oficialmente
o-fi-sial-MEN-te
📝 In Action
La reunión se canceló oficialmente esta mañana.
B1The meeting was officially canceled this morning.
Necesitamos que la información sea confirmada oficialmente por la oficina central.
B2We need the information to be officially confirmed by the central office.
Oficialmente, el plazo termina el viernes, pero podemos esperar hasta el lunes.
A2Officially, the deadline ends on Friday, but we can wait until Monday.
💡 Grammar Points
Adverb Formation
This word is an adverb, which means it tells you HOW an action is done. In Spanish, many adverbs are formed by taking the feminine form of an adjective ('oficial' is the same for both genders, but imagine 'rápida') and adding '-mente'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Adjective Instead
Mistake: "La reunión fue oficial cancelada."
Correction: La reunión fue oficialmente cancelada. Always use the '-mente' form when modifying a verb (like 'cancelada').
⭐ Usage Tips
Placement is Flexible
Like many Spanish adverbs, 'oficialmente' can often be placed at the beginning of the sentence ('Oficialmente, no hay cambios'), after the verb it modifies ('Fue anunciado oficialmente'), or sometimes even after the object.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: oficialmente
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'oficialmente'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'oficial' and 'oficialmente'?
'Oficial' is an adjective, meaning it describes a person or thing (e.g., 'la hora oficial' - the official time). 'Oficialmente' is an adverb, meaning it describes an action or verb (e.g., 'anunciar oficialmente' - to announce officially).
Does 'oficialmente' always refer to the government or rules?
While it often relates to formal rules or government actions, it can also just mean 'according to the established plan' or 'publicly known,' even in casual contexts, like 'Oficialmente, no hemos roto, pero ya no hablamos' (Officially, we haven't broken up, but we don't talk anymore).