verb

confesar

confess

Decir la verdad sobre algo que se ha hecho o sentido, especialmente si es un secreto.

Definition & meaning

Confesar is a Spanish verb meaning “to confess,” “to admit,” or “to acknowledge.”

Its main uses are:

To admit or acknowledge something, usually something personal, secret, embarrassing, or potentially blameworthy:
- Confesar la verdad — to tell the truth
- Confesar un error — to admit a mistake
- Confesar un delito — to confess a crime
To reveal a personal feeling or secret:
- Confesar el amor por alguien — to confess one’s love for someone
- Confesar que estaba preocupado — to admit that one was worried
In a religious context, to confess sins or hear someone’s confession:
- Confesar los pecados — to confess one’s sins
- El sacerdote confesó a varios fieles — The priest heard several worshippers’ confessions.

The reflexive form, confesarse , means “to confess” or “to go to confession,” especially in a religious context:

Se confesó con el sacerdote — He or she went to confession with the priest.

Grammar & Word origin

Confesar is a transitive verb and can take a direct object:

Confesó su error — He or she admitted their mistake.

It can also be followed by que to introduce a clause:

Confesó que había mentido — He or she admitted that they had lied.

It is a stem-changing verb. The vowel e changes to ie in several present-tense forms:

yo confieso — I confess
tú confiesas — you confess
él/ella confiesa — he/she confesses
nosotros confesamos — we confess
ellos confiesan — they confess

The change does not occur in the first- and second-person plural forms: confesamos, confesáis. The preterite is regular: confesé, confesaste, confesó.

The word comes from Latin confessāre, related to confiteri, meaning “to acknowledge” or “to admit openly.” Its historical components are con-, conveying completeness or togetherness, and a root related to Latin fateri, “to admit” or “to declare.” These parts are historical rather than independently productive parts of modern Spanish.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

admitir — “to admit”; broader and often more neutral than confesar. It can refer to accepting that something is true without implying secrecy or guilt.
reconocer — “to acknowledge” or “to recognize”; usually emphasizes accepting a fact, responsibility, or truth.
declarar — “to declare” or “to state”; more formal and less personal than confesar.
revelar — “to reveal”; emphasizes making hidden information known, without necessarily admitting wrongdoing.
manifestar — “to express” or “to state”; generally more formal and less associated with secrets or guilt.

Antonyms

negar — “to deny”; the clearest antonym when someone refuses to admit a fact or accusation.
ocultar — “to conceal” or “to hide”; focuses on keeping information secret rather than explicitly denying it.
callar — “to remain silent” or “to keep quiet”; describes not disclosing information.