vraiment
/vʁɛ.mɑ̃/
The English word "truly" is translated into French as vraiment.
Vraiment is used to mean honestly or genuinely. In many contexts, 'vraiment' is used more frequently to mean 'really' (as an intensifier) than to mean 'truly' in a philosophical or poetic sense.
Meaning: honestly, genuinely (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The adverb vraiment is formed from the adjective vrai (true) plus the suffix -ment (the equivalent of '-ly').
How do you pronounce it?
/vʁɛ.mɑ̃/
Did you know?
- In spoken French, speakers often replace vraiment with the word grave to mean 'truly' or 'totally'. This slang usage is common among young people to show strong agreement.
- In casual French, rather than using vraiment to emphasize a point, people often use the word trop (too much). For example, saying 'C’est trop bon' translates to 'It’s truly good' in certain slang contexts.
- The suffix -ment in vraiment is derived from the Latin word mente, which means 'with a mind'. It effectively turns the adjective 'true' into a description of the manner in which something is done.
Examples in context
- Je danse vraiment mal.I dance truly bad.This sentence shows how to use vraiment to emphasize a quality in a negative way.Tatoeba #5552354 by sacredceltic, translation #3756428 by Lindoula
- Tom est vraiment doué.Tom is truly gifted.This sentence demonstrates using vraiment to emphasize a positive quality.Tatoeba #6154133 by felix63, translation #4494837 by CK
- Tu es vraiment impolie.You're truly impolite.This sentence shows the use of vraiment to emphasize a personality trait.Tatoeba #12512904 by Rovo, translation #12514907 by rul
- Je suis vraiment ravi de vous rencontrerI am truly delighted to meet you
- Je vous remercie avec sincéritéI thank you sincerely
- En toute honnêteté, je dois avouer que j'ai commis une erreurTruly, I must admit that I made a mistake
- C'est carrément génial !That's truly awesome!
- Sérieux ? C'est vraiment incroyable !Seriously? That's truly incredible!
- Franchement, je trouve ça vraiment émouvantHonestly, I find it truly moving
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are discussing a movie they just saw.
- ChloéC'était vraiment un bon film.It was truly a good movie.
- GabrielOui, j'ai vraiment aimé l'histoire.Yes, I truly liked the story.
- ChloéTu as trouvé le film triste ?Did you find the movie sad?
- GabrielOui, c'était vraiment émouvant.Yes, it was truly moving.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “truly” translations and entries vraiment, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
