RECYCLING-3 (FALSE FRIEND: ACTUALLY)

Good morning everybody!

Today’s recycled Daily Vitamin was originally sent on the 21st of November, 2003. It’s about a false friend that many of you may not be fully aware of, or that still causes confusion.


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/fet'.

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

Have a great day!