really

English

Etymology

real +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɹɪəli/, SAMPA: /"rI@li/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: re‧al‧ly

Adverb

really (comparative more really, superlative most really)

1. (modal) Actually; in fact; in reality.

   "He really is a true friend." / "Really? What makes you so sure?"

2. (informal, as an intensifier) Very (modifying an adjective); very much (modifying a verb).

   But ma, I really, really want to go to the show!

Usage notes

• Like its synonyms, really is, in practice, often used to preface an opinion, rather than a fact. (See also usage notes for actually.)

Increasingly people are recognising what's really important is having children.

Synonyms

• (actually): actually, in fact, indeed, truly
• (colloquial, as an intensifier): so

Translations

actually

Arabic: حقًا (ar) (Háqqan) Egyptian Arabic: بجاد (bi-gaad) Bulgarian: наистина (bg) (naistina) Chinese: Mandarin: 真的 (cmn) (zhēnde) Dutch: werkelijk (nl) Finnish: todella (fi), oikeasti (fi), varsinaisesti (fi) French: vraiment (fr) German: wirklich (de) Greek: πράγματι (el) (prágmati), όντως (el) (óntos), αληθινά (el) (alithiná), πραγματικά (el) (pragmatiká) Hindi: सचमुच (hi) (sacmuc) Hungarian: valóban (hu) Icelandic: sannarlega, virkilega Igbo: ezị okwu (lit. "the real truth?")

Italian: veramente (it) Japanese: 本当に (ja) (ほんとうに, hontō-ni) Korean: 정말로 (ko) (jeongmallo), 진짜 (ko) (jinjja), 진짜로 (ko) (jinjjaro), 참 (ko) (cham) Latin: vero (la), vere (la) Navajo: tááshʼaaníí Polish: naprawdę (pl) Portuguese: na verdade (pt) Romanian: pe bune Russian: действительно (ru) (dejstvítel’no) Spanish: verdaderamente (es), realmente (es), (as question) ¿en serio? (es), (as question) ¿de veras? (es) Swedish: egentligen (sv), verkligen (sv), sannerligen (sv) Telugu: నిజంగా (te) (nizaMgaa) Turkish: aslında (tr), gerçekten (tr) Vietnamese: thật sự (vi)

informally, as an intensifier

Chinese: Mandarin: 真 (cmn) (zhēn) Dutch: werkelijk (nl) Finnish: oikeesti, tosi (fi), pahemmin (fi) French: vraiment (fr) German: wirklich (de) Greek: πραγματικά (el) (pragmatiká), αληθινά (el) (alithiná) Hungarian: igazán (hu)

Icelandic: virkilega (is) Polish: naprawdę (pl) Portuguese: realmente (pt), mesmo (pt) Russian: правда (ru) (právda) Spanish: not used in Spanish Swedish: verkligen (sv) Telugu: చాలా (te) (chaalaa) Turkish: cidden (tr), harbiden (tr), gerçekten (tr)

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: feel · behind · sn · #372: really · replied · making · towards

Interjection

really

1. Indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, some new information; to express skepticism.

   A: He won the Nobel Prize yesterday.

   B: Really?

2. (colloquial, sarcastic, typically exaggerated question.) Indicating that what was just said was obvious and unnecessary; contrived incredulity

   A: I've just been reading Shakespeare - he's one of the best authors like, ever!

   B: Really.

3. (colloquial, chiefly US) Indicating affirmation, agreement.

   A: That girl talks about herself way too much.

   B: Really. She's a nightmare.

4. Indicating displeasure at another person's behaviour or statement.

   Well, really! How rude.

Synonyms

• (contrived incredulity): you don't say, no kidding, oh really, no really

Translations

indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, some new information

Arabic: والله؟ (ar) (wa-llāh(i)?), ليس معقل! (ar) (láysa ma3qul!), حقًا (ar) (Háqqan) Chinese: Mandarin: 真的？ (cmn) (zhēnde?) French: vraiment ? (fr) German: wirklich? (de) Greek: αλήθεια (el) (alítheia) Hiligaynon: abâ Hungarian: igazán (hu)?, tényleg (hu)?, komolyan (hu)? (lit: seriously?) Japanese: 本当？ (ja) (ほんとう？, hontō?), へえ？ (ja) (hē?), ほんと？ (ja) (honto?), 本真に？ (ja) (honma-ni) (Kansai dialect) Korean: 그래요? (ko) (geuraeyo?)

Latin: itane (la), an (la), anne (la), an vero (la) Mongolian: нээрэн үү? (mn) (neeren üü?) Persian: جدًا (fa) (jeddan) Polish: naprawdę (pl)?, doprawdy (pl)?, czyżby (pl)? Portuguese: sério? (pt) Russian: правда? (ru) (právda?), разве? (ru) (rázve) Spanish: ¿de verdad? (es), ¿de veras? (es) Swedish: verkligen? (sv) Turkish: öyle mi (tr)?, gerçekten mi (tr)?, (informal) harbiden mi (tr)? Vietnamese: thật sao? (vi), vậy à? (vi), thế à? (vi)

indicating affirmation, agreement

Greek: όντως (el) (óntos), πράγματι (el) (prágmati), πραγματικά (el) (pragmatiká) Hiligaynon: abâ

Hungarian: tényleg (hu), igaz (hu) Polish: właśnie (pl), naprawdę (pl) Turkish: cidden (tr), gerçekten de (tr), gerçekten (tr), (informal) harbiden (tr),

indicating displeasure at another person's behaviour

Hiligaynon: abâ

Polish: doprawdy (pl)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Dutch: werkelijk echt Finnish: todellako German: echt Hungarian: igazán Icelandic: í alvöru (lit. "[are you talking] in real?") , virkilega

Italian: davvero, veramente Japanese: まさか (masaka) Romanian: zău, pe bune? Swedish: verkligen, jaså

Anagrams

• yaller