la verdad
/la beɾdad/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'tbh' can be translated into Spanish as la verdad.
la verdad is used as a sentence adverb to introduce a statement that expresses the speaker's genuine opinion or a frank admission, similar to how 'to be honest' or 'tbh' is used in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'the truth'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
la verdad is an informal way to express 'to be honest'. In informal conversations, you can also use si te soy sincero (if you are male) or si te soy sincera (if you are female) to achieve the same effect as 'tbh'.
How does it change in a sentence?
A common idiomatic variation of this expression is a decir verdad, which is used to mean 'to tell the truth' or 'truth be told'.
How do you pronounce it?
/la beɾdad/
Did you know?
- The word verdad is so central to conversation that it is frequently used as a tag question, similar to 'right?' in English, to seek agreement from the listener.
- While la verdad can mean 'to be honest', using it at the end of a sentence often transforms it into a question, like ¿la verdad?, meaning 'really?' or 'honestly?'
- The word verdad shares the same Latin root as the English word 'verity', which is why both languages use similar sounds to describe things that are 'true'.
Examples in context
- Para ser honesto, debo decir que tu presentación fue excepcional.To be honest, I must say that your presentation was exceptional.
- Para ser honesto, debo decir que tu propuesta tiene potencial.To be honest, I must say that your proposal has potential.
- Siendo sincera, creo que este proyecto necesita más trabajo antes de presentarlo.To be honest, I think this project needs more work before presenting it.
- Siendo sincera, creo que tu actitud fue inapropiada.To be honest, I think your attitude was inappropriate.
- La verdad, me encantó la comida que preparaste.To be honest, I loved the food you cooked.
- La verdad, me cae muy bien Mario.To be honest, I really like Mario.
- En realidad, no me gustó mucho la película que vimos anoche.To be honest, I didn't really like the movie we watched last night.
- En realidad, no creo que el examen sea tan difícil como parece.To be honest, I don't think the exam is as difficult as it seems.
- La verdad, no me gusta nada.To be honest, I don't like it at all.
- La verdad, no me gusta esa película.Tbh, I don't like that movie.
- La verdad es que estoy muy cansado.To be honest, I am very tired.
- Si te digo la verdad, prefiero el otro color.If I tell you the truth, I prefer the other color.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are discussing a restaurant they visited.
- Lucía¿Te gustó la cena de anoche?Did you like the dinner last night?
- DanielLa verdad, la comida estaba un poco fría.Tbh, the food was a bit cold.
- Lucía¿En serio? Yo pensé que estaba buena.Really? I thought it was good.
- DanielSí, pero la verdad es que no fue perfecta.Yes, but to be honest, it wasn't perfect.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, verdad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
