asegurarnos
“asegurarnos” means “to make sure (ourselves)” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to make sure (ourselves), to ensure (ourselves)Also: to check (ourselves)
📝 In Action
Debemos asegurarnos de que la puerta esté cerrada antes de salir.
A2We must make sure the door is closed before leaving.
Queremos asegurarnos de entender todas las instrucciones.
B1We want to ensure we understand all the instructions.
Antes de firmar, necesitamos asegurarnos de que todo esté correcto.
B2Before signing, we need to guarantee that everything is correct.
Word Connections
to insure ourselvesAlso: to get insurance (for us)
📝 In Action
Necesitamos asegurarnos contra posibles inundaciones.
B2We need to insure ourselves against possible floods.
Decidimos asegurarnos con la compañía más barata.
C1We decided to get insurance with the cheapest company.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: asegurarnos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'asegurarnos' to mean 'to make sure/check'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The verb 'asegurar' comes from the Latin word 'securus,' meaning 'safe' or 'free from care.' When you 'asegurar' something, you are making it safe or certain. The attached 'nos' simply means that 'we' are performing this action for 'ourselves.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the pronoun 'nos' attached to the end of the verb?
When a Spanish verb is in its basic infinitive form (the '-ar, -er, or -ir' form), and it needs a pronoun like 'me,' 'te,' or 'nos,' that pronoun is attached directly to the end. This is common when the infinitive follows another conjugated verb (e.g., 'Podemos + asegurarnos').
Does 'asegurarnos' always require the word 'de' afterward?
For the meaning 'to make sure that...' (Definition 1), yes, it almost always requires 'de que' before the next part of the sentence. For the meaning 'to insure ourselves' (Definition 2), it often uses 'contra' (against) or directly names the thing being insured.