pewny

Pewny, pewna, pewne is a Polish adjective meaning certain or sure, and also reliable or dependable. It describes both cognitive certainty about a fact and the reliability or confidence of a person or thing. In use, it can modify nouns as in “pewny dowód” (certain/sound evidence), “pewna informacja” (reliable information), or describe a person or attitude, as in “pewny siebie” (self-confident).

Grammatically, pewny inflects for gender and number: masculine singular pewny, feminine singular pewna, neuter singular pewne; plural forms are pewni (masculine personal) and pewne (neuter or non-masculine). The adverbial form is pewnie, meaning “certainly” or “confidently,” for example: “On odpowiedział pewnie.” The expression “na pewno” is also common to convey certainty.

Etymology and related terms: pewny originates from a stem associated with firmness and reliability, forming the basis for related words such as pewność (certainty, confidence) and pewność siebie (self-confidence). The word is widely used in everyday Polish to express degrees of certainty, reliability, or confidence.

Usage notes: pewny is often used when the speaker asserts certainty about a fact or the trustworthiness of information, while “pewien” (less common in everyday speech) can carry a nuance of “certain” in the sense of indefinite but definite, as in “pewien dzień.” In many contexts, speakers also employ “na pewno” to convey a similar meaning in a more neutral or emphatic way.