Today’s Spanish word of the day is “cierto”.
It’s an adjective meaning “true”, “certain” or “some”.
It’s often used with the verb “ser” (“to be”) to say that something is true, for example:
- Es cierto que el sol siempre sale por el este. – It’s true that the sun always rises in the east.
When used after a noun, it usually means “true”, for example:
- Esa historia no es cierta. – That story is not true.
When used before a noun, it usually means “certain” or “some”, for example:
- Ciertas historias son falsas. – Certain/Some stories are false.
The word “cierto” comes from Latin certus, meaning “sure” or “fixed”. This is also the root of several English words including “certain” and “certify”.
Example sentences
No estoy seguro de que eso sea cierto.
I’m not sure if that’s true.
Ciertas personas prefieren el frío al calor.
Some people prefer cold to heat.
En cierto modo, tienes razón.
In a [certain] way, you’re right.
Ciertos estudios han demostrado que el ejercicio mejora la salud mental.
Certain studies have shown that exercise improves mental health.
¿Es cierto que vas a mudarte a otro país?
Is it true that you’re moving to another country?
