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How to Say "seriously" in Spanish

English → Spanish

seriamente

/se-ri-a-MEN-te//seˈɾjamen̪te/

adverbA2
Use 'seriamente' when you mean 'in a serious manner' or 'not joking', describing how an action is performed.
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 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'.)

fíjate

interjectionB1informal
Use 'fíjate' to express surprise, disbelief, or to emphasize a remarkable fact, similar to 'look at this!' or 'can you believe it?'.

Examples

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

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

Adverb vs. Interjection

Learners often confuse 'seriamente' and 'fíjate' by using the adverbial 'seriamente' when they intend to express surprise or draw attention. Remember, 'seriamente' modifies a verb (how something is done), while 'fíjate' interjects to highlight something astonishing.

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