actually

actually — adverb

1. used to stress that what you are saying is the truth, especially when giving rea

1.adverbA2
Definition

used to stress that what you are saying is the truth, especially when giving real information about a situation.

Example

Vesna looks young, but she is actually thirty-five years old.

actually + adjective phrase to assert the real fact

The recipe sounds difficult, but it is actually quite simple to follow.

actually + adverb phrase to correct an impression

Common collocations
  • actually true
  • actually mean
  • actually know
  • actually happen
  • actually work
Synonyms
  • really

    very close in meaning; slightly more emphatic in spoken English

  • in fact

    more formal; often starts a sentence

  • truly

    stronger, more emotional emphasis on truth

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

actually + verb phrase

subject + actually + verb

Usage Note

Often pairs with adjectives (true, simple, easy, hard) and verbs of speech or knowledge (know, mean, say). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense simply asserts truth, while sense 2 signals the truth is unexpected.

Common Mistakes

I actually live in Taipei now.' (when meaning currently).
I currently live in Taipei now.
English 'actually' does not mean 'at this moment'; use 'currently' or 'now' for present time.
Tell me the actually price.
Tell me the actual price.
'actually' is the adverb; the adjective form is 'actual'.

2. used when adding a fact that goes against what the listener probably thinks, to

2.adverbB1
Definition

used when adding a fact that goes against what the listener probably thinks, to mark it as unexpected.

Example

I thought the test would be hard, but I actually finished it in twenty minutes.

contrastive: expectation clause + but + actually + outcome

The new café looks tiny, but it actually seats forty people inside.

marks an unexpected positive fact

Common collocations
  • but actually
  • actually enjoy
  • actually like
  • actually quite
  • actually pretty
Synonyms
  • surprisingly

    more direct; openly labels the fact as a surprise

  • in reality

    formal; stresses contrast with appearance

  • as it happens

    informal spoken phrase with similar contrast meaning

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

actually + clause

clause + , actually

Usage Note

Subject of the surprise is often a person whose reaction or behaviour breaks the expected pattern. Frequently follows the connector 'but' or 'though'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the speaker signals contrast with the listener's belief, not just truth.

Common Mistakes

The shop is closed, actually it opens at ten.
The shop is closed now; actually, it opens at ten.
use a comma after 'actually' when it begins a clause for the surprise reading.

3. used at the start or end of a sentence to soften a disagreement, a correction, o

3.adverbB2
Definition

used at the start or end of a sentence to soften a disagreement, a correction, or a refusal so that it sounds friendlier.

Example

Actually, I would rather stay home tonight, if you don't mind.

sentence-initial 'Actually,' softening a refusal

My name is Daniel, actually, not David — please call me Daniel.

tag position: clause + , actually for gentle correction

Common collocations
  • actually, I think
  • actually, I'd rather
  • actually, no
  • no, actually
  • yeah, actually
Synonyms
  • in fact

    slightly more formal; less of a softener

  • to be honest

    informal; signals a personal, frank opinion

  • well

    very informal opener; weaker correction

Grammar Patterns

Actually, + clause

clause + , actually

Usage Note

Common in informal speech and emails to take the edge off a contradiction. Often appears with hedging language ('I think', 'I'd rather', 'sorry'). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense softens what the speaker is about to say, while sense 2 flags the listener's belief as wrong.

Common Mistakes

You are wrong. The capital is Canberra.' (blunt).
Actually, the capital is Canberra.
using 'Actually,' makes the correction feel less aggressive in conversation.
Actually I disagree' (no comma).
Actually, I disagree.
the softening use almost always takes a comma in writing.

Word family

  • actual
    adjectiveB1
  • actuality
    nounC1
  • actualize
    verbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words insist that what follows is the truth, but they differ in tone and position. 'Actually' is neutral and the most common in spoken English; it can sit before the verb ('I actually saw it') or open a sentence as a soft signal. 'Really' is slightly stronger and more emotional, often pressing the listener to believe ('I really did call you'). 'In fact' is more formal and tends to start a sentence in writing, signalling that an authoritative truth follows ('In fact, the report was published last week'). 'In reality' draws a sharp line between appearance and truth, and is often used in argument or analysis ('The site looks busy; in reality, sales are falling'). For everyday Taiwan-learner contexts, 'actually' is the safest default.

actually ↗really ↗in factin reality ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • actually quite
  • actually pretty
  • actually very
  • actually really

Phrases

  • but actually
  • actually, I think
  • no, actually
  • yeah, actually
  • actually speaking

Etymology

Late LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Actually' came into English in the late Middle Ages from the adjective 'actual', which English borrowed from Old French 'actuel' and ultimately from Late Latin 'actualis', meaning 'active, related to action'. At first 'actually' meant 'in deed' or 'in actual practice', describing how something was really done rather than just claimed. By the 1700s the word had widened to its modern role as a sentence-level marker of truth, and in the 20th century everyday speakers in Britain and America added the softening use that introduces a polite correction.