no estoy seguro
/no estoi seɡuɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "not sure" is translated into Spanish as no estoy seguro.
no estoy seguro is used to express that you do not have certain knowledge or confidence about something. While it expresses a lack of certainty, it is worth noting that no sé (I don't know) is a more direct way to express a lack of information.
Which one should you use?
no estoy seguro is used to express a lack of certainty, whereas no sé is a more direct way to state that you lack specific information.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender of the speaker: use no estoy seguro if you are male and no estoy segura if you are female. To express "they are not sure", use the plural form no están seguros. Additionally, when the phrase is followed by a noun or a verb, it is typically followed by the preposition de, such as in no estoy seguro de.
How do you pronounce it?
/no estoi seɡuɾo/
Did you know?
- While seguro means 'sure', it is also the standard word for 'insurance'. If you say no tengo seguro, you are telling someone you do not have an insurance policy rather than saying you are not sure.
- In a physical context, seguro can refer to the 'safety' catch on a firearm. This means saying no estoy seguro while handling a weapon could be misinterpreted as a comment on the gun's safety mechanism.
- The adjective seguro shares a common ancestor with the English word 'secure'. Both words stem from the Latin 'securus', meaning 'free from care' or 'carefree'.
Examples in context
- No estoy seguro de por qué.I'm not sure why.This is useful for expressing uncertainty about a reason using no estoy seguro.Tatoeba #1744861 by Shishir, translation #1737569 by Spamster
- Ya no estoy seguro de nada.I'm not sure of anything anymore.This is useful for stating that you are no longer certain of anything using no estoy seguro.Tatoeba #4531063 by cueyayotl, translation #9359915 by DJ_Saidez
- No estoy seguro al respecto.I'm not sure about it.This is useful for expressing uncertainty regarding a specific matter using no estoy seguro.Tatoeba #1534541 by marcelostockle, translation #1115004 by CM
- 100 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are discussing whether to go to a concert.
- Javier¿Quieres ir al concierto esta noche?Do you want to go to the concert tonight?
- LucíaNo estoy segura, tengo mucho trabajo.I am not sure, I have a lot of work.
- JavierNo estoy seguro de si podrás venir.I am not sure if you will be able to come.
- LucíaLo intentaré, pero no prometo nada.I will try, but I do not promise anything.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, seguro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
