Really in Italian
If you are studying Italian and your aim is to learn to speak like a native, you need to know how to say “really”.
As you know, this little word can be used in a wide variety of contexts, and your vocabulary cannot be complete without it!
In this lesson, we will look at three ways to say “really” in Italian: davvero, veramente and proprio.
To start, let’s have a look at some examples of these three words used in a sentence.
Questa agenda mi piace davvero tanto, penso che la comprerò.
I really like this diary; I think I will buy it.
Veramente sei andata fino al lago in bici?
Did you really cycle all the way to the lake?
Sei proprio bella oggi.
You’re really pretty today.
Davvero in Italian
The more direct and most widely used translation of “really” is davvero. This word can basically be used just as we use “really” in English.
It can be used to express surprise:
-Ho iniziato a fare yoga tutti i giorni.
-Davvero?!
-I started doing yoga every day.
-Really?!
Or, to emphasize something:
Sono davvero stanca oggi.
I am really tired today.
Sometimes, you might hear the expression per davvero, which means “for real“.
Lo dici per davvero?
Are you saying it for real?
Veramente in Italian
Another way to say “really” in Italian is veramente. This is practically a synonym of davvero and the two can be used interchangeably.
Thus, you can use veramente both to express surprise and emphasize something.
Sai che Giorgia e Carlo si sono sposati?
Veramente? Non lo sapevo.
Did you know that Giorgia and Carlo got married?
Really? I didn’t know.
Questo vestito ti sta veramente bene.
This dress looks really good on you.
Be careful, though, sometimes veramente used at the beginning of a sentence can mean “actually”.
Ho detto a Sabrina che stasera andiamo al cinema con lei.
Veramente, io ho già un altro impegno.
I told Sabrina that we would go to the cinema with her tonight.
Actually, I am already busy.
Practice with Quizlet
Here's a set of flashcards and quizