Inklingo

How to Say "a certain" in Spanish

The Spanish word for “a certain” is “cierto” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1

cierto

AdjectiveB1
referring to a specific but unnamed thing
A row of five identical, gray, closed boxes sits on a shelf. Only one single box is softly illuminated by a warm spotlight, suggesting a specific, but unnamed item.

Examples

Cierto día, recibí una carta misteriosa.

A certain day, I received a mysterious letter.

Hay cierta persona en la oficina que siempre llega tarde.

There's a certain person in the office who always arrives late.

Ciertas reglas no se pueden romper.

Certain rules cannot be broken.

Position Matters: Use BEFORE the Noun

To talk about 'a certain' person or thing without naming them, 'cierto' goes before the noun. For example, 'un cierto amigo' means 'a certain friend'.

Mixing up the two meanings

Mistake: “Un amigo cierto me dijo...”

Correction: Say 'Cierto amigo me dijo...' (A certain friend told me...). Placing 'cierto' after the noun ('un amigo cierto') would mean 'a true friend', which sounds a bit unusual.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.