really

See also re-ally

English

Etymology

real +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈɹɪəli/, X-SAMPA: /"rI@li/
• (US) IPA: /ˈɹiəli/, /ˈɹili/, /ˈɹɪli/

• 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)

• Czech: skutečně (cs)
• 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, raunar (is), raunverulega (is)
• 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
• Neapolitan: ô veramente
• Persian: واقعاً (fa) (vâqe'an)
• Polish: naprawdę (pl)
• Portuguese: na verdade (pt), realmente (pt), mesmo (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)

• Czech: skutečně (cs)
• 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)

• Japanese: まじ (ja) (maji)
• Neapolitan: ô veramente
• Persian: واقعاً (fa) (vâqe'an)
• 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?)

• Czech: opravdu (cs), skutečně (cs)
• Esperanto: ĉu vere? (eo)
• French: vraiment ? (fr)
• German: wirklich? (de)
• Greek: αλήθεια (el) (alítheia)
• Hiligaynon: abâ
• Hungarian: igazán (hu)?, tényleg (hu)?, komolyan (hu)? (lit: seriously?)
• Icelandic: virkilega? (is)
• 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: جداً؟ (fa) (jeddan), واقعاً؟ (fa) (vâqe'an)
• 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)
• Yiddish: אַזוי (yi) (azoy)

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
• Persian: واقعاً که! (fa) (vâqe'an ke)

• 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
• Georgian: განა (ka) (gana), მართლა (ka) (martla)
• 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