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"literally" in seven languages

Meaningliterally

Spanish

literalmente

/liteɾalˈmente/

learned

French

littéralement

/liteʁalmɑ̃/

learned

Italian

letteralmente

/letteralˈmente/

learned

Portuguese

literalmente

/liteɾawˈmẽtʃi/

learned

Romanian

literal

/liteˈral/

learned

Catalan

literalment

/litəɾəlˈmen/

learned

English

literally

/ˈlɪtɚəli/

from Latin/French · literal (Late Latin LITTERĀLIS) + -ly

English → ItalianliterallyletteralmenteCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

LITTERĀLEM (Late Latin)‘of letters (LITTERA 'letter')’

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

The story

'To the letter'. Italian built it on its everyday lettera, where Latin short i became e; Spanish and French keep the Latin i. All four also use it as a mere intensifier.

English relatives: literal, letter, literature

Sound laws at work

Adverbs in -mente / -ment

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esLiteralmente corrí hasta la estación.
  • frJ'ai littéralement couru jusqu'à la gare.
  • itHo letteralmente corso fino alla stazione.
  • ptEu literalmente corri até a estação.
  • roAm alergat literal până la gară.
  • caLiteralment vaig córrer fins a l'estació.
  • enI literally ran to the station.

More in Little words

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