Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| sûr | /syʁ/ (Europe) /sʏʁ/ (Canada) |
| certain | /sɛʁ.tɛ̃/ /sɛʁ.tɛ.n‿/ |
The adjective is used to describe being certain in one's knowledge or belief. When expressing certainty about something, you must use the preposition de after the verb, such as in Je suis sûr de moi (I am sure of myself).
Which one should you use?
While sûr and certain are often interchangeable, certain can sometimes feel slightly more formal or imply a mathematical or objective certainty.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the person who is certain. Use sûr for a man, sûre for a woman, sûrs for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and sûres for a group consisting only of women.
How do you pronounce it?
/syʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget the circumflex accent on the 'u' in sûr. Without it, the word can be confused with other forms.
Did you know?
- Removing the circumflex accent from sûr creates the word sur, which means 'on'.
- While sûr means 'sure' in a mental sense, it is also used as 'safe' in contexts like un endroit sûr meaning 'a safe place'.
- The word sûr descends from the Latin sēcūrus, which literally means 'without care' or 'carefree'.
Examples in context
- Tu es sûr ?Are you sure?This is useful for asking if someone is sure.Tatoeba #10672751 by AutoBot, translation #1326 by brauliobezerra
- Tu en es sûr?Do you know that for sure?This is useful for asking if someone knows something for certain.Tatoeba #7830965 by JeanM, translation #2644580 by CK
- En es-tu sûre ?Are you sure about this?This is useful for asking if a woman is sure about something.Tatoeba #1112308 by sacredceltic, translation #1112296 by Scott
- 1997 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing the time of a meeting.
- GabrielLe rendez-vous est à dix heures, je suis sûr.The appointment is at ten o'clock, I am sure.
- EmmaTu es sûr ? Je croyais que c'était à onze heures.Are you sure? I thought it was at eleven.
- GabrielOui, j'ai vérifié le message tout à l'heure.Yes, I checked the message a while ago.
- EmmaD'accord, alors on part maintenant.Okay, then we are leaving now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sure” translations and entries sûr, certain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries certain, sûr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
