letteralmente
/let.te.ralˈmen.te/
The English phrase "literally" is translated into Italian as letteralmente.
letteralmente is used to describe an action or state performed in a literal manner.
Meaning: in a literal manner (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed from the adjective letterale (literal) plus the adverbial suffix -mente, which is equivalent to the English suffix -ly.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable: /let.te.ralˈmen.te/.
Did you know?
- While English speakers often use 'literally' as an intensifier for things that are not true, doing so with letteralmente in Italian can sound much more jarring or even grammatically incorrect to a native ear.
- The adjective letterale shares a root with letterato, which describes a person who is well-read or a man of letters, linking the act of being literal to literary scholarship.
- Using letteralmente in a sentence can sometimes be seen as a 'calque', or a direct loan of the logic from English, as traditional Italian more often uses phrases like alla lettera to mean 'to the letter'.
Examples in context
- Tradusse il testo letteralmente.She translated the text literally.This example shows how to use letteralmente to describe a translation.Tatoeba #11845184 by Guybrush88, translation #1160840 by Eldad
- Layla era letteralmente perfetta.Layla was literally perfect.This example uses letteralmente to emphasize a quality.Tatoeba #12529834 by Guybrush88, translation #7259875 by OsoHombre
- Non ho letteralmente nulla da fare.I have literally nothing to do.This example uses letteralmente to emphasize the absence of tasks.Tatoeba #5670070 by Guybrush88, translation #3725979 by CM
- La tua risposta è letteralmente corretta.Your answer is literally correct.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco are discussing a difficult book.
- MartinaHo tradotto ogni singola parola letteralmente.I translated every single word literally.
- FrancescoÈ un lavoro davvero enorme, Martina.That is a truly huge job, Martina.
- MartinaSì, ho letteralmente dimenticato di mangiare.Yes, I literally forgot to eat.
- FrancescoAllora dobbiamo fermarci per un pranzo veloce.Then we must stop for a quick lunch.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “literally” translations and entries letteralmente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
