English word 'verify' which means to establish the truth of something.
Examples in context
- El rumor dice que ganaste la lotería, ¿es verdad?The rumor says you won the lottery, is it true?
- ¿Es cierto que el evento fue cancelado por mal tiempo?Is it true that the event was canceled due to bad weather?
- ¿Es verdad que vas a salir de viaje?Is it true that you're going on a trip?
- ¿En serio ganaste el concurso de baile?Did you really win the dance contest?
- Dices que te vas mañana, ¿es verdad?You say you are leaving tomorrow, is it true?
- Dices que mañana lloverá, ¿es verdad?You say it will rain tomorrow, is it true?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, verdad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
