Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| davvero | /davˈve.ro/ |
| veramente | /ve.raˈmen.te/ |
Both terms are used as adverbs to mean 'actually'. They can also be used as interjections to indicate affirmation or agreement (as in veramente! or davvero!) or to express surprise or request confirmation of new information (as in davvero? or veramente?).
What does it mean word for word?
The word veramente is composed of the adjective vero (true) and the adverbial suffix -mente (meaning -ly), literally translating to 'truly' or 'really'.
Which one should you use?
While veramente and davvero are often interchangeable, veramente can sound slightly more formal or emphatic. In contrast, davvero is more common in everyday spoken Italian.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /davˈve.ro/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
When do people say it?
To express surprise or disbelief in a very colloquial way, similar to the English 'Really?' or 'No way!', Italian speakers often use the phrase ma dai?
Did you know?
- To express disbelief or shock, Italians often swap davvero? for the colloquial ma dai?, which literally means 'but give!'
- The double 'v' in davvero is actually a linguistic fossil. It preserves an old way of pronouncing the preposition da that has since disappeared from standard modern Italian.
Examples in context
- Ma è davvero così?But is that really so?This sentence is useful for using davvero to ask if a situation is truly so.Tatoeba #3744967 by Guybrush88, translation #12697669 by Adelpa
- Tu la ami davvero?Do you really love her?This sentence is useful for using davvero to ask if someone truly loves a female subject.Tatoeba #4827860 by Guybrush88, translation #3912676 by CH
- Tu lo ami davvero?Do you really love him?This sentence is useful for using davvero to ask if someone truly loves a male subject.Tatoeba #4827874 by Guybrush88, translation #3912675 by CH
- La mostra è davvero interessante.The exhibition is really interesting.
- Hai veramente studiato tanto.You've really studied a lot.
- Sono davvero stanco oggi!I'm really tired today!
- Proprio non riesco a crederci!I really can't believe it!
- 6742 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are discussing a new restaurant.
- LorenzoIl cibo è davvero buono qui.The food is really good here.
- MartinaSì, è davvero delizioso.Yes, it is really delicious.
- LorenzoVuoi tornare anche la settimana prossima?Do you want to come back next week too?
- MartinaCertamente, ci tornerei davvero volentieri.Certainly, I would really love to come back.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “really” translations and entries davvero, veramente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries davvero, veramente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
