Questions & Answers about Я совершенно уверена.
Why does уверена have a short ending instead of a full adjective ending like уверенная?
Уверена is a short-form adjective. In Russian, short-form adjectives are frequently used to describe personal states of being, feelings, or temporary conditions (like being ready, busy, or sure). When you want to say "I am sure" as a state of mind, you almost always use the short form.
How would this sentence change if a man were speaking?
A man would say Я совершенно уверен. Short-form adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the subject. Because уверена ends in -а, we know the person saying "I" (я) in this specific sentence is female.
What kind of word is совершенно?
It is an adverb meaning "absolutely" or "completely." It comes from the word for "perfect" (совершенный). You will often see it paired with short-form adjectives to strongly emphasize a state, like being completely sure, absolutely free, or completely healthy.
Why isn't there a word for "am" in this sentence?
Just like with regular adjectives and nouns, Russian drops the present tense verb "to be" (am/is/are). Therefore, Я уверена literally looks like "I sure," but it means "I am sure." If you wanted to talk about the past and say "I was sure," you would then need to add the past tense verb: Я была уверена.
Learn Я совершенно уверена and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free