säker
The Swedish word for sure (certain in one's knowledge or belief) is säker.
säker is used to describe being certain in one's knowledge or belief. Depending on the context, it can also be used to mean 'safe' or 'secure'.
Meaning: certain in one's knowledge or belief (adj)
Which one should you use?
While säker describes a state of being certain, the related word självklart is used to express that something is obvious or a matter of course. When used as an interjection to mean 'of course', you may also use visst, jodå or självklart.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective säker must agree in gender with the noun it modifies: use säker for common gender nouns and säkert for neuter gender nouns. The plural form is säkra, which covers both the plural indefinite and the plural definite/plural common gender. To use the word as an adverb to modify a verb or describe how an action is performed, use the form säkert.
Did you know?
- The word säkert can be used as a filler word in conversation to mean 'probably' or 'most likely' rather than absolute certainty.
- The word säker shares a common ancestor with the English word 'secure', as both stem from the Latin 'securus' meaning 'without care'.
- In Swedish, the word självklart for 'obvious' literally translates to 'self-clear'.
Examples in context
- Är du helt säker?Are you really sure?This sentence shows how to ask if someone is completely sure using säker.Tatoeba #4317351 by richke, translation #3737922 by CK
- Är du säker, Tom?Are you sure, Tom?This sentence demonstrates how to ask a specific person if they are sure using säker.Tatoeba #4317365 by richke, translation #2648572 by CK
- Jag är helt säker!I'm absolutely sure!This sentence is used to express absolute certainty using säker.Tatoeba #893130 by Tximist, translation #272622 by CK
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oscar and Linnea are discussing a reservation at a restaurant.
- LinneaÄr du säker på att bordet är bokat?Are you sure the table is booked?
- OscarJa, jag är helt säker.Yes, I am completely sure.
- LinneaBra, då kan vi gå dit nu.Good, then we can go there now.
- OscarDet låter som en bra plan.That sounds like a good plan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sure” translations and entries säker, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries säker, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
