por cierto
adverbCEFR B1High frequency
What does “por cierto” mean in English?
by the way, incidentally
by the way, incidentally (conversational digression marker; NOT 'certainly')
Example sentences
El proyecto va muy bien, casi terminado. Por cierto, ¿has confirmado ya la reunión del jueves con el cliente? Creo que todavía no les hemos enviado la convocatoria.
The project is going very well, almost finished. By the way, have you confirmed the Thursday meeting with the client? I think we still haven't sent them the invitation.
Ha llamado tu hermano para decirte que llega el sábado. Por cierto, también mencionó que va a traer a un amigo suyo, así que habría que preparar una habitación más.
Your brother called to say he's arriving on Saturday. By the way, he also mentioned he's bringing a friend of his, so we'd need to prepare one more room.
Por cierto, ¿has visto que han inaugurado una cafetería nueva en la esquina? La pasé ayer y parecía bastante acogedora.
By the way, did you see that a new café has opened on the corner? I walked past it yesterday and it looked quite welcoming.
How to use it
Por cierto (by the way, incidentally) is a conversational discourse marker that introduces a digression or a topic change in informal to neutral register. It often appears mid-conversation to add related information the speaker just thought of. It can also be used at the start of a new subject. In formal writing, it is replaced by a propósito or incidentalmente. Note: por cierto does not mean 'certainly' — that is por supuesto or desde luego.
Common mistake
False friend warning: por cierto ≠ certainly. 'Certainly / of course' = por supuesto, desde luego, claro que sí. Por cierto only means 'by the way'. Also, it signals a digression or aside — do not use it to open a main point (use para empezar, lo primero es, etc.).