contrario a/de lo que se anticiparía
The English phrase 'actually' can be translated into Spanish as contrario a/de lo que se anticiparía or en puridad.
Meaning: In act or in fact, really, in truth, positively (adv)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| contrario a/de lo que se anticiparía | |
| en puridad | /en puɾidad/ (from spelling rules) |
These terms are used to express that something is in act, in fact, in truth or positively. While the forms provided are quite specific, you can also use en realidad or de hecho to mean 'actually' in a formal way. In certain contexts, realmente can also convey the meaning of 'actually' to mean 'truly' or 'really'.
Which one should you use?
In everyday conversation, the most common way to express 'actually' is to use en realidad.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use actualmente to mean 'actually'. This is a common error for English speakers. In Spanish, actualmente means 'currently' or 'at the moment'.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word que is a distant relative of the English word 'who'. Both can be traced back to the same root in Proto-Indo-European language.
- Using en puridad to express 'actually' is so formal that it is rarely heard in spoken conversation and is mostly found in legal or philosophical texts.
- The term en puridad uses a word derived from the Latin pūrus, which suggests that 'actually' refers to the most pure or unadulterated truth.
Examples in context
- En realidad, no tengo tiempo para ir al cine hoy.Actually, I don't have time to go to the movies today.
- No me gusta el calor, de hecho, prefiero el invierno.I don't like the heat, actually, I prefer winter.
- No creí que iba a nevar en esta época del año, pero realmente nevó.I didn't think it was going to snow at this time of the year, but it actually snowed.
- ¿Sabes? En realidad, mi hermana también quiere venir a la fiesta.You know what? Actually, my sister also wants to come to the party.
- Pensé que sería un día soleado, pero en realidad, está lloviendo.I thought it would be a sunny day, but actually, it's raining.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “actually” translations and entries en puridad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries contrario, en, lo, puridad, que, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
