Which one should you use?
While non sono sicuro is common, non sono certo is a slightly more formal way to express a lack of certainty.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on the gender and number of the people involved. A female speaker uses the feminine form non sono sicura instead of the masculine non sono sicuro. When referring to a group of people, use the plural form non siamo sicuri for "we are not sure" (masculine or mixed-gender). For "they are not sure", use non sono sicuri for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and non sono sicure specifically for a group consisting only of females. Additionally, non sono convinto/a means "I am not convinced" and non mi sento sicuro/a means "I don't feel confident".
How do you pronounce it?
/non ˈso.no siˈku.ro/
Did you know?
- While you might say non sono sicuro to mean 'I am not certain', if you say non mi sento sicuro, you are actually saying 'I feel unsafe' or 'I feel insecure' in a physical or emotional sense.
- The word sicuro comes from the Latin sēcūrus, which literally means 'without care' or 'free from anxiety'.
- If an Italian person responds to a question with a simple Non saprei, they are using a more polite, indirect way of saying 'I am not sure' or 'I wouldn't know'.
Examples in context
- Io non sono sicuro.I'm not sure.This sentence is useful for stating "I'm not sure."Tatoeba #5080962 by Guybrush88, translation #1568769 by Sharaf78
- Non sono sicuro di lui.I'm not sure about him.This sentence is useful for saying "I'm not sure about him."Tatoeba #11867292 by Nuel, translation #11867290 by Nuel
- Non sono sicuro se andrò.I'm not sure if I'll go.This sentence is useful for expressing "I'm not sure if I'll go."Tatoeba #3232680 by Guybrush88, translation #1853731 by CK
- 189 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- MartinaMatteo, sei sicuro di voler venire alla festa?Matteo, are you sure you want to come to the party?
- MatteoNo, non sono sicuro, forse resto a casa.No, I am not sure, maybe I will stay at home.
- MartinaPeccato, ci sarà un sacco di gente!That's a shame, there will be a lot of people!
- MatteoLo so, ma sono molto stanco oggi.I know, but I am very tired today.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (non, sono, sicuro) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries non, sicuro, sono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
