Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| realmente | /ʁeˌawˈmẽ.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil) /ʁeˌawˈmẽ.t͡ʃi/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
| na verdade | /na veʁˈda.d͡ʒi/ (Brazil, word by word) |
| mesmo | /ˈmez.mu/ (Brazil) /ˈmẽ.mu/ (Brazil) |
Use realmente to mean "truly" or to emphasize a verb or adjective. Use na verdade when you mean "actually" or "in truth," specifically when correcting a misconception or providing factual clarification. The word mesmo is used to confirm a fact or an identity. If you want to express surprise at new information, you can use the interjection sério?
Which one should you use?
Realmente is best used to mean "truly" or to add emphasis to an adjective or verb. While mesmo can mean "really" when confirming an identity or a fact, its primary meaning in Portuguese is "same." For natural ways to say "actually" when clarifying something, na verdade is the preferred choice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the expression de verdade is commonly used to mean "really," and the expression pra valer is an informal way to say "really" used mainly in Brazil.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When mesmo is used as an adverb meaning "really" or "indeed," it is invariable and does not change for gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
realmente is pronounced /ʁeˌawˈmẽ.tʃi/ and has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
When do people say it?
When someone shares surprising news, it is more common in conversation to react with sério? rather than using realmente?
Did you know?
- The word mesmo is a linguistic 'super-superlative'. It evolved from a Vulgar Latin construction that combined an emphatic suffix, the word for 'himself', and a superlative suffix to mean 'the very same'.
- The word mesmo, when used as an adverb meaning 'really' or 'indeed', is invariable and does not change its form for gender or number.
Examples in context
- É o Tom mesmo?Is it really Tom?This sentence uses mesmo to confirm an identity.Tatoeba #4819355 by Ricardo14, translation #2262061 by CK
- É mesmo? Por quê?Really? Why?This sentence uses mesmo to express surprise or ask for confirmation.Tatoeba #1557780 by alexmarcelo, translation #505876 by wma
- Quem é ela mesmo?Who is she really?This sentence uses mesmo to clarify an identity.Tatoeba #5887810 by Ricardo14, translation #5901319 by tvindy
- Este livro é muito interessante.This book is really interesting.
- O seu trabalho foi muito bem feito.Your work was really well done.
- Ela realmente se esforçou para passar no exame.She really made an effort to pass the exam.
- A empresa realmente cumpre as suas promessas.The company really fulfills its promises.
- A festa foi mesmo divertida!The party was really fun!
- Eu gostei mesmo do filme.I really liked the movie.
- Aquela comida é boa pra valer!That food is really good!
- Eu estou cansado pra valer depois de tanto trabalho.I am really tired after so much work.
- Eu gostei desse filme de verdade.I really liked this movie.
- O time jogou bem de verdade.The team played really well.
- 1685 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Camila are discussing a movie they watched.
- LucasVocê realmente gostou do filme?Did you really like the movie?
- CamilaSim, eu realmente gostei.Yes, I really liked it.
- LucasA história era muito boa?Was the story very good?
- CamilaRealmente, foi muito surpreendente.Really, it was very surprising.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “really” translations and entries realmente, na verdade, mesmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (na, verdade) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mesmo, na, realmente, verdade, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
