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I was told this sentence:
你确定你是外国人→_→
When I looked up the meaning of 确定 it said it meant definite/certain. So, my guess for this sentence is:
Are you certain you are a foreigner/are you definitely a foreigner?
Am I right? Why was 确定 used in this context? What is its actual meaning?
You are correct; in this context, 确定 means "to be certain". It looks like someone is jokingly doubting that you are a foreigner.
確定 as a verb means "to determine"
「確定你是外國人」literally means "determined you are a foreigner"
To illustrate the meaning of 「確定」 as a verb more clearly, let's look at the following sentences:
「可以確定這是假貨」( can determine this is a fake)
「可以肯定這是假貨」( can be certain that this is a fake)
「名單已被確定」( the list has been determined)
「名單已被確認」(the list has been confirmed)
"Are you certain you are a foreigner?" -「你肯定你是外國人?」
