certo

See also: Certo and çerto

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese certo (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin certus.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈθɛɾto/ [ˈθɛɾ.t̪ʊ]

• IPA^(key): (standard) /ˈθɛɾto/ [ˈθɛɾ.t̪ʊ]
• IPA^(key): (seseo) /ˈsɛɾto/ [ˈsɛɾ.t̪ʊ]

• Rhymes: -ɛɾto
• Hyphenation: cer‧to

Adjective

certo (feminine certa, masculine plural certos, feminine plural certas)

1. right, correct
2. certain
3. fixed, settled, firm
4. sure

   Non estou certo diso ― I'm not sure about that

Related terms

• acertar
• certamente
• certeza
• certidume

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “certo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “certo”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “certo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “certo”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “certo”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Interlingua

Adverb

certo (not comparable)

1. certainly

Italian

Etymology

From Latin certus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɛr.to/

• Audio::

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrto
• Hyphenation: cèr‧to

Adjective

certo (feminine certa, masculine plural certi, feminine plural certe, superlative certissimo)

1. certain, sure
2. reliable
3. real, true
   • Dante, Inferno 1.66:

     qual che tu sii, od ombra od omo certo!

     • 1867 translation by Longfellow

       whiche’er thou art, or shade or real man!

4. (preposition) some, certain

Antonyms

• incerto

Derived terms

• certamente
• certezza
• certuno
• di certo

Related terms

• cernere
• certificare

Adverb

certo

1. certainly, of course, surely, definitely

   Synonyms: certamente, di certo, sicuramente, di sicuro

Descendants

• → Sardinian: tzertu

Anagrams

• corte, recto, torce

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈker.toː/, [ˈkɛrt̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃer.to/, [ˈt͡ʃɛrt̪o]

Etymology 1

From certus (“resolved, certain”) +‎ -ō.

Alternative forms

• certor

Verb

certō (present infinitive certāre, perfect active certāvī, supine certātum); first conjugation

1. to match, vie with, emulate

   Synonym: aemulor

3. to fight, wrestle

   Synonyms: lūctor, repugnō, pugnō, contendō, dēcernō, concurrō, bellō, dīmicō, cōnflīgō, committō, serō, dēcertō

4. to contend, compete, race
5. to struggle, strive

   Synonyms: lūctor, cōnītor, cōnor, ēlabōrō, temptō, affectō, adnītor, īnsequor, appetō, labōrō, tendō, quaerō, studeō, ēnītor, pugnō, mōlior, contendō, perīclitor, spectō, nītor

6. (military) to fight it out
7. (law) to dispute

   Synonyms: dēcertō, contendō

8. (with infinitive) to try hard
   • Vergilius, Aeneid X, 130:

     Hi iaculis, illi certant defendere saxis

     These try to defend with javelins, those with stones

Conjugation

Conjugation of certō (first conjugation)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	certō	certās	certat	certāmus	certātis	certant
	imperfect	certābam	certābās	certābat	certābāmus	certābātis	certābant
	future	certābō	certābis	certābit	certābimus	certābitis	certābunt
	perfect	certāvī	certāvistī, certāstī2	certāvit, certāt2	certāvimus, certāmus2	certāvistis, certāstis2	certāvērunt, certāvēre, certārunt2
	pluperfect	certāveram, certāram2	certāverās, certārās2	certāverat, certārat2	certāverāmus, certārāmus2	certāverātis, certārātis2	certāverant, certārant2
	future perfect	certāverō, certārō2	certāveris, certāris2	certāverit, certārit2	certāverimus, certārimus2	certāveritis, certāritis2	certāverint, certārint2
passive	present	certor	certāris, certāre	certātur	certāmur	certāminī	certantur
	imperfect	certābar	certābāris, certābāre	certābātur	certābāmur	certābāminī	certābantur
	future	certābor	certāberis, certābere	certābitur	certābimur	certābiminī	certābuntur
	perfect	certātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	certātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	certātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	certem	certēs	certet	certēmus	certētis	certent
	imperfect	certārem	certārēs	certāret	certārēmus	certārētis	certārent
	perfect	certāverim, certārim2	certāverīs, certārīs2	certāverit, certārit2	certāverīmus, certārīmus2	certāverītis, certārītis2	certāverint, certārint2
	pluperfect	certāvissem, certāssem2	certāvissēs, certāssēs2	certāvisset, certāsset2	certāvissēmus, certāssēmus2	certāvissētis, certāssētis2	certāvissent, certāssent2
passive	present	certer	certēris, certēre	certētur	certēmur	certēminī	certentur
	imperfect	certārer	certārēris, certārēre	certārētur	certārēmur	certārēminī	certārentur
	perfect	certātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	certātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	certā	—	—	certāte	—
	future	—	certātō	certātō	—	certātōte	certantō
passive	present	—	certāre	—	—	certāminī	—
	future	—	certātor	certātor	—	—	certantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		certāre	certāvisse, certāsse2	certātūrum esse	certārī, certārier1	certātum esse	certātum īrī
participles		certāns	—	certātūrus	—	certātus	certandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		certandī	certandō	certandum	certandō	certātum	certātū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.
²At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.

