certainly
certainly — 副詞
1. used to say that something is definitely true and there is no question about it
當然；肯定
強調陳述的真實性
used to say that something is definitely true and there is no question about it at all
The children certainly enjoyed their trip to the farm yesterday.
孩子們昨天去農場玩得一定很開心。
certainly + verb (emphasises the statement)
Kofi certainly runs faster now than he did last spring.
Kofi 現在跑得肯定比去年春天快多了。
subject + certainly + verb + comparative
I certainly hope the rain stops before the game begins outside.
我當然希望雨在比賽開始之前就停下來。
The old gate certainly looks different after a fresh coat of paint.
那扇舊門刷了一層新漆後，看起來肯定不一樣了。
- definitely
more common in everyday speech, equally strong
- undoubtedly
more formal, often used in writing
- absolutely
used for emotional emphasis, common in conversation
文法句型
certainly + verb
certainly + modal + verb
subject + certainly + verb
用法筆記
Placed directly before the main verb in a simple sentence (She certainly sings well) or after the first auxiliary verb in a verb phrase (He has certainly improved). When placed at the start of a clause, it adds extra emphasis to the whole statement.
常見錯誤
2. used to give a very clear yes or no when someone asks you to do something or ask
當然好；絕不
強烈同意或拒絕請求
used to give a very clear yes or no when someone asks you to do something or asks for permission
"May I use your phone?" "Certainly, please go right ahead."
「我可以用你的電話嗎？」「當然可以，請用。」
one-word response agreeing to a request
"Could you feed my cat while I am away?" "Certainly, I will be happy to."
「我不在的時候你能幫我餵貓嗎？」「當然好，我很樂意。」
"Can I leave my bike here overnight?" "Certainly not, that is not allowed."
「我可以把腳踏車留在這裡過夜嗎？」「絕不行，這裡不允許。」
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" "Certainly, thank you very much."
「你要不要跟我們一起去吃午餐？」「當然好，非常感謝。」
- of course
equally common in both UK and US English, slightly less formal
- absolutely
stronger emotional tone, used for enthusiastic agreement
- sure
informal, very common in American English
文法句型
'Certainly.' (agreeing)
'Certainly not.' (refusing)
'Certainly, [clause]'
用法筆記
This sense occurs almost exclusively in spoken conversation or direct dialogue. 'Certainly not' is a polite but firm way to say no to a request. 'Certainly' alone conveys willing agreement. Less common in American English than in British English, where 'Sure' is often preferred.
常見錯誤
3. used to say that something is almost sure to happen or is very probably true
極可能
幾乎肯定會發生
used to say that something is almost sure to happen or is very probably true
The price of milk will certainly go up again next month.
牛奶的價格下個月肯定會再漲。
will certainly + verb (future probability)
If no one stops him, Rohan will certainly eat the whole cake by himself.
如果沒有人阻止他，Rohan 一定會把整個蛋糕自己吃光。
The team will certainly lose if they do not practice more this week.
如果這週不更努力練習，這支隊伍肯定會輸。
Leila certainly looks tired after running for more than an hour.
Leila 跑了一個多小時後，看起來極可能是累了。
- undoubtedly
more formal, equally strong in meaning
- inevitably
suggests something cannot be avoided, slightly more negative
- surely
expresses expectation rather than certainty, weaker
- unlikely
the opposite probability judgement
- probably not
adds doubt instead of strong probability
文法句型
will certainly + verb
certainly + present tense
be certainly + past participle
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (WITHOUT DOUBT), this sense does not express the speaker's own emphasis — it expresses a prediction about what is almost sure to happen. The structure 'will certainly + verb' is the most common pattern. Distinguish from sense 1: in 'I certainly hope so' (sense 1) the speaker is emphasising their feeling; in 'It will certainly rain' (sense 3) the speaker is predicting what will happen.