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re•al•ly(ˈri ə li, ˈri li)
You use really in conversation and in less formal writing to emphasize something that you are saying.
Really usually goes in front of a verb, or in front of an adjective or adverb.
You can put really in front of or after an auxiliary verb. For example, you can say 'He really is coming' or 'He is really coming'. There is no difference in meaning.
'Really' is not usually used in formal writing. Words such as very or extremely are usually used instead.
You can say 'Really?' to show that you are surprised by something that someone has said.
|Adv.||1.||really - in accordance with truth or fact or reality; "she was now truly American"; "a genuinely open society"; "they don't really listen to us"|
|2.||really - in actual fact; "to be nominally but not actually independent"; "no one actually saw the shark"; "large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt"|
|3.||really - in fact (used as intensifiers or sentence modifiers); "in truth, moral decay hastened the decline of the Roman Empire"; "really, you shouldn't have done it"; "a truly awful book"|
|4.||really - used as intensifiers; `real' is sometimes used informally for `really'; `rattling' is informal; "she was very gifted"; "he played very well"; "a really enjoyable evening"; "I'm real sorry about it"; "a rattling good yarn"|
a really good film → una película buenísima or verdaderamente buena
you really must see it → no puedes perdértelo
I really ought to go → de verdad que me tengo que ir
I'm very sorry, I really am → lo siento mucho, de veras
I really don't know → de verdad que no lo sé
this time we're really done for → esta vez sí que la hemos hecho, esta vez la hemos hecho de verdad
see also something A2
what really happened? → ¿qué fue lo que pasó en realidad or realmente?
has he really gone? → ¿de verdad que or es cierto que se ha ido?
she's quite pretty really → la verdad es que es bastante guapa
"would you like to go?" - "not really" → -¿te gustaría ir? -la verdad es que no mucho
"I was in Mexico last month" - "really?" (expressing interest) → -estuve en Méjico el mes pasado -¿ah sí?
"she's getting divorced again" - "really!" (in surprise, disbelief) → -se va a divorciar otra vez -¡no me digas!
I'm fine, really (in assurance) → estoy bien, de verdad
(well) really! (in disapproval) → ¡de verdad!
(well) really! it's too bad of him → ¡pero bueno! or ¡de verdad!, vaya una forma de comportarse la suya
I'm very sorry. I really am → Je suis désolé. Vraiment désolé.
I really, really enjoyed it → Je me suis vraiment beaucoup amusé.
She's really nice → Elle est vraiment sympathique.
It was really good → C'était vraiment bon.
I know her really well → Je la connais vraiment bien.
He didn't really love her → Il ne l'aimait pas vraiment.
What was really going on?
BUT Que se passait-il en réalité?.
"Do you want to go?" - "Not really." → "Tu veux y aller?" - "Pas vraiment."
I'm not really surprised → Ça ne me surprend pas vraiment.
"I'm learning German." - "Really?" → "J'apprends l'allemand." - "Ah bon?"
"You look lovely." - "Do you really think so?"
BUT "Tu es ravissante." - "Vraiment? Tu trouves?".