A1 Expression Neutre 1 min de lecture

Sei sicuro?

Are you sure?

Entraîne-toi

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The essential Italian way to ask 'Are you sure?' and double-check any decision or fact.

  • Means: 'Are you sure?' used to verify someone's confidence in a statement.
  • Used in: Confirming plans, checking facts, or expressing mild disbelief in conversation.
  • Don't confuse: Remember to change the ending to 'sicura' when talking to a woman.
🤔 + 🗣️ = Sei sicuro?

Explication à ton niveau :

At this level, 'Sei sicuro?' is a simple formula. You learn it as a fixed phrase to ask for confirmation. You only need to remember to change the ending for a man (-o) or a woman (-a). It's used for basic things like checking the time or a simple plan.
You start to use 'Sei sicuro di...' followed by an infinitive verb, like 'Sei sicuro di uscire?'. You also learn the plural forms 'Siete sicuri?' and begin to use 'ne' to sound more like a native speaker ('Ne sei sicuro?').
Intermediate learners use the phrase to express nuances of doubt. You might use it in the past tense: 'Eri sicuro?' (Were you sure?). You also start to understand the difference between 'sicuro' and 'certo' in different social contexts and registers.
At this stage, you master the use of 'sicuro' with the subjunctive mood in dependent clauses, such as 'Non ero sicuro che venissi'. You can use the phrase sarcastically or to imply a deeper level of skepticism in complex debates.
Advanced learners analyze 'sicuro' as an epistemic marker. You understand how it functions to modulate the truth-value of a statement. You can use it in formal writing or academic contexts to discuss the reliability of data or historical facts.
Near-native mastery involves using 'Sei sicuro?' with perfect prosody to convey subtle emotional states—from deep empathy to biting irony. You understand the philosophical implications of 'sicurezza' in Italian literature and political discourse, using the term with absolute precision.

Signification

Checking someone's certainty.

🌍

Contexte culturel

Italians often use 'Sei sicuro?' as a way to start a friendly argument. It's not necessarily a sign of distrust, but a way to engage more deeply in the topic. In the south, the phrase might be accompanied by a specific hand gesture—the 'hand purse' (fingertips together, moving up and down)—to emphasize the 'What are you saying?' aspect. In meetings, 'È sicuro?' (formal) is used to test the reliability of a proposal. It's a way of asking for more data or a stronger commitment. Younger Italians might use 'Sicuro?' sarcastically when a friend says something obvious or something they clearly don't believe.

💡

The 'Ne' Trick

Adding 'ne' (Ne sei sicuro?) makes you sound much more like a native speaker. It's a small word that adds a lot of polish.

⚠️

Gender Matters

Don't forget to change the ending! Italians will understand you if you say 'sicuro' to a woman, but it will sound very 'foreign'.

💡

The 'Ne' Trick

Adding 'ne' (Ne sei sicuro?) makes you sound much more like a native speaker. It's a small word that adds a lot of polish.

⚠️

Gender Matters

Don't forget to change the ending! Italians will understand you if you say 'sicuro' to a woman, but it will sound very 'foreign'.

🎯

Intonation is Key

A rising intonation at the end makes it a question. A flat intonation with a nod makes it a statement of agreement: 'Sicuro.' (Sure/Certainly).

Teste-toi

You are talking to a woman named Maria. Which is correct?

Maria, _______?

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : sei sicura

Since Maria is female, you must use the feminine ending '-a'.

Complete the sentence to ask 'Are you sure about it?'

___ sei sicuro?

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Ne

'Ne' is the particle used to mean 'about it' in this context.

Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.

A: 'Vado a piedi a Roma da Milano.' B: '________? Sono 600 chilometri!'

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Sei sicuro

The speaker is expressing disbelief at a crazy plan, so 'Are you sure?' is the best fit.

Match the phrase to the formality level.

1. È sicuro? 2. Sei sicuro? 3. Sicuro?

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : A. Formal, B. Neutral, C. Informal

'È' is the formal 'Lei' form, 'Sei' is the neutral 'tu' form, and dropping the verb is informal.

🎉 Score : /4

Aides visuelles

Gender & Number Agreement for 'Sicuro'

👨

Masculine

  • • Singular: Sicuro
  • • Plural: Sicuri
👩

Feminine

  • • Singular: Sicura
  • • Plural: Sicure

Banque d exercices

5 exercices
Choisis la bonne réponse Fill Blank

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :
You are talking to a woman named Maria. Which is correct? Choose A1

Maria, _______?

