How to Say Of Course in Spanish (+ Variations You'll Hear)

Of course in Spanish is claro — pronounced KLAH-roh — often warmed up to claro que sí (“of course, yes”). Its slightly more buttoned-up sibling is por supuesto (pohr soo-PWESS-toh), and Mexico adds a charmer of its own: cómo no — literally “how not?” — which is how waiters, hosts, and friendly strangers say “of course!” all day long.

These little agreement words are secretly some of the highest-value vocabulary you can learn. You’ll use them dozens of times a day, they make you sound instantly more fluent than textbook sí, and they’re how native speakers keep a conversation flowing while you’re still composing your next sentence.

The main way to say it

Claro — KLAH-roh

Pronunciation pointers:

• The Spanish r between vowels is a single quick tap of the tongue, like the tt in American “butter”: KLAH-roh. No need to roll it.
• Stress the first syllable: KLAH-roh.
• Claro que sí: KLAH-roh keh SEE. The que is unstressed and glides by fast.

Claro literally means “clear” — so answering claro is saying “clearly!” or “obviously!” It signals that the answer is so evident it barely needed asking, which is exactly the energy of English “of course.”

The register ladder, from casual to formal:

1. Claro — the everyday default, fits almost everywhere.
2. Claro que sí — warmer and more emphatic; great for enthusiastic yeses.
3. Por supuesto — a notch more formal; perfect with strangers, at work, or when you want to sound composed.
4. Desde luego — formal and a bit bookish; more common in Spain than in Mexico.

Variations

Spanish	Pronunciation	When to use it
Claro	KLAH-roh	The all-purpose “of course”
Claro que sí	KLAH-roh keh SEE	Emphatic, warm: “of course, absolutely”
Por supuesto	pohr soo-PWESS-toh	More formal or emphatic — work, strangers
Por supuesto que sí	pohr soo-PWESS-toh keh SEE	Maximum emphasis: “absolutely, yes”
Cómo no	KOH-moh NOH	Very Mexican, gracious: “of course! / gladly”
Claro que no	KLAH-roh keh NOH	”Of course not”
Desde luego	DEHS-deh LWEH-goh	Formal “certainly” — Spain-flavored
Obvio	OH-byoh	”Obviously” — casual, youthful, can sound sassy
Sí, claro	see KLAH-roh	Softer agreement; tone decides if it’s sincere or sarcastic

The star here is cómo no. Literally it’s a question — “how could I not?” — but in Mexico it functions as the most gracious yes available. Ask a waiter for extra salsa and you’ll get ¡cómo no!; ask a stranger if you can share their table and you’ll hear the same. It says “of course” with a smile built in. One caution: with a sharp, drawn-out tone, cóóómo no can flip into sarcasm (“yeah, riiight”) — but context and a friendly voice keep you safe.

Meanwhile obvio is the texting-generation option. It’s fine between friends, but answering your boss’s question with obvio has the same eyebrow-raising effect as “obviously” in English.

Hear it in context

At a taquería in Guadalajara:

— ¿Me puede traer más salsa verde, por favor? — ¡Cómo no! ¿Algo más? — ¿Tienen agua de horchata? — Claro que sí. Ahorita se la traigo.

— Could you bring me more green salsa, please? — Of course! Anything else? — Do you have horchata? — Of course we do. I’ll bring it right over.

Between friends making plans:

— ¿Vienes a la fiesta el sábado? — ¡Claro! ¿Llevo algo? — ¿Puedes traer hielo? — Por supuesto. Nos vemos a las ocho.

— Are you coming to the party on Saturday? — Of course! Should I bring something? — Can you bring ice? — Absolutely. See you at eight.

Notice ahorita in the first dialogue — Mexico’s famously elastic “right now” — and how the waiter stacks cómo no and claro que sí in one exchange. Natives rotate through these constantly; using only one on repeat is what sounds foreign.

Common mistakes

• Answering everything with just “sí.” It’s correct but flat. Sprinkling in claro, claro que sí, and cómo no is one of the fastest ways to sound natural — these are the lubricant of Mexican small talk.
• Taking “cómo no” literally. It looks like a question (“how not?”) but it’s an enthusiastic yes. Don’t respond by explaining how not.
• “Por supuesto” with the wrong stress. It’s soo-PWESS-toh, stress on the middle. And it’s two words — por supuesto, never porsupuesto.
• Using “obvio” upward. Fine with friends, risky with your boss or your in-laws — like English “obviously,” it can imply the question was dumb.
• Missing sarcastic “sí, claro.” Delivered with a flat tone and an eye-roll, sí, claro means “yeah, sure it is.” Tone carries the meaning; listen before you take it at face value.
• Confusing “claro” (of course) with “clara” (egg white / light-colored, fem.). The agreement word is always claro, invariable.

Related phrases

Keep the conversation flowing:

• How to say thank you in Spanish — because every cómo no deserves a gracias.
• How to say can you help me in Spanish — the requests that claro que sí answers.
• How to say you’re welcome in Spanish — the other half of the politeness loop.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “claro” and “por supuesto”? They’re interchangeable in meaning; claro is the casual everyday default, while por supuesto is a touch more formal or emphatic. In a job interview, lean por supuesto; with friends, claro all day.

What does “cómo no” actually mean? Literally “how not?”, but in practice it’s a warm, very Mexican “of course! / gladly!” — especially common from waiters, hosts, and anyone granting a request.

Is “claro que sí” stronger than “claro”? Slightly, yes. Claro que sí adds warmth and emphasis — “of course, absolutely!” — while bare claro is a quick, neutral “of course.”

How do I say “of course not”? Claro que no or por supuesto que no. Both are common: ¿Te molesta? — ¡Claro que no! (“Does it bother you?” — “Of course not!”).

Can “claro” be sarcastic? It can — sí, claro with a flat or exaggerated tone means “yeah, right.” The words are identical; the tone (and sometimes a raised eyebrow) does all the work.

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The fastest way to get claro, por supuesto, and cómo no flowing on instinct is to use them in live conversation — Sofia, an AI Spanish tutor from Mexico, will pepper you with questions until the right one jumps out automatically.