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"actually, in fact" in seven languages

Meaningactually, in fact

Spanish

en realidad

/en realiˈdad/

learned

French

en fait

/ɑ̃ fɛt/

other source · Latin FACTUM 'deed, fact'

Italian

in realtà

/in realˈta/

learned

Portuguese

na verdade

/na vehˈdadʒi/

other source · verdade ← Latin VĒRITĀTEM 'truth'

Romanian

de fapt

/de fapt/

other source · fapt 'deed, fact' (Latin FACTUM, learned)

Catalan

en realitat

/ən rəəliˈtat/

learned

English

actually

/ˈæktʃuəli/

other source · Old French actuel, from Late Latin ACTUĀLIS 'active'

English → Italianactually, in factin realtàNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: reality, real; fact (fr).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

REĀLITĀTEM (Medieval Latin)‘reality (from RĒS 'thing')’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Classic false friend: Spanish actualmente, French actuellement and Italian attualmente all mean 'currently'. For 'actually' say en realidad, en fait, in realtà.

English relatives: reality, real; fact (fr)

Sound laws at work

-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tà

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In a sentence

  • esEn realidad, no tengo hambre.
  • frEn fait, je n'ai pas faim.
  • itIn realtà non ho fame.
  • ptNa verdade, não estou com fome.
  • roDe fapt, nu mi-e foame.
  • caEn realitat, no tinc gana.
  • enActually, I'm not hungry.

More words from the same Latin

More in Little words

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