Really in different languages

Really in Different Languages

Discover 'Really' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'really' is a small but mighty part of the English language. It's a versatile word that can be used to express surprise, emphasis, or certainty. But have you ever wondered how 'really' is translated in different languages? Understanding the translation of this word can give you a unique insight into different cultures and ways of expressing oneself.

For example, in Spanish, 'really' can be translated to 'realmente.' In French, it's 'réellement.' And in German, it's 'wirklich.' These translations not only give you a better understanding of the word 'really,' but they also offer a glimpse into the cultural context of these languages.

Moreover, the word 'really' has a rich history. It originated from the Middle English word 'really,' which means 'actually' or 'genuinely.' Over time, the word has evolved to take on a variety of meanings and uses in the English language.

So, why should you care about the translation of 'really' in different languages? Understanding this word in different languages can help you better communicate with people from different cultures, expand your vocabulary, and gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of language and culture.

Really


Really in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansregtig
The Afrikaans word "regtig" is derived from the Dutch "rechte" and originally meant "straight" or "correct".
Amharicበእውነት
The word "በእውነት" (really) in Amharic comes from the root word "እውነት" (truth), and can also mean "indeed" or "in fact".
Hausagaske
Gaske, a Hausa word for "really," also refers to "truth" or "certainty."
Igbon'ezie
Igbo word “n’ezie” can also be used to say “the real deal”, “authentic”, “legit”, “undiluted” or “true/actual”.
Malagasytena
The word "tena" is also used to mean "yes" and "OK" in Malagasy.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kwenikweni
Kwenikweni, meaning 'really,' may derive from the verb kwena 'to say' or the noun kwene 'truth'.
Shonachaizvo
The word "chaizvo" in Shona can also be used to mean "certainly" or "definitely".
Somalirunti
The word "runti" in Somali also means "to exist".
Sesothoka 'nete
"Ka 'nete" is also the infinitive form of the verb "to agree".
Swahilikweli
Kweli derives from the Arabic word "qadi," which also means "judge."
Xhosangokwenene
The word "ngokwenene" can also mean "truth" or "in accordance with the facts" in Xhosa.
Yorubalooto
The word "looto" is derived from the Yoruba word "lo", which means "to do", and "oto", which means "truly" or "really". Therefore, "looto" literally means "to do truly".
Zulungempela
Ngempela can also mean 'very' or 'extremely' and is sometimes used intensitively to indicate a high degree of something.
Bambaralakika
Ewenyateƒea
Kinyarwandamubyukuri
Lingalampenza
Lugandakituufu
Sepedika kgonthe
Twi (Akan)pa ara

Really in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicهل حقا
The word هل حقا (“really”) has alternate spellings, and its etymology has been debated.
Hebrewבֶּאֱמֶת
בֶּאֱמֶת is also used to say 'truly' or 'indeed'.
Pashtoواقعیا
The word "واقعیا" also means "true" or "correct" in Pashto.
Arabicهل حقا
The word هل حقا (“really”) has alternate spellings, and its etymology has been debated.

Really in Western European Languages

Albanianme të vërtetë
Basquebenetan
The Basque word "benetan" (really) may also refer to the "truth" or a "real thing".
Catalanrealment
"Realment" (really) comes from the Latin "realiter" (in reality) and is also used to mean "indeed" or "truly".
Croatianstvarno
Stvarno is derived from the word "stvar" meaning "thing" and originally meant "true to the facts" or "in accordance with reality".
Danishvirkelig
Virkelig is derived from the Old Norse "verkelikr," meaning "active," "effective," or "real."
Dutchwerkelijk
The Dutch word "werkelijk" originally meant "working", and is related to the German "wirken" and English "work."
Englishreally
The word 'really' derives from the Old English word 'rædlice', meaning 'in accordance with reason or advice'.
Frenchvraiment
"Vraiment" originated from "verum," meaning "true" in Latin.
Frisianwerklik
The word "wurklik" in Frisian means "actually" or "indeed" and is derived from the Old Frisian word "wirklik", meaning "working" or "effective".
Galiciande verdade
The etymology of the Galician word "de verdade" is unclear, but it may be related to the Portuguese word "verdade", which likely traces back to the Latin "veritas" (truth).
Germanja wirklich
Ja wirklich literally translates to "yes, really" but also can be used ironically to mean "oh, really?"
Icelandicí alvöru
Í Álvöru is an Icelandic phrase that literally means "in the elven realm".
Irishi ndáiríre
The word 'i ndáiríre' can also mean 'in truth', 'indeed', or 'in fact' in Irish.
Italianveramente
"Veramente" can also mean "actually" or "in fact".
Luxembourgishwierklech
The word "wierklech" derives from the German word "wirklich" and retains its German meaning of "actual" or "true".
Maltesetassew
"Tas-sew" may derive from "Tassew", an exclamation for astonishment or approval, or derive from an Arabic phrase meaning "by God".
Norwegianegentlig
Egentlig derives from the Old Norse word "eiginlegr", meaning "real" or "actual".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)realmente
In Portuguese, "realmente" derives from the Latin "realis," meaning "pertaining to things," and can also mean "actually" or "in fact."
Scots Gaelicdha-rìribh
The term 'dha-rìribh' in Scots Gaelic comes from the Old Irish word 'doiribh', meaning 'indeed' or 'truly'. It can also be used as an intensive particle to emphasize a statement.
Spanishde verdad
When someone emphasizes an idea in Spanish by saying "De Verdad," it can sometimes be a subtle request for others to be careful about what they say or do around them.
Swedishverkligen
"Verkligen" also means "indeed" or "in fact" in Swedish, and derives from "verk" (work), indicating that something is done or true.
Welsha dweud y gwir
The phrase "a dweud y gwir" has more literal meaning of "to tell the truth" or "in truth."

