How to Say "true" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “true” is “verdadero” — use 'verdadero' for things that are factual and not false, or to describe someone as sincere and loyal..
verdadero
/ber-da-DE-ro//beɾðaˈðeɾo/
Examples
La historia que me contaste no es verdadera.
The story you told me is not true.
Es un hecho verdadero que el agua hierve a 100 grados Celsius.
It is a true fact that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Gracias por tu ayuda, eres un verdadero amigo.
Thanks for your help, you are a true friend.
¡Qué desastre! La fiesta fue un verdadero caos.
What a disaster! The party was a real chaos.
Matches the Noun
Like most describing words in Spanish, 'verdadero' changes to match the thing it's describing. Use 'verdadero' for masculine things, 'verdadera' for feminine things, and add an 's' for plural ('verdaderos', 'verdaderas').
Placement Matters: Before the Noun
When you use 'verdadero' to add emphasis (like 'a real problem'), you almost always put it BEFORE the noun. 'Un verdadero amigo' (a true/great friend) feels different from 'un amigo verdadero' (a friend who tells the truth).
Using 'verdadero' vs. 'verdad'
Mistake: “La historia es verdadero.”
Correction: La historia es verdadera. OR Es verdad. 'Verdadero' is a describing word (adjective), so it must match 'historia' (feminine). 'Verdad' is the thing itself (the noun 'truth'). You can say 'It is truth' (Es verdad) or 'The story is true' (La historia es verdadera).
real
/rreh-AHL//reˈal/
Examples
Esta es una historia real, no es una película.
This is a real story, it's not a movie.
En la vida real, las cosas son más complicadas.
In real life, things are more complicated.
¿Cuál es el costo real del proyecto?
What is the actual cost of the project?
Where It Goes in a Sentence
Like most descriptive words in Spanish, 'real' usually comes after the thing it's describing. For example, you say 'una historia real' (a story real), not 'una real historia'.
Stays the Same for Masculine and Feminine
Good news! 'Real' doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine things. It's 'un problema real' (a real problem) and 'una situación real' (a real situation). You just add an '-es' for plural things: 'problemas reales'.
Confusing 'realizar' with 'to realize'
Mistake: “Using 'realizar' when you mean you became aware of something, like 'Yo realicé que era tarde.'”
Correction: To say you 'realized' something in your head, use 'darse cuenta de'. The correct sentence is 'Me di cuenta de que era tarde.' The verb 'realizar' means to carry out or accomplish something.
cierto
/syerr-toh//ˈθjeɾto/
Examples
La historia que me contó es cierta.
The story he told me is true.
Es un hecho cierto que el sol sale por el este.
It is a certain fact that the sun rises in the east.
No estoy cierto de la hora, déjame revisar.
I'm not sure of the time, let me check.
Position Matters: Use AFTER the Noun
When you want to say something is 'true' or 'certain', 'cierto' comes after the person or thing it's describing. For example, 'una noticia cierta' is 'true news'.
Confusing 'Cierto' and 'Seguro'
Mistake: “Using 'cierto' to talk about feeling safe.”
Correction: 'Cierto' is about facts being true. 'Seguro' is for when you feel sure about something or when something is safe. Say 'Este lugar es seguro' (This place is safe), not 'cierto'.
auténtico
Examples
Este reloj es auténtico; lo compré en Suiza.
This watch is authentic; I bought it in Switzerland.
reales
reh-AH-lehs/reˈales/
Examples
Necesitamos soluciones reales, no promesas vacías.
We need real solutions, not empty promises.
Las cifras reales del estudio fueron impactantes.
The actual figures of the study were shocking.
Adjective Agreement
As an adjective, 'reales' must match the noun it describes in both gender and quantity. Since it ends in '-es', it is always plural.
Using the Singular Form
Mistake: “Los datos real.”
Correction: Los datos reales. (The data is plural, so the adjective must be plural.)
fiel
/fyél//fjel/
Examples
Mi perro es el animal más fiel que conozco.
My dog is the most faithful animal I know.
Hicieron una traducción fiel del documento original.
They made an accurate translation of the original document.
Ella fue una socia fiel de la empresa durante veinte años.
She was a loyal partner of the company for twenty years.
Gender Invariability
Unlike many Spanish adjectives, 'fiel' has the same form whether describing a masculine thing ('el amigo fiel') or a feminine thing ('la amiga fiel').
Plural Form
To make 'fiel' plural, simply add '-es': 'fieles'. This applies to both masculine and feminine nouns (e.g., 'amigos fieles', 'copias fieles').
Confusing Fiel and Leal
Mistake: “Using 'leal' when referring to accuracy (e.g., 'una copia leal').”
Correction: Use 'fiel' when talking about accuracy or truthfulness (e.g., 'una copia fiel'). 'Leal' is reserved almost exclusively for loyalty to a person or group.
leal
leh-AHL/leˈal/
Examples
Mi perro es muy leal y nunca se separa de mí.
My dog is very loyal and never leaves my side.
Necesitamos un equipo de trabajo leal para completar este proyecto difícil.
We need a loyal work team to complete this difficult project.
A pesar de las dificultades, siempre se mantuvo leal a sus principios.
Despite the difficulties, he always remained true to his principles.
Adjective Agreement (Gender)
Since 'leal' ends in a consonant ('l'), it uses the exact same form whether you are describing a masculine person/thing (un amigo leal) or a feminine person/thing (una amiga leal). It doesn't change from 'leal' to 'leala'.
Adjective Agreement (Number)
To make 'leal' plural (meaning more than one), you must add '-es': 'los amigos leales' (the loyal friends) and 'las amigas leales'.
Forgetting the Plural Ending
Mistake: “Mis padres son muy leal.”
Correction: Mis padres son muy leales. (Always remember to add '-es' when describing plural nouns, even if the singular form doesn't change for gender.)
Verdadero vs. Cierto for Factual Truth
Related Translations
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