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : sei sicura

Since Maria is female, you must use the feminine ending '-a'.

Complete the sentence to ask 'Are you sure about it?' Fill Blank A2

___ sei sicuro?

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Ne

'Ne' is the particle used to mean 'about it' in this context.

Complete the dialogue with the most natural response. dialogue_completion A1

A: 'Vado a piedi a Roma da Milano.' B: '________? Sono 600 chilometri!'

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Sei sicuro

The speaker is expressing disbelief at a crazy plan, so 'Are you sure?' is the best fit.

Match the phrase to the formality level. situation_matching A2

1. È sicuro? 2. Sei sicuro? 3. Sicuro?

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : A. Formal, B. Neutral, C. Informal

'È' is the formal 'Lei' form, 'Sei' is the neutral 'tu' form, and dropping the verb is informal.

🎉 Score : /5

Questions fréquentes

4 questions

Yes, it's very common in informal speech, similar to just saying 'Sure?' in English.

'Sicuro' is more common for personal feelings and daily plans. 'Certo' is slightly more formal and implies a factual certainty.

You use the 'voi' form: 'Siete sicuri?' (for a mixed group or all men) or 'Siete sicure?' (for all women).

No, it's generally neutral. However, your tone of voice can make it sound skeptical or supportive.

Expressions liées

🔄

Ne sei certo?

synonym

Are you certain about it?

🔗

Dici sul serio?

similar

Are you serious?

🔗

Davvero?

similar

Really?

🔗

Non sono sicuro

contrast

I am not sure

🔗

Sicuramente

builds on

Surely / Definitely

Où l'utiliser

🍕

Ordering Food

Cameriere: Vuole la pizza con molto peperoncino?

Cliente: Sì, grazie.

Cameriere: Sei sicuro? È molto piccante!

informal
🚆

Travel Planning

Anna: Il treno parte dal binario 4.

Luca: Sei sicura? Sul biglietto c'è scritto binario 9.

neutral
🛍️

Shopping

Marta: Compro queste scarpe gialle.

Sara: Sei sicura? Non si abbinano a niente!

informal
💼

Work Meeting

Capo: Possiamo finire il progetto entro domani?

Dipendente: Sì, penso di sì.

Capo: È sicuro? Abbiamo una scadenza importante.

formal
❤️

Dating

Giulia: Ti amo.

Paolo: Sei sicura? Ci conosciamo da due giorni!

informal
⚽

Sports

Tifoso 1: La Juve vince stasera, ne sono certo.

Tifoso 2: Sei sicuro? L'Inter è molto forte quest'anno.

informal

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Think of 'SECURE'. If you are 'SECURE' in your answer, you are 'SICURO'.

Association visuelle

Imagine a person standing on a solid rock in the middle of a shaky bridge. The rock is 'sicuro' (safe/sure), while the bridge is uncertain.

Rhyme

Sei sicuro? Non fare il duro! (Are you sure? Don't act tough!)

Story

Marco is ordering a pizza with pineapple in Rome. The waiter looks at him with wide eyes and asks, 'Sei sicuro?'. Marco realizes his mistake and changes his order to a classic Margherita. The waiter nods, now 'sicuro' that Marco won't be disappointed.

In Other Languages

In Spanish, it's '¿Estás seguro?', which is almost identical. In English, we use 'sure', which shares the same Latin root as 'secure'.

Word Web

sicurezzasicuramenteassicurarerassicurareincertodubbiocertoverità

Défi

Today, every time you make a decision (even a small one like picking a coffee), ask yourself in the mirror: 'Sei sicuro?' or 'Sei sicura?'.

Review this phrase today, in 3 days, and in one week. Focus on the -o/-a gender switch.

Prononciation

Accent The stress is on the second syllable of 'sicuro': si-KU-ro.

Sounds like the English word 'say' but with a shorter 'i' sound.

The 'i' is like 'ee' in 'see', 'u' is like 'oo' in 'boot', and the 'r' is slightly flipped.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
È sicuro/a?

È sicuro/a? (General inquiry)

Neutre
Sei sicuro/a?

Sei sicuro/a? (General inquiry)

Informel
Sicuro/a?

Sicuro/a? (General inquiry)

Argot
Ma va?

Ma va? (General inquiry)

From the Latin 'securus', composed of 'se' (without) and 'cura' (care/worry).

Roman Era:
Middle Ages:
Modern Era:

Le savais-tu ?

The word 'insurance' in Italian is 'assicurazione', which comes from the same root—making things 'sure'.

Notes culturelles

Italians often use 'Sei sicuro?' as a way to start a friendly argument. It's not necessarily a sign of distrust, but a way to engage more deeply in the topic.

“Sei sicuro che questa sia la strada migliore? Io conosco una scorciatoia...”

In the south, the phrase might be accompanied by a specific hand gesture—the 'hand purse' (fingertips together, moving up and down)—to emphasize the 'What are you saying?' aspect.

“Ma che dici? Sei sicuro?!”

In meetings, 'È sicuro?' (formal) is used to test the reliability of a proposal. It's a way of asking for more data or a stronger commitment.

“È sicuro che i fornitori rispetteranno la consegna?”

Younger Italians might use 'Sicuro?' sarcastically when a friend says something obvious or something they clearly don't believe.

“A: 'Domani inizio la dieta.' B: 'Sicuro... come no!'”

Amorces de conversation

“

Ho intenzione di trasferirmi in Italia l'anno prossimo.

“

Penso che l'italiano sia la lingua più facile del mondo.

“

Stasera cucino io la pasta per tutti.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Sei sicuro? (to a woman)

✓

Sei sicura?

wrong conjugation
In Italian, adjectives must match the gender of the person. Using the masculine '-o' for a woman is a very common beginner mistake.

L1 Interference

0 1
✗

Tu sei sicuro?

✓

Sei sicuro?

wrong register
While not grammatically wrong, including the pronoun 'tu' is often unnecessary and makes you sound like a textbook. Italians usually drop the pronoun.

L1 Interference

0 1
✗

Sei sicuro per questo?

✓

Ne sei sicuro?

literal translation
Learners often try to translate 'Are you sure about this?' literally. In Italian, 'Ne sei sicuro?' is the idiomatic way to say it.

L1 Interference

0
✗

Sei sicuro che lui viene?

✓

Sei sicuro che lui venga?

wrong conjugation
In more advanced speech, 'sicuro che' often triggers the subjunctive mood. Using the indicative 'viene' is common in speech but technically incorrect in formal grammar.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

¿Estás seguro?

Spanish uses 'estar' while Italian uses 'essere'.

French Very Similar

Tu es sûr ?

French often requires the subject pronoun 'tu' more than Italian does.

German Very Similar

Bist du sicher?

German 'sicher' does not change for gender in this predicative position.

Japanese moderate

本当に？ (Hontō ni?)

Japanese focuses more on the truth of the statement than the state of the person.

Arabic moderate

هل أنت متأكد؟ (Hal anta muta'akkid?)

The sentence structure is more rigid and formal than the Italian 'Sei sicuro?'.

Chinese moderate

你确定吗？ (Nǐ quèdìng ma?)

Chinese has no gender agreement or verb conjugation.

Korean moderate

확실해? (Hwak-sil-hae?)

Korean formality levels are much more complex than Italian.

Portuguese moderate

Você tem certeza?

Italian uses 'to be' (sei), Portuguese uses 'to have' (tem).

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(1997)

“Sei sicuro? Ma proprio sicuro?”

Guido often uses this phrase when talking to his friend Ferruccio about their crazy plans in the city.

🎵

(2021)

“Sei sicuro di quello che dici?”

A line challenging the listener's perceptions and statements.

Facile à confondre

Sei sicuro? vs Sei in sicurezza?

Learners might think this means 'Are you sure?'.

This literally means 'Are you in safety?' (e.g., at a construction site).

Sei sicuro? vs Sei certo?

They are very similar, but 'certo' is more absolute.

Use 'sicuro' for daily things, 'certo' for facts or formal contexts.

Questions fréquentes (4)

Yes, it's very common in informal speech, similar to just saying 'Sure?' in English.

usage contexts

'Sicuro' is more common for personal feelings and daily plans. 'Certo' is slightly more formal and implies a factual certainty.

comparisons

You use the 'voi' form: 'Siete sicuri?' (for a mixed group or all men) or 'Siete sicure?' (for all women).

grammar mechanics

No, it's generally neutral. However, your tone of voice can make it sound skeptical or supportive.

cultural usage

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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