In Spanish, there’s no one-size-fits-all translation for the word sure. Depending on the situation, you might use claro, seguro, or other expressions. In this blog, we’ll clear up the confusion and help you understand exactly when to use each one so you can sound like a native speaker! 👇🏻
The truth is… there isn’t only one! In Spanish, the choice depends on what you really mean. If you want to show quick agreement ✅ you’ll probably say claro. If you want to express certainty 🔒 then seguro is your word. And if you want something more formal 🎩 you might use cierto or por supuesto. You’ll see them in the next sections.
👍 Does “claro” mean “sure”?
Absolutely! Claro literally means “clear”, but in everyday conversations it’s used just like sure! or of course. Claro is for agreeing or confirming something ✅, not really for saying you’re 100% certain about a fact.
👩 ¿Quieres una cerveza? 🍺
👨 ¡Claro!
It’s super common in Spain and sounds very natural. If you want to sound even more enthusiastic, you can say claro que sí. Apart from claro que sí, you’ll also hear claro que no when someone wants to strongly deny something.
👩 ¿Vienes mañana a la fiesta? 🎉
👨 ¡Claro que sí!
👩 ¿Vas a trabajar toda la tarde? 👷🏻
👨 ¡Claro que no! Voy a descansar un rato.
👉 Heads-up: Another very common phrase is está claro (it’s clear / it’s obvious). It is used to indicate that something is obvious or evident, as if there’s no doubt about it.
👩 ¿Crees que va a llover hoy? ☔
👨 Está claro, el cielo está muy gris.
Yes — but with a different flavour. Seguro is the word you use when you want to express certainty 🫡 or when you want to check someone’s certainty, not just agreement. You can also hear ¡seguro que sí! (definitely!) and ¡seguro que no! (definitely not!).
👩 ¿Crees que mañana será el examen sorpresa?📝
👨 Estoy seguro.
👩 ¿Vendrá María a la biblioteca?📖
👨 ¡Seguro que no! Está enferma.
But... what happens when you are not totally sure about? 😖 You can use por si acaso (just in case).
👩 ¿Vas a traer abrigo? 🧥
👨 Sí, por si acaso hace frío.
❓How to ask if someone is sure in Spanish
This one is easy! You just say ¿Estás seguro? (to a man) or ¿Estás segura? (to a woman). In casual conversations, people often drop the verb and just say ¿Seguro? which sounds quick and natural. Another option you’ll hear a lot is ¿De verdad? (Really?), that could have a surprise overtone.
👩 Ya he cerrado la puerta.🚪
👨 ¿Estás seguro?
👩 He visto a Brad Pitt en el supermercado. 🛒
👨 ¿De verdad?
So now you know how to say sure in Spanish depending on the situation. Use claro ✅ for agreement and friendliness, seguro 🔒 when you want to express certainty, and ask ¿Estás seguro? ❓ or ¿De verdad?🧐 when you want to check if someone is sure. And don’t forget the extra expressions like ¡claro que sí! 🎊, ¡seguro que no! 🚫, or está claro 👀, which will make you sound even more like a native speaker. 😎💬🎉
💬✨ Your turn! Show off your Spanish skills!
Write a comment below with your own example using claro ✅ or seguro🔒
Let’s see how you use these words in real life! 🎉🗣️