esto es verdad
/esto es beɾdad/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'this is true' is translated into Spanish as esto es verdad.
esto es verdad is a statement used to confirm that something is a fact or is accurate. In many contexts, the phrase can be shortened to just es verdad to mean 'it is true' or 'that's true' when the subject is implied by the conversation.
Which one should you use?
While esto es verdad means 'this is true', using esto es cierto is a common alternative that often carries a slightly more formal or objective connotation of 'this is certain/accurate'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word esto is a neuter demonstrative pronoun used to refer to an abstract concept, a situation or a whole statement rather than a specific masculine or feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/esto es beɾdad/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine demonstrative este instead of the neuter esto when referring to a general situation or a previously mentioned fact.
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, ¿verdad? is often added to the end of a sentence to act as a tag question, similar to saying 'right?' or 'isn't it?' in English.
- While esto es verdad confirms a fact, Spanish speakers may use de verdad as an intensifier to mean 'really' or 'honestly', such as saying me gusta de verdad for 'I really like it'.
- The word es is a cognate with the Sanskrit word अस्ति (ásti) and the English word 'is'. They all descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ésti.
Examples in context
- Nada de esto es verdad.None of this is true.This sentence is useful for showing how to negate the phrase using esto es verdad.Tatoeba #10193472 by DJ_Saidez, translation #2647109 by CK
- La información que he presentado es cierta.The information I have presented is true.
- La conclusión del informe es verdad.The conclusion of the report is true.
- Tus cálculos son correctos.Your calculations are correct.
- ¿Sabes que Juan y María están casados? – ¡Sí, claro!Did you know that Juan and María are married? – Yes, of course!
- Esta película es la mejor que he visto. – ¡Ni lo dudes!This movie is the best I've ever seen. – Don't even doubt it!
- Esto es verdad, aunque sea difícil de creer.This is true, even if it is hard to believe.
- Él dice que esto es verdad.He says that this is true.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing a news article.
- SofíaMira esta noticia, Sofía.Look at this news, Sofía.
- AlejandroParece increíble, pero esto es verdad.It seems incredible, but this is true.
- SofíaNo puedo creerlo.I can't believe it.
- AlejandroEs sorprendente, Alejandro.It is surprising, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, esto, verdad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
