What does it mean word for word?
The phrase confianza en uno mismo is composed of confianza (confidence), en (in) and uno mismo (oneself).
Which one should you use?
For a specific person or in more formal contexts, uno mismo is often replaced by sí mismo.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the person is female, use confianza en sí misma. To express the self-confidence of a group of people, or a mixed-gender group, use the masculine plural confianza en sí mismos. When referring to a specific person or using a formal tone, use the masculine/formal confianza en sí mismo. For personal statements, a male speaker says Creo en mí mismo (I believe in myself) and a female speaker says Creo en mí misma. To say I have complete confidence in myself, you can say Tengo plena confianza en mí mismo/a.
How do you pronounce it?
/konfjanθa en uno mismo/
Did you know?
- While confianza means 'confidence', it is also the standard word used for 'trust'. If a Spanish speaker says tengo confianza en ti, they are saying 'I trust you' rather than 'I have confidence in you'.
- In Spanish, you can express self-confidence using seguridad, which literally means 'security'. This implies that confidence is viewed as a state of feeling secure or stable within oneself.
- The Spanish word mismo comes from the Vulgar Latin metipsimus, which combined an emphatic suffix with ipsimus to mean 'the very same'.
Examples in context
- La autoconfianza es clave para alcanzar el éxitoSelf confidence is key to achieving success
- Necesitas tener seguridad en ti mismo para lograr tus metasYou need to have confidence in yourself to achieve your goals
- La confianza en sí mismo es fundamental para enfrentar desafíosSelf confidence is essential to face challenges
- Si confías en ti mismo, puedes lograr cualquier cosaIf you trust in yourself, you can achieve anything
- Ten fe en ti mismo y verás cómo lo lograsHave faith in yourself and you'll see how you succeed
- Si crees en ti mismo, puedes alcanzar cualquier metaIf you believe in yourself, you can achieve any goal
- La confianza en uno mismo es muy importante.Self confidence is very important.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing a job interview.
- DanielNo tengo mucha confianza en uno mismo hoy.I don't have much self confidence today.
- ElenaTú eres muy capaz, Daniel.You are very capable, Daniel.
- DanielGracias, Elena, pero estoy muy nervioso.Thanks, Elena, but I am very nervous.
- ElenaSolo respira y ten confianza en uno mismo.Just breathe and have self confidence.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries confianza, en, mismo, uno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
