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How to Say "seriously" in Spanish

English → Spanish

seriamente

se-ri-a-MEN-teseˈɾjamen̪te

adverbA2
Use 'seriamente' when you mean 'in a serious manner' or 'not joking,' often describing someone's expression or tone of voice.
A young child with a serious, focused expression sitting at a small wooden desk, concentrating intently on drawing with a crayon.

Examples

Ella me miró seriamente y me preguntó si estaba bien.

She looked at me seriously and asked me if I was okay.

Tienes que tomarte el trabajo seriamente si quieres un ascenso.

You have to take the job seriously if you want a raise.

Hablamos seriamente sobre el futuro de la empresa.

We spoke seriously about the future of the company.

Adverbs ending in -mente

Most Spanish adverbs that describe how something is done are formed by adding '-mente' (like English '-ly') to the feminine form of an adjective (e.g., 'seria' + 'mente' = 'seriamente').

Using the Adjective instead of the Adverb

Mistake: “Hablamos serio.”

Correction: Hablamos seriamente. (You need the '-mente' ending to describe the verb 'hablar'.)

gravemente

grah-beh-MEN-tehɡɾaβeˈmente

adverbB1
Choose 'gravemente' when referring to something negative with significant consequences, especially concerning health, injury, or damage.
A sad teddy bear lying in a small bed with a bandage wrapped around its head and a thermometer in its mouth.

Examples

El pasajero resultó gravemente herido en el accidente.

The passenger was seriously injured in the accident.

La sequía ha afectado gravemente a las cosechas este año.

The drought has severely affected the crops this year.

El director habló gravemente sobre el futuro de la empresa.

The director spoke gravely about the company's future.

The '-mente' Ending

This word is formed by taking the feminine form of the adjective 'grave' and adding '-mente.' It works exactly like adding '-ly' to an English adjective to describe how an action happens.

Where to Put It

In Spanish, adverbs like 'gravemente' usually come right after the verb they describe (e.g., 'sufrió gravemente') to keep the meaning clear.

Grave vs. Gravemente

Mistake: “Está gravemente.”

Correction: Está grave.

fíjate

interjectionB1informal
Use 'fíjate' as an interjection to draw attention to a surprising or remarkable fact, similar to 'look!' or 'imagine!' in English.

Examples

Fíjate, ¡ganaron la lotería después de comprar un solo billete!

Can you believe it? They won the lottery after buying just one ticket!

Avoiding 'Seriamente' vs. 'Gravemente'

Learners often confuse 'seriamente' and 'gravemente'. Remember, 'seriamente' describes a manner (not joking), while 'gravemente' describes the severity of an outcome, especially negative ones like injury or damage.

Related Translations

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