Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| realmente | /re.alˈmen.te/ |
| davvero | /davˈve.ro/ |
| in verità | /in ve.riˈta/ (word by word) |
| concretamente | /kon.kre.taˈmen.te/ |
| effettivamente | /ef.fet.ti.vaˈmen.te/ |
Italian uses different words for 'actually' depending on whether you are emphasizing truth, correcting a misconception or discussing practical matters.
Which one should you use?
While realmente and davvero emphasize the truth of a statement, effettivamente is often used to confirm a previous statement or to mean 'as a matter of fact'. In realtà is the most common way to express 'actually' when you are correcting a misconception or providing a contrasting fact. Concretamente is used when 'actually' refers to practical, tangible or concrete actions rather than just truth or reality.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term effettivamente is a formal equivalent of 'actually' in Italian. In verità is a more formal or literary way to say 'actually' compared to the more common in realtà.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of realmente is /re.alˈmen.te/. It has four syllables, and the stress is on the third syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use attualmente to mean 'actually', but it actually means 'currently' or 'at the moment'.
Did you know?
- The word davvero is a fossilized combination of da and vero. In some regions, the double -vv- pronunciation is a remnant of an old Tuscan speech pattern called syntactic gemination.
- The phrase in verità carries a much more serious, literary, or even dramatic weight than the everyday word davvero.
- The word realmente is built using the suffix -mente, which is the Italian equivalent of the English suffix '-ly'.
Examples in context
- Tom l'ha detto davvero?Did Tom actually say that?This sentence is useful for asking if someone said something davvero.Tatoeba #2036379 by Guybrush88, translation #1975669 by CK
- Hai mai lavorato davvero?Do you ever actually do any work?This sentence is useful for asking if someone performs work davvero.Tatoeba #10237638 by Nuel, translation #1082005 by CM
- In realtà mi piace davvero.I actually really like it.This sentence is useful for expressing that you davvero like something.Tatoeba #4983693 by Guybrush88, translation #4983631 by CK
- Nel rapporto presentato, si evidenzia che, in realtà, i dati non sono del tutto accurati.In the report presented, it is highlighted that, actually, the data is not entirely accurate.
- Il progetto, effettivamente, richiederà più tempo del previsto.The project will, actually, take more time than expected.
- In realtà, non è così difficile come sembra. Prova ancora!Actually, it's not as difficult as it seems. Try again!
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are discussing a movie they just watched.
- AlessandroTi è piaciuto il film, Martina?Did you like the movie, Martina?
- MartinaSì, ma era realmente troppo lungo.Yes, but it was actually too long.
- AlessandroSono d'accordo, la parte finale era noiosa.I agree, the final part was boring.
- MartinaEsatto, non era realmente necessario.Exactly, it wasn't actually necessary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “actually” translations and entries realmente, davvero, in verità, concretamente, effettivamente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (in, verità) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries concretamente, davvero, in, in verità, realmente, verità, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