Really in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianсапраўды
In some contexts and dialects, "сапраўды" can also function as a quotative, introducing indirect speech.
Bosnianstvarno
Stvarno comes from the root word "stvar" (thing), implying the tangible or real nature of something.
Bulgarianнаистина ли
The word can also be used as a polite way to ask for confirmation or to show surprise.
Czechopravdu
„Opravdu“ is short for a very old Slavic phrase expressing surprise “o prav da!” (“it is true in deed!”)}
Estoniantõesti
The word "tõesti" originally meant "in truth" and was related to the concept of "oath" or "promise."
Finnishtodella
Todella is also used to emphasize a question, e.g. 'Todellako olet nähnyt sen?' ('Have you really seen it?').
Hungarianigazán
Igazán, a Hungarian word, is used to express authenticity, genuineness, and often refers to something that is truly characteristic of the Hungarian experience and culture.
Latviantiešām
Etymology: from Sanskrit "tattvam" (being, essence, truth).
Lithuaniantikrai
The word "tikrai" can also mean "certainly" or "indeed" and ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *tik-, meaning "to point".
Macedonianнавистина
Навистина can also mean `of course`, `of necessity`, `surely`, or `really.`
Polishnaprawdę
"Naprawdę" is a Polish word that means "really" but also literally translates to "in truth".
Romanianîntr-adevăr
The Romanian word for "really" is "într-adevăr" and comes from the phrase "în adevăr", which means "into the truth". This phrase has been shortened over time to become the single word "într-adevăr".
Russianдействительно
Действительно is also used to express agreement or confirm something, similar to English 'indeed'.
Serbianстварно
The word "стварно" (stvarno) in Serbian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *stьvьrъ, meaning "thing" or "matter". It can also be used to mean "actual", "true", or "genuine".
Slovaknaozaj
The word "naozaj" derives from Proto-Slavic *no jestъ "no it is" or *na jistь "indeed, truly" and is cognate with Czech "nazejt", Polish "na pewno", and Serbo-Croatian "naistinu"
Slovenianres
The word "res" in Slovenian also has other meanings such as "serious" or "solemn".
Ukrainianсправді
The word "справді" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъpravdь, meaning "according to law" or "in truth".

Really in South Asian Languages

Bengaliসত্যিই
The word 'সত্যিই' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'सत्य' (satya), meaning 'truth'.
Gujaratiખરેખર
'ખરેખર' is a combination of the words 'ખર' and 'એકર', meaning 'truly', 'actually', or 'in reality' in Gujarati, and can also be used to express agreement or confirmation.
Hindiवास्तव में
"वास्तव में" is a compound noun that literally means "in reality" or "actually".
Kannadaನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ
Malayalamശരിക്കും
Marathiखरोखर
The word 'खरोखर' is derived from the Persian word 'khar' meaning 'true' and 'kar' meaning 'business'.
Nepaliसाँच्चै
साँच्चै (Saanchai) comes from the Sanskrit word 'Sach', meaning 'truth' or 'reality'.
Punjabiਸਚਮੁਚ
The word "sachmuch" is also used as an exclamation to express surprise or excitement.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ඇත්තටම
Tamilஉண்மையில்
உண்மையில்'s second meaning, 'in fact', is similar to its English cognate 'really'.
Teluguనిజంగా
The word 'నిజంగా' can also mean 'indeed', 'truly', or 'in fact' in Telugu.
Urduواقعی
"واقعی" means "reality" in Arabic, but in Urdu it means "really".