Derived terms

• certābundus
• certāmen
• certātim
• certātiō
• certātor
• certātus
• certim
• certor
• concertō
• dēcertō
• incertō
• supercertō

 

Descendants

• Albanian: qërtoj
• Aromanian: ntsertu, ntsirtari
• Italian: certare
• Portuguese: certar
• Romanian: certa, certare
• Sardinian: chertare, certari, certai

Etymology 2

From certus +‎ -ō.

Adverb

certō (comparative certius, superlative certissimē)

2. certainly, surely
3. with certainty, without doubt

Synonyms

• certē

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

certō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of certus

References

• Professor Kidd, et al. Collins Gem Latin Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers (Glasgow: 2004). →ISBN. page 54.

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese certo, from Latin certus (“certain”), past participle of cernō (“to sift; to discern”), from Proto-Indo-European *krey- (“to move; to separate”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛʁ.tu/ [ˈsɛh.tu]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛʁ.tu/ [ˈsɛh.tu]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛɾ.tu/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛʁ.tu/ [ˈsɛχ.tu]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛɻ.to/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛɾ.tu/

• Hyphenation: cer‧to

Adjective

certo (feminine certa, masculine plural certos, feminine plural certas, comparable, comparative mais certo, superlative o mais certo or certíssimo, diminutive certinho)

1. right; correct (not containing errors)

   Synonym: correto

   Antonyms: errado, incorreto

   A resposta está certa. ― The answer is correct.

2. certain; sure (without doubt)

   Antonym: incerto

   • 1572, Luís Vaz de Camões, Os Lusíadas, 8th canto:

     Que leuar a ſeu Rei hum ſinal certo / Do mundo, que deixa deſcuberto.

     Than taking to his king a certain sign / Of the world he leaves discovered.

3. precise; accurate

   Synonyms: certeiro, preciso

   Antonym: impreciso

4. morally right; just
5. inevitable (impossible to avoid or prevent)

   Synonym: inevitável

   Antonym: evitável

   A morte é certa. ― Death is inevitable.

Adverb

certo (comparable, comparative mais certo, superlative o mais certo)

1. correctly

   Synonym: corretamente

   Antonyms: erroneamente, incorretamente

   • Fernando Pessoa (heteronym Alberto Caeiro), O espelho reflecte certo:

     O espelho reflecte certo; não erra porque não pensa.

     The mirror reflects correctly; it doesn't miss because it doesn't think.

2. surely

   Synonyms: certamente, por certo, indubitavelmente, sem dúvida

   • 1572, Luís Vaz de Camões, Os Lusíadas, 2nd canto:

     Mas tu, em quem muy certo confiamos

     But you, who we very surely trust.

Determiner

certo (feminine certa, masculine plural certos, feminine plural certas)

1. certain (determined but unspecified)

Derived terms

• acertar
• acerto
• ao certo
• certamente
• certinho (diminutive)
• certíssimo (superlative)
• certeiro
• certeza
• por certo

Related terms

• cernir
• certidão
• certificar
• discernir

Interjection

certo

1. OK, all right