How to Say "earnest" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “earnest” is “serio” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Mi profesor de historia es muy serio, casi nunca se ríe.
My history teacher is very serious, he almost never laughs.
Ponte serio, estamos hablando de algo importante.
Get serious, we're talking about something important.
Aunque parece serio, en realidad es muy amable.
Although he seems serious, he's actually very kind.
Matches the Person or Thing It Describes
Like most describing words in Spanish, 'serio' changes to match the gender and number of what it's describing: 'el hombre serio' (the serious man), 'la mujer seria' (the serious woman), 'los niños serios' (the serious children), 'las niñas serias' (the serious girls).
Using 'Ser' vs. 'Estar'
Mistake: “Confusing 'ser serio' and 'estar serio'.”
Correction: Use 'ser serio' to describe someone's personality (it's who they are). Use 'estar serio' to describe someone's current mood (it's how they are right now). 'Él es serio' (He is a serious person). 'Él está serio' (He is being serious at this moment).
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