German: Expressing Strong Certainty with bestimmt, sicher and auf jeden Fall
Learn to express strong certainty in German with bestimmt, sicher, auf jeden Fall and related words, and see how they differ from mere possibility.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In German, strong certainty is usually expressed with adverbs and phrases that sit close to the verb or at the start of a sentence. The most common are bestimmt ('definitely'), sicher ('certainly, surely') and auf jeden Fall ('in any case, definitely'). Unlike vielleicht ('maybe') or möglicherweise ('possibly'), these words show that you are confident, not just considering an option. This lesson teaches the core words, their typical positions, and the small differences in tone between them.
By the end, you can…
- express strong certainty in German using bestimmt, sicher and auf jeden Fall.
- place certainty words correctly in a simple German sentence.
- tell the difference between certainty and possibility in German.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ich komme bestimmt.
I'm definitely coming.
ikh KOM-uh buh-SHTIMT
Bestimmt is the most common everyday word for 'definitely'. It usually comes after the verb or before the main verb.
Das ist sicher richtig.
That is certainly correct.
das ist ZIKH-er RIKH-tikh
Sicher can mean 'certainly' or 'sure'. Here it modifies the adjective richtig and sounds confident but slightly more formal than bestimmt.
Auf jeden Fall!
Definitely! / In any case!
owf YAY-den fal
A strong, idiomatic phrase used as a whole answer. It is very common in spoken German and works in both formal and informal situations.
Ich bin mir sicher, dass er kommt.
I'm sure that he's coming.
ikh bin meer ZIKH-er, das air komt
Use ich bin mir sicher, dass ... when you want to state personal certainty followed by a clause. The reflexive mir is required here.
Sie wird bestimmt pünktlich sein.
She will definitely be on time.
zee virt buh-SHTIMT PÜNK-tlikh zine
With the future tense, bestimmt goes after the auxiliary wird and before the main verb phrase. This is a natural way to predict with confidence.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Certainty words usually go in the middle of the sentence, after the conjugated verb. Examples: Ich komme bestimmt. ('I'm definitely coming.') Er ist sicher zu Hause. ('He's certainly at home.') With modal or future verbs, the certainty word comes after the auxiliary: Sie wird bestimmt kommen. ('She will definitely come.') Auf jeden Fall can also stand alone as an answer: Kommst du? – Auf jeden Fall! ('Are you coming? – Definitely!')
When to use it
Use bestimmt for everyday confident statements: Das schaffe ich bestimmt. ('I'll definitely manage it.') Use sicher when you mean 'certainly' or 'sure' and often when you are personally convinced: Ich bin sicher, dass das klappt. ('I'm sure that will work.') Use auf jeden Fall when you want to say 'definitely' or 'in any case', especially as a short answer. Avoid vielleicht ('maybe') and möglicherweise ('possibly') when you want to sound confident, because they lower the certainty.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Kommst du morgen zur Party?
Are you coming to the party tomorrow?komst doo MOR-gen tsoor PAR-teeAuf jeden Fall! Ich komme bestimmt.
Definitely! I'm definitely coming.owf YAY-den fal! ikh KOM-uh buh-SHTIMTUnd ist Anna auch sicher dabei?
And is Anna certainly joining too?unt ist AN-na owkh ZIKH-er da-BIGHIch bin mir sicher, dass sie kommt.
I'm sure that she's coming.ikh bin meer ZIKH-er, das zee komtA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, bestimmt and auf jeden Fall are common in everyday conversation and sound natural rather than pushy. Sicher can sound slightly more formal or emphatic, especially in the phrase ich bin mir sicher. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, fix can also mean 'definitely' in informal speech, as in Das mache ich fix. Standard written German prefers bestimmt or sicher.
One thing to watch for
Learners often say Ich bin sicher, dass er kommt with no reflexive pronoun, or place bestimmt at the very end of the sentence in a way that sounds unnatural.
Try this instead: When you mean personal certainty followed by a clause, use ich bin mir sicher: Ich bin mir sicher, dass er kommt. For simple statements, put bestimmt after the verb: Ich komme bestimmt, not Ich komme bestimmt nicht unless you mean the opposite.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I'm definitely coming' in German?
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Ich komme bestimmt.
Bestimmt follows the conjugated verb kommen. Auf jeden Fall is also possible as a short answer, but the full sentence with bestimmt is the most direct equivalent.
2Which word would you use to answer 'Kommst du?' with strong confidence?
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Auf jeden Fall!
Auf jeden Fall works as a standalone answer meaning 'Definitely!' or 'In any case!' Bestimmt can also work, but it usually needs a full sentence.
3Translate: 'She will certainly be on time.'
Show a sample answer
Sie wird sicher pünktlich sein.
Sicher comes after the auxiliary wird and before the main verb phrase. Sie wird bestimmt pünktlich sein is also correct and slightly more everyday.
Use bestimmt for everyday 'definitely', sicher for 'certainly' or personal certainty, and auf jeden Fall for a strong 'definitely' or 'in any case'. Keep them after the conjugated verb in simple sentences.
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