FALSE FRIEND: ACTUALLY

Good morning / afternoon / evening, depending on when you are reading this. Welcome back to the Daily Vitamin. I hope you are having a good day!

Today's word is: actually (adverb)

It's used: for emphasising that something is really true or surprising, or to emphasise what really happened.

Example 1: There is a difference between saying that you're going to learn English and actually doing what is necessary to reach your goals.

Example 2: Wow! David is actually studying! I haven't seen him work this hard in a long time!

Remember! It does NOT mean 'presently' or 'at this moment' like the same word in Spanish/Catalan. Depending on the context, its translation would be 'en realidad / realitat,' 'realmente / realment' or 'de hecho / de fet.'

For example, the translation of the Hollywood film "Love Actually" would actually be something like 'Amor, en realidad,' and NOT 'Amor Actual.'

Can you use today's false friend in a coherent sentence? Post your sentence on one of our social media sites (Facebook or Twitter) and we will give you feedback as soon as possible.

Enjoy the rest of your day!