confesar
“confesar” means “to confess” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to confess, to admit
Also: to own up
📝 In Action
El ladrón confesó su crimen a la policía.
A2The thief confessed his crime to the police.
Debo confesar que no me gustó la película.
B1I must admit that I didn't like the movie.
Ella confiesa la verdad solo cuando la presionan.
B2She only reveals the truth when they pressure her.
to go to confession
Also: to confess oneself
📝 In Action
Antes de la Pascua, muchas personas se confiesan.
B1Before Easter, many people go to confession.
Mi abuela se confiesa todos los meses.
B2My grandmother confesses (goes to confession) every month.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: confesar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the E>IE stem change for 'confesar'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin verb *confessari*, which is an intensified form of *confiteri*, meaning 'to acknowledge' or 'to admit fully'. It has always carried the meaning of openly declaring something, often a fault or belief.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'confesar' a regular verb?
No, 'confesar' is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the 'e' changes to 'ie' in most forms (like 'confieso' and 'confiesas'), but the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms are regular.
How do I use 'confesar' when talking about revealing a secret?
You use the standard form: 'Él confesó su secreto.' (He confessed his secret.) If you want to say 'I must confess,' you can use the phrase 'Debo confesar que...' followed by what you are admitting.