How to Say "to confirm" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to confirm” is “confirmar” — use this when you need to verify a piece of information or make a reservation definite.
confirmar
kon-fir-MARkon.fiɾˈmaɾ
Examples
¿Puedes confirmar si el correo electrónico es correcto?
Can you confirm if the email is correct?
El presidente confirmó los rumores sobre la nueva ley.
The president confirmed the rumors about the new law.
Ella confirmó su versión de los hechos ante el juez.
She affirmed her version of the facts before the judge.
Necesito llamar al hotel para confirmar mi reserva.
I need to call the hotel to confirm my reservation.
Direct Use
Unlike some verbs, 'confirmar' usually takes a direct object (the thing being confirmed) without needing extra prepositions: 'Confirmo el pago' (I confirm the payment).
Reflexive Form (Confirmarse)
When used reflexively, 'confirmarse' often means 'to be confirmed' or 'to become official,' focusing on the status change: 'El evento se confirmó ayer' (The event was confirmed yesterday).
Using 'de' incorrectly
Mistake: “Voy a confirmar de la reserva.”
Correction: Voy a confirmar la reserva. ('Confirmar' acts directly on the noun.)
afirmar
ah-fear-MAHRa.fiɾˈmaɾ
Examples
Afirmó que había estado allí.
He affirmed that he had been there.
El testigo afirmó la verdad de su declaración.
The witness confirmed the truth of his statement.
—¿Estás seguro? —Afirmativo, estoy seguro.
—Are you sure? —Yes, I'm sure.
Saying yes firmly
In informal Spanish, people often say '¡Afirmativo!' (affirmative) or just 'Afirm' as a casual way to say yes, similar to 'yeah!' in English.
Confusing afirmar with afirmar
Mistake: “Using 'afirmar' when you mean 'to make something firm physically'”
Correction: Use 'asegurar' or 'fijar' for the physical meaning (to secure/attach something).
constatar
kohn-stah-TAHRkonstaˈtaɾ
Examples
Pudimos constatar que el motor no funcionaba.
We were able to verify that the motor wasn't working.
El informe permite constatar la mejoría de la economía.
The report allows us to note the improvement in the economy.
Los médicos pudieron constatar la recuperación del paciente.
The doctors were able to confirm the patient's recovery.
Using 'que' after constatar
This verb is almost always followed by the word 'que' (meaning 'that') when you are describing a fact you observed, like 'Constatamos que el precio subió' (We noted that the price went up).
Passive Construction
In news reports, you will often see 'se pudo constatar' (it could be verified). This is a common way to state a fact without saying exactly who verified it.
Confusing with English 'constate'
Mistake: “Using 'constatar' only in legal contexts.”
Correction: In Spanish, 'constatar' is used daily in business and news to mean 'confirming' or 'noticing' facts, even if 'constate' is rare in English.
Mixing up with manifestar
Mistake: “Saying 'constatar' when you simply mean 'to state' or 'to say'.”
Correction: Use 'constatar' only when there is evidence or an observation involved. Use 'decir' or 'manifestar' if you are just speaking.
corroborar
ko-rro-bo-RAHRkoroβoˈɾaɾ
Examples
El ADN sirvió para corroborar la identidad del sospechoso.
The DNA served to corroborate the suspect's identity.
Varios testigos pueden corroborar mi versión de los hechos.
Several witnesses can back up my version of the events.
Los resultados del experimento corroboran nuestra hipótesis inicial.
The experiment results confirm our initial hypothesis.
Direct Action Word
This verb acts directly on the thing being confirmed. You don't need a middle word like 'with' in Spanish; just say 'corroborar la historia'.
Formal Tone
While 'confirmar' is used for every day things like flight bookings, 'corroborar' is reserved for serious situations like science experiments or legal cases.
Confusing with 'Colaborar'
Mistake: “Necesito colaborar tu historia.”
Correction: Necesito corroborar tu historia. 'Colaborar' means to work together; 'corroborar' means to prove a fact.
reafirmar
rray-ah-feer-MARreafiɾˈmaɾ
Examples
El gobierno decidió reafirmar su compromiso con el medio ambiente.
The government decided to reassert its commitment to the environment.
Ella reafirmó sus palabras durante la reunión.
She restated her words during the meeting.
Necesito reafirmar mi postura ante este problema.
I need to confirm my stance on this problem.
Making it personal with 'se'
When you want to say someone is standing firm in their own opinion, you add 'se' (reafirmarse). For example: 'Él se reafirmó en su idea' (He stood by his idea).
It's a regular '-ar' verb
Good news! It follows the exact same pattern as 'hablar' or 'cantar' in all tenses.
Adding an unnecessary 'de'
Mistake: “Reafirmo de que es verdad.”
Correction: Reafirmo que es verdad. (You don't need 'de' before 'que' with this verb).
contrastar
kohn-trahs-TAHRkontɾasˈtaɾ
Examples
El periodista debe contrastar la noticia antes de publicarla.
The journalist must verify the news story before publishing it.
Hemos contrastado los datos con tres fuentes distintas.
We have cross-checked the data with three different sources.
Es vital contrastar los resultados del experimento.
It is vital to confirm the results of the experiment.
Verifying 'Against' something
Even in this professional sense, you still use 'con' to indicate what source you are checking the information against.
Confusing with 'Confirmar'
Mistake: “Contraste que la puerta estaba cerrada.”
Correction: Confirmé que la puerta estaba cerrada. Why? Contrastar involves comparing two pieces of data to see if they match or differ; confirming is just checking if something is true.
Confirmar vs. Afirmar
Related Translations
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