How to say of course in Spanish (por supuesto) and 11 amazing alternatives with audio
Today, we’ll look at alternatives to saying of course in Spanish (“por supuesto”). Not because there’s anything wrong with that, but because this idea has many nuances and, therefore, many options to convey exactly what you mean.
I’m Spring Spanish teacher, Maura. Are you ready? ¡Claro! (Of course!)
1. Of course in Spanish alternatives: Claro (Of course)
ACTOR 1
(Are you ok with doing it like this?)
ACTOR 2
(Of course!)
So, claro is the simplest way to say por supuesto. It’s short, clear, and easy to remember. Take into account that claro also means something that is, clear or light. For example, you could say:
- El cielo está claro. (The sky is clear.)
- Necesito un jean azul claro. (I need jeans that are light blue.)
The situations in which you’d say claro with this meaning are so specific that you really do not need to worry about any type of confusion.
Another thing you could do with claro is add the word está (is) right after. This claro está (it is clear) is a much more formal expression you’ll most likely find in writing. Things like:
ACTOR 1
(It’s clear that climatic conditions are alarming for the planet.)
Now, stick with me all the way until the end of this video for a younger, maybe cooler, definitely trendier alternative to all of this!
2. Of course in Spanish alternatives: Desde luego & seguro (Certainly & sure)
ACTOR 1
(We can certainly postpone the meeting until tomorrow, but not before delegating responsibilities.)
ACTOR 2
(Sure. Let’s do that and go. I can take care of the budget, for example.)
This type of pseudo formal environments suit well with desde luego (certainly). It isn’t really a chunk I hear daily. Nonetheless, it isn’t weird or super formal, and you can certainly use it if it fits your personality to be a bit more proper when speaking regardless of the context.
Seguro (sure), on the other hand, is quite versatile. I use this very often. Especially when I want to reassure the person listening. But it can easily be used by anyone in everyday situations, like someone saying:
- ¿Me puedes pasar la sal?: ¡Seguro! (Can you pass me the salt?: Sure!)
- ¿Quieres pedir una pizza?: ¡Seguro! (Do you want to order a pizza?: Sure!)
Just as sure, that link in the description gives you access to chunks just as common and that will pump your Spanish game just as much!
3. Of course in Spanish alternatives: Definitivamente, Evidentemente, Efectivamente, Naturalmente (Definitely, Evidently, Effectively, Naturally)
All of these words ending in “mente” can easily work as synonyms for por supuesto. In a scale from 1 to 4, where 4 is the fanciest, this is how that scale would look:
- Definitivamente (Definitely)
- Evidentemente (Evidently)
- Efectivamente (Effectively)
- Naturalmente (Naturally)
There’s little difference between these words. The most noticeable differenace would be that, though they can call work as affirmations, as a form of “yes”, naturalmente and evidentemente would sound a bit more conceited if what you mean is to answer “yes” to a question.
4. Of course in Spanish alternatives: Obvio (Obviously)
Here’s that option that all millennials and the following use most of the time instead of everything else. (Berlitz has a post about how different age groups speak.) It is 100% not a formal reply, and you kind of need to be careful with your tone, so it can play to your benefit. Let’s go through a couple of situations where I would answer obvio (obviously), so you can get a sense for it.
ACTOR 1
(Maura, if I leave the children with you, will you promise to take care of them?)
ACTOR 2
(Obviously.)
ACTOR 1
(Maura, is it hot in Madrid?)
ACTOR 2
(Obviously!)
Obvio and obviamente, are the same thing, but with just a little variation, you can also add to your vocabulary.
ACTOR 1
(Maura, do you like movies?)
ACTOR 2
(Obviously!)
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