afirmar
verbCEFR B1
What does “afirmar” mean in English?
to assert, to state confidently
to assert, to state confidently (formal; afirmar que + indicative — reported speech, academic/journalistic prose)
Example sentences
La directora afirmó que la empresa había superado sus objetivos anuales y que el equipo merecía el reconocimiento del sector.
The director stated that the company had exceeded its annual targets and that the team deserved recognition from the industry.
Varios expertos afirman que las consecuencias del cambio climático son ya irreversibles si no se actúa con urgencia.
Several experts assert that the consequences of climate change are already irreversible if action is not taken urgently.
No se puede afirmar que los resultados sean definitivos hasta que se replique el estudio en condiciones diferentes.
It cannot be stated that the results are definitive until the study is replicated under different conditions.
How to use it
Afirmar means 'to state', 'to assert', or 'to claim'. It is a verb of assertion used in formal and journalistic registers to report or make confident statements. Afirmar que takes indicative in the embedded clause (it is a positive-assertion verb, not a doubt trigger): El experto afirma que los datos son fiables. When reporting past assertions, standard reported-speech tense back-shift applies. Note the contrast with its antonym: negar que (deny that — subjunctive).
Common mistake
Afirmar que (positive) takes indicative — do not reach for subjunctive here. Only the negated form (no afirmar que, no se puede afirmar que) triggers subjunctive. In writing, afirmar is more formal than decir — use it when the source is making a confident, assertive claim. In the passive or with se, it frequently appears in academic and journalistic prose: se afirma que…, está afirmado que….