incertidumbre
/inθeɾtiˈdumbɾe/feminine
The English phrase uncertainty is translated into Spanish as incertidumbre. Wiktionary also lists incerteza and incertitud.
Meaning: doubt, the condition of being uncertain (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| incertidumbre | /inθeɾtiˈdumbɾe/ /inseɾtiˈdumbɾe/ |
feminine |
| incerteza | /inθeɾˈteθa/ /inseɾˈtesa/ |
feminine |
| incertitud | /inθeɾtitud/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /inseɾtitud/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| incertinidad | /inθeɾtinidad/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /inseɾtinidad/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The term refers to doubt or the condition of being uncertain. To express uncertainty in other ways, you might use the adverb posiblemente (possibly) or probablemente (probably). In informal speech, you can use the colloquial expression A lo mejor to express uncertainty or the informal phrase Quién sabe to mean "who knows?"
Which one should you use?
While several forms refer to uncertainty, incertidumbre is the most common and standard term used in both formal and everyday Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun incertidumbre is feminine and requires the feminine article la when used in the singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/inθeɾtiˈdumbɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly use incertitud because it resembles the English word 'uncertainty', but incertidumbre is the correct standard form.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, uncertainty is often expressed through the 'subjunctive mood' in verbs rather than by using a specific noun. A speaker will change the verb ending to signal doubt, a grammatical feature that does not exist in the same way in English.
- Spanish speakers often use the phrase no tener ni idea to express a total lack of certainty. Literally meaning 'to not even have an idea', it is a far more common way to convey uncertainty in daily life than using the formal noun incertidumbre.
- The root of cierto traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root for 'separating' or 'distinguishing', implying that being certain means having clearly distinguished facts.
Examples in context
- Está llena de incertidumbre.She's full of uncertainty.This sentence shows how to describe a person being full of incertidumbre.Tatoeba #11948822 by Eremon, translation #8533334 by sundown
- La guerra crea incertidumbre.War creates uncertainty.This sentence illustrates how war creates incertidumbre.Tatoeba #11948815 by Eremon, translation #11205406 by sundown
- La incertidumbre no duró mucho.The uncertainty didn't last long.This sentence demonstrates how to say that the incertidumbre did not last long.Tatoeba #11948824 by Eremon, translation #9694777 by CK
- Quizás lleguen más tarde a la reunión.Maybe they will arrive later to the meeting.
- Tal vez no podamos completar el proyecto a tiempo.Perhaps we won't be able to complete the project on time.
- Es posible que el vuelo se retrase debido al mal clima.It is possible that the flight will be delayed due to bad weather.
- A lo mejor salimos a cenar más tarde.We might go out for dinner later.
- ¿Hace buen tiempo para ir a la playa? Quién sabe, es posible.Is the weather good for going to the beach? Who knows, it's possible.
- Probablemente lleguen tarde a la fiesta.They will probably arrive late to the party.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing their new job offers.
- Mateo¿Ya sabes si te darán el empleo?Do you know yet if they will give you the job?
- ElenaNo, todavía hay mucha incertidumbre con el contrato.No, there is still a lot of uncertainty with the contract.
- MateoEntiendo, esa incertidumbre es muy estresante.I understand, that uncertainty is very stressful.
- ElenaSí, espero tener noticias pronto.Yes, I hope to have news soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncertainty” translations and entries incertidumbre, incerteza, incertitud, incertinidad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries incerteza, incertidumbre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