Really in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
真 used to mean 'correct' and 'sincere' and was only later used as an intensifier, which is also seen in Japanese, where it is pronounced ma.
Chinese (Traditional)
"真" was originally used to describe what is correct and proper, later it was extended to mean what is true.
Japanese本当に
本当 "(hontou)" derives from 本 ("moto") meaning "origin," and 当 ("tou") meaning "hit."}
Korean정말
'정말(jeongmal)' contains '정(jeong)' meaning 'true' and '말(mal)' meaning 'word'.
Mongolianүнэхээр
The word "үнэхээр" can also mean "truly", "indeed", or "in fact".
Myanmar (Burmese)တကယ်
In some cases, တကယ် (pronounced 'dagae') can be used to ask about the veracity, reality, or authenticity of a situation.

Really in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianbetulkah
The word "Betulkah" can also be an exclamation meaning "My gosh!"
Javanesetenan
In Javanese, "tenan" means "truly, certainly, verily," and is related to the word "antek" (firm, strong).
Khmerពិតជា
Laoແທ້
The word "ແທ້" derives from the Proto-Tai word *tæːk̚, meaning "true" or "correct".
Malaysungguh
"Sungguh" also means "swear" or "pledge" in Malay, derived from the Sanskrit word "satya" meaning "true".
Thaiจริงๆ
จริงๆ can be used to refer to the present time or to indicate that the speaker is certain about something.
Vietnamesecó thật không
The word "có thật không" can also mean "is it true?" or "are you serious?"
Filipino (Tagalog)talaga

Really in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanihəqiqətən
The word "həqiqətən" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "ḥaqq" (حق), meaning "truth" or "right".
Kazakhшынымен
The word "шынымен" in Kazakh also means "to be real" or "to be true."
Kyrgyzчындыгында
The word “чындыгында” also means “in fact” and “indeed” in Kyrgyz, conveying a sense of certainty and emphasis.
Tajikдар ҳақиқат
The Persian loanword "дар ҳақиқат" ("really") is used in formal speech to emphasize a fact; when pronounced in a sarcastic tone, it means the opposite.
Turkmenhakykatdanam
Uzbekhaqiqatan ham
The word "haqiqatan ham" can also mean "surely, certainly" or "in fact".
Uyghurھەقىقەتەن

Really in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianmaoli
"Maoli" is also the Hawaiian name for the native Hawaiian people, and is often used in a term of endearment.
Maoritino
Tino was originally a Māori word meaning 'very' or 'supreme', but is now exclusively used to mean 'really' or 'truly'.
Samoanmoni lava
The term "moni lava" in Samoan was originally used to refer to a type of banana that was considered to be exceptionally sweet and flavorful.
Tagalog (Filipino)talaga
The Tagalog word "Talaga" can also mean "truly", "indeed", or "certainly".

Really in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarachiqpachansa
Guaraniañetehápe

Really in International Languages

Esperantovere
The word "vere" is derived from the Latin word "verus", meaning "true" or "correct".
Latinrem
The Latin word “rem” can also mean “thing” or an “object”.

Really in Others Languages

Greekπραγματικά
Πραγματικά is the Greek adverbial form of πραγματικός "actual, real", ultimately deriving from πρᾶγμα "thing".
Hmongtiag tiag
'Tiag tiag' is derived from 'tiak tiak,' meaning 'very,' 'truly.'
Kurdishbicî
The word "bicî" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "bizi", meaning "us" or "ours", and has also been used to express emphasis or intensity.
Turkishgerçekten mi
'Gerçekten mi' is derived from Arabic 'gereken', meaning 'required' or 'necessary', hence implying a sense of certainty.
Xhosangokwenene
The word "ngokwenene" can also mean "truth" or "in accordance with the facts" in Xhosa.
Yiddishטאַקע
The word "טאַקע" is also used in Yiddish to express emphasis or certainty.
Zulungempela
Ngempela can also mean 'very' or 'extremely' and is sometimes used intensitively to indicate a high degree of something.
Assameseসঁচাকৈ
Aymarachiqpachansa
Bhojpuriसच्चो
Dhivehiހަޤީޤަތުގައި
Dogriसच्चें
Filipino (Tagalog)talaga
Guaraniañetehápe
Ilocanotalaga
Kriorili
Kurdish (Sorani)بەڕاستی
Maithiliसत्ते
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯇꯁꯦꯡꯅ
Mizotakzet
Oromodhugaadhumatti
Odia (Oriya)ପ୍ରକୃତରେ
Quechuachaynam
Sanskritयथार्थत
Tatarчыннан да
Tigrinyaናይ ብሓቂ
Tsongahimpela

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