Sentences using word actually

Synonym: in reality, really. Similar words: actual, virtually, eventually, mutual, ritual, virtual, mutualism, annually. Meaning: [‘æktʃʊəli]  adv. 1. in actual fact 2. used to imply that one would expect the fact to be the opposite of that stated; surprisingly 3. as a sentence modifier to add slight emphasis 4. at the present moment. 

фактически, на самом деле, действительно, даже, в самом деле, в настоящее время

наречие ↓

Словосочетания

to be nominally but not actually independent — быть независимым номинально, но не фактически  
actually infinite — актуально бесконечный  
to intend actually — действительно намереваться  
quantity actually bought — фактический объём закупок  
actually cognizant — действительно, фактически знающий; действительно знающий  
one who actually commits the offense — исполнитель преступления  
his marriage was actually an act of faith — он рискнул жениться в уверенности, что брак будет удачным  
actually flown trajectory — фактическая траектория полёта  
crime actually committed — в действительности совершенное преступление  
intend actually — действительно намереваться; действительно умышлять  
one who actually perpetrates the deed — исполнитель преступления  

Примеры с переводом

Возможные однокоренные слова

actual  — фактический, действительный, актуальный, настоящий, текущий, подлинный
actualism  — актуализм

Video Transcript
Section 1
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Well hey there I’m Emma from mmmEnglish! I hope you’ve been having an awesome day so far! Today’s English lesson is going to be short and sweet. I’ll go over four different ways that you can use a very common, very useful word. Actually.

We’ll also practise the pronunciation to help you sound more natural and relaxed when you use this word.

‘Actually’ is one of those English words that has several different meanings and it can be used in a few different ways but it can also be placed in different positions within an English sentence as well so that can make it seem a little confusing and with many of my students, if you know, they’re a little confused about a word or a little unsure about how to use it correctly, they tend to avoid it but we don’t want to do that. There is no need this avoid this word. It’s an incredibly useful word. Check it out.

We can use ‘actually’ to emphasise a fact, to express surprise, to correct someone politely or to change topics in a conversation. It is a very, very handy word to know.

Now let’s start with the pronunciation ‘actually’. Technically there are four syllables in this word. But when spoken by a native English speaker and they say it naturally, the word reduces down to three syllables. So the stress is on the first syllable, it’s the strongest sound. And in the second syllable, the vowel sound reduces down to the schwa, you can hear it with the consonant sound. And then the last syllable is a short sound. The schwa sound is the secret here to natural pronunciation. It’s not ac-choo-ly, but actually. It’s a really relaxed sound.

Actually, check out my lesson about the schwa sound right here for some extra practice. You’ll get lots more pronunciation practice if you practise with me out loud during this lesson. There’s going to be lots of examples so get ready to speak out loud.

actually #1 – to emphasise a fact

So there are four different ways that you can use the word ‘actually’ in English sentences and number one is to emphasise a fact or something that happened.

It actually takes longer to fly from Melbourne to Perth than it takes to fly from Perth to Melbourne.

So I’m using ‘actually’ here to emphasise a fact. It’s true. The wind direction has quite a significant influence on the flight time so it’s much faster to fly from Perth to Melbourne.

I’ve heard so many different versions of this story, I wish I knew what he actually said.
You know I want the truth, I want to know what he really said at the time. I’ve only heard from others.

Do you know Paul?
We’ve spoken over the phone but we’ve never actually met.

Have you got an example that you can share in the comments below?

I want you to write a sentence, if you can, where you’re using ‘actually’ to emphasise a fact.

actually #2 – to show surprise

Number two, you can use ‘actually’ to show surprise at something unexpected.

It looks like my brother actually arrived on time. I’m a little surprised, he’s usually late.
I was so tired I actually fell asleep in the back of the taxi.
Did you hear that they actually sold their house? It’s been on the market for ages.

actually #3 – to correct someone politely

Now ‘actually’ can also be used to correct someone politely.

I don’t work for the government. I’m self-employed, actually.
We’re late. The meeting starts at twelve. Actually, think it starts after lunch.
How long has she been living in Sydney? Actually, she lives in Singapore now.

Now you can actually use ‘actually’ to correct yourself which is cool when you make a mistake or you’re unsure.

I’m meeting with them on Thursday. Actually, it might be Friday.

Can you think of your own example to correct someone politely? If you can, add it to the comments below so I can check it out soon.

actually #4 – to introduce a new topic or add information

And finally, we can use ‘actually’ to introduce a new topic or to add some extra information.

Actually, I need to ask you about something before you leave.
I’ve been meaning to talk about that with you, actually.

So notice how in both of these examples, when we use ‘actually’ at the end or at the start of a sentence, we use a comma and this is really important for your writing but also when you’re speaking. It also signals a little pause.

So that was the four ways that you can use ‘actually’ but I’ve got a couple of extra tips that I want to share with you to actually make sure that you’re using ‘actually’ correctly because some of my students get a little confused between ‘actually’ and ‘currently’.

Now in English, these are not synonyms. ‘They actually moved to Tokyo.’ is not the same as ‘They currently moved to Tokyo.’
In fact, that sentence is completely incorrect.

‘Actually’ and ‘currently‘ are different. And the last thing that I want to share is ‘actually’ and ‘actual’, they have very similar meanings. ‘Actually’ is an adverb, ‘actual’ is an adjective. Their meanings are similar. ‘Actual’ means real or factual and it can also be used for emphasis but they are used in different positions within a sentence.

So usually the adjective ‘actual’ is found before the noun.

This is the actual spot where we met.
This is the actual spot where I teach you.

Now the adverb ‘actually’ is usually used at the beginning or the end of a sentence or before the verb.

Actually, this is where I film my videos.
I actually film them right here.
This is where I film my videos actually.

So I hope you actually learned something this lesson and that you actually start using this word a little more frequently in your English sentences.

Make it a challenge for this week. How many times can you use the word ‘actually’? Keep it top of mind.

Give this lesson a like and if you’re thinking ‘Actually, I’ve got a friend who should really watch this video.’ well, make sure you share it with them.

Here are a couple more lessons to keep you busy. I think that you’ll actually like this one right here. I’ll see you in there!

mmmEnglish Video Lessons are a series of video lessons created to build confidence in English learners and focus on English in daily life. Download them and watch them anywhere! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be the first to get my new videos, and come and say hi on my Facebook page!!

Used with adjectives:

«The rumors are actually true about her.«
(true, correct)

«Your answer was actually right.«
(right, wrong)

«She looks mean, but she’s actually nice.«
(nice, pleasant, sweet, friendly)

Used with verbs:

«Did dinosaurs actually exist?«
(exist, live)

«Have you actually experienced a miracle?«
(experienced, witnessed, observed)

«It did not actually happen that way.«
(happen, occur)

«The police actually solved the mystery after many years.«
(solved)

«I actually finished on time.«
(finished, completed, arrived)

«She is not actually coming.«
(be + coming, be + going)

You use actually to indicate that a situation exists or happened, or to emphasize that it is true. One afternoon, I grew bored and actually fell asleep for a few minutes. Interest is only payable on the amount actually borrowed. You use actually when you are correcting or contradicting someone.

Can you begin a sentence with actually?

The adverb actually is usually at the beginning or end of a sentence or before a verb. Actually, I can’t make it tonight after all. I can’t make it tonight, actually. I can’t believe she actually said that.

How do you use the word actually in a sentence?

Actually sentence example

1. Had anyone actually told her that or had she merely assumed it?
2. Was he actually avoiding conversation with his father?
3. Her eyes actually were filled with tears.
4. So the party was actually for him, not both of them.
5. For a moment Dulce actually looked sympathetic.
6. He actually flat-out stated it.

What is the word actually?

1 : in act or in fact : really trying to find out what actually happened won’t actually arrive for an hour. 2 : in point of fact —used to suggest something unexpected was surprised to learn that she could actually speak German.

Should I put a comma after actually?

I make it one of my goals to help demystify the comma for my students. The most common missing comma is the one that comes after an introductory element in a sentence. You need a comma after an introductory word: Actually, I’ve never been to Disney World.

Where do you put commas in a sentence?

Comma Use

1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.

Can you have 3 commas in a sentence?

Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma.

What is a comma in Korean?

In many times, Korean omits “and” or “or” in sentences, just saying words one by one. You have to infer th. Comma is a borrowed mark from the West, so it doesn’t have strict usages unlike Western languages. Of course, there are some rules for it in Korean as well.

Why do Koreans use ellipses?

In Korean writing, the ellipsis is called “ieung (이응)”, and it’s only silent when it is at the beginning of a syllable. These words have ellipses at the beginning. So, they’re all silent. But if the ellipsis is at the final of a syllable, then it’s not silent but “-ng” sound.

What are the basic Korean words?

Basic Korean Phrases

• neh. Yes.
• ah-nee-oh. No.
• jwe-song-ha-ji-mahn. Please.
• gahm-sah-hahm-ni-da. Thank you.
• chon-mahn-eh-yo. You’re welcome.
• sil-le-hahm-ni-da. Excuse me.
• ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo. Good morning.
• ahn-nyong-hee ga-se-yo. Good-bye.

What is another name for Korea?

English usage and spelling. Both South and North Korea use the name “Korea” when referring to their countries in English. North Korea is sometimes referred to as “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” (DPRK) and South Korea is sometimes referred to as the “Republic Of Korea” (ROK).

What are the 100 most common words in Korean?

Korean Core 100 Word List

• 주 (n) ju. week. 이번 주 수요일 이번 주 수요일
• 년 (n) nyeon. year. 매년 저는 나이를 먹습니다.
• 오늘 (n) oneul. today. 오늘 여섯 시 십오 분 오늘 여섯 시 십오 분
• 내일 (n) naeil. tomorrow. 내일 열시 십분 내일 열시 십분
• 어제 (n) eoje. yesterday. 어제 쉬었습니다.
• 달력 (n) dallyeok. calendar. 달력에서 일 달력에서 일
• 초 (n) cho. second. 스톱워치에 오십팔 초가 남았습니다.
• 시 (n) si. hour. 한 시간에는 육십 분이 있습니다.

How do you say hi in Korean?

The standard way to say “hello” in Korean, used between adults who don’t know each other, is 안녕하세요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo).

What is ANYO in Korean?

아니요 (aniyo) This word can be used in both formal and standard Korean. The word can be used by itself. Some alternate spellings that you might see are 아니오 (anio) and 아뇨 (anyo). These mean the same thing but the correct spelling is 아니요 (aniyo).

What does onion haseo mean?

It’s the most common polite way to say hello. It can sometimes be used to say goodbye as well! However, “annyeong-haseo” is the romanization and isn’t actually the proper way to write the words!

What does Jaljayo mean in Korean?

jaljayo/ 잘자요 is goodnight 🙂 jal/잘 means ‘well’ and ja/자 means ‘sleep’ so it is saying ‘sleep well’ and yo/요 is just a formal/polite ending. 163 notes.

What does Saranghaeyo mean?

I love you

Imagine trying to speak Portuguese without using words like tipo, sabe, entende, ou seja and quer dizer.

These little words are called discourse markers, and if you’re like most Brazilians you frequently use them while you speak in order to accentuate what you are saying, give yourself more time to think about what you will say next and to add a more natural flow to the conversation.

You use discourse markers unconsciously when you speak Portuguese, but do you use them when you speak English?

The word “actually” is a false cognate and is not the same as atualmente in Portuguese. The word atualmente translates to “currently” in English. A common mistake that Brazilians make is saying things like, “Dilma is actually the president ,” when they really mean to say, “Dilma is currently the president.”

Free E-book: 101 Words You Will Never Learn in School

The word “actually” has several different uses in English and is very common in spoken language. As we will see, it is an important word to learn how to use because it allows you to change your mind about something that you say.

Actually meaning “Thinking again”

This is the most important meaning of “actually” to learn how to use properly. If you say something that you don’t mean and want to take it back, or if you say something incorrectly and want to correct yourself, you can use actually at the beginning of your sentence to signify that you changed your mind. This is similar to how alias is used in Portuguese. For example:

“Do you have a pen I could borrow?”
“No I don’t. Wait! Actually I have one right here.”

“Alberto Santos-Dumont was the American inventor who first invented the airplane. Actually, no, he was Brazilian.”

Actually meaning “In Fact”

This use of the word “actually” means “in fact” and is used to point out something that was unexpected. This usage is similar to how na verdade is used in Portuguese. For example:

“Are you American?”
“Actually, I’m Australian.”

“Rio de Janeiro is the capital of Brazil, right?”
“No, actually it’s Brasilia.”

Actually meaning “Really”

The word “actually” can be used interchangeable with the word “really” in some cases, similar to how realmente is used in Portuguese. It is used to emphasize that something someone has said or done is surprising.  For example:

“Did you hear that Isaac is in Saudi Arabia?”
“I heard, but I can’t believe he was actually able to get a visa to go there.”

“Did you hear what Mary said to Joe at the party last weekend?”
“I can’t believe she actually said that, that was really mean.”

Actually as a “softener”

If you are giving someone unpleasant or unwanted information, “actually” can be used to soften the blow of what you tell them. It is similar to para ser sincero in Portuguese. For example:

“Are you coming to the party next week?”
“No, I have to work actually.”

“Dad can we go to Disneyland?”
“No we can’t. We ran out of money paying for your college actually.”

“You’re still coming tomorrow, right?”
“I won’t be able to make it, actually.”

Discourse markers are a topic that we will cover more in detail in the future. Sign up for our mailing list in order to receive updates for future articles. The inspiration for this article came from the book Como Dizer Tudo em Inglês.

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