serio
/ˈseɾjo/
The English word "serious" is translated into Spanish as serio.
Serio is used to describe someone or something that is without humor or an expression of happiness. It can also describe a person's demeanor as solemn. When you want to express that something is important or has gravity, more formal terms like Grave or Trascendental are often used.
Meaning: without humor or expression of happiness (adj)
Which one should you use?
While serio can refer to the importance of a situation, it is the primary word for describing a person's solemn demeanor or lack of a smile. If you want to describe the manner in which an action is performed, such as speaking seriously, use the adverb seriamente instead of the adjective.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, serio must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use the feminine form seria for feminine nouns, the masculine or mixed plural form serios for plural nouns and the feminine plural form serias for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈseɾjo/
Did you know?
- The Latin root sērius originally meant 'late' or 'delayed', a meaning that has been completely lost in the modern Spanish word serio.
- In some Latin American countries, the term serio can be used colloquially to describe something that is high quality or 'the real deal', such as a negocio serio being a legitimate and profitable business.
- While serio is common, Spanish uses the word sobrio to describe a person who is 'serious' in their style or dress, meaning understated and elegant.
Examples in context
- No voy en serio.I'm not serious.This sentence shows how to use serio to say one is not being serious.Tatoeba #1946115 by teskmon, translation #1139052 by soj4l
- No es nada serio.It's nothing serious.This sentence uses serio to describe a situation that is not serious.Tatoeba #1082586 by hayastan, translation #449019 by CK
- Tom se puso serio.Tom turned serious.This sentence shows how a person can become serio.Tatoeba #4364616 by pchamorro, translation #2238845 by CK
- El asunto es serioThe matter is serious
- La situación es graveThe situation is serious
- Es un asunto importanteIt's a serious matter
- El cambio climático es un problema trascendentalClimate change is a serious problem
- No lo dije en serioI didn't say it seriously
- Estoy hablando de verdadI'm speaking seriously
- Hoy está muy serioToday he's very serious
- Cuando habla de política, se pone muy serioWhen he talks about politics, he becomes very serious
- 112 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about a joke.
- SofíaJavier, ¿por qué estás tan serio?Javier, why are you so serious?
- JavierNo estoy serio, solo estoy cansado.I'm not serious, I'm just tired.
- SofíaParece que estás enojado.It looks like you are angry.
- JavierNo, todo está bien.No, everything is fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “serious” translations and entries serio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries serio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
