Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
True in Spanish: Verdadero
Verdadero · adjective · behr-dah-DEH-roh
True in Spanish is verdadero when used as an adjective (a true story, a true friend) and cierto when meaning correct or certain. The noun form is verdad (truth), which also appears in the everyday tag question ¿verdad? (right?). Together, these three words cover every shade of 'true' in English.
Pronounce verdadero as behr-dah-DEH-roh, with four syllables and the stress on the third.
Es un verdadero amigo en las buenas y en las malas.
He's a true friend in good times and bad.
True in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for true, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| verdadero | true | behr-dah-DEH-roh | Default, widely understood |
| cierto | true | true, certain, correct | |
| verdad | true | noun form: truth |
How Native Speakers Use Verdadero
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing authenticity
Esta es la verdadera historia de cómo se fundó la empresa.
This is the true story of how the company was founded.
Verdadera agrees in gender with historia (feminine).
Confirming a fact
Es cierto que mañana no hay clases.
It's true that there are no classes tomorrow.
Cierto works for factual confirmation — something that is correct or verified.
Asking for confirmation
Te gustó la película, ¿verdad?
You liked the movie, right?
¿Verdad? at the end of a statement is a universal Spanish tag question.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Verdadero
Using verdad as an adjective
Incorrect: Es una historia verdad.
Correct: Es una historia verdadera.
Verdad is a noun meaning 'truth.' To modify a noun, you need the adjective form verdadera or verdadero, which agrees in gender with the noun it describes.
Confusing cierto with seguro
Incorrect: ¿Estás cierto de que viene hoy?
Correct: ¿Estás seguro de que viene hoy?
Cierto means 'true' or 'certain' when describing facts, but when asking if someone is sure, the correct adjective is seguro. Estar cierto is not used in modern Spanish.
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Common Questions About True in Spanish
- How do you say true in Spanish?
- True as an adjective is verdadero (masculine) or verdadera (feminine). When confirming a fact, es cierto means 'it's true.' The noun truth is verdad.
- What is the difference between verdadero and cierto?
- Verdadero emphasizes authenticity and genuineness — a true friend, a true story. Cierto emphasizes factual accuracy — it's true that she arrived, it's certain. While they overlap in some contexts, verdadero carries a deeper sense of realness.
- How do you use verdad as a question tag?
- Adding ¿verdad? to the end of any statement turns it into a question seeking confirmation, similar to 'right?' or 'isn't it?' in English. For example, hace calor hoy, ¿verdad? means 'it's hot today, right?' It works regardless of the verb tense or subject.