French word

certes

Pronunciation

IPA/sɛʁt/

Meaning

  • adverbcertainly

Example

Je suis, certes, fatigué.

I am certainly tired.

Illustration for certes (certainly)

More examples

Certes, il a raison, mais il faut vérifier.

Certainly, he is right, but it is necessary to check.

Core concept

A speaker places one acknowledged fact on the table before turning to a contrasting point.

Similar words

bien sûr: It strongly affirms something accepted as obvious.
certainement: It expresses clear agreement without any doubt.
assurément: It states something with complete confidence.
en effet: It confirms that a preceding statement is factual or provides a reason for it.

Definition in French

Se place souvent en tête de phrase ou en incise pour concéder un point puis introduire une opposition ; se combine fréquemment avec « mais », « cependant » ou « toutefois ».

Word origin

Certes comes from Latin certe, an adverb related to certus, and developed through medieval French into its modern concessive use.

Usage tips

  • In modern prose, certes is formal and commonly appears in the pattern certes..., mais... .

Other meanings

  • admittedlyadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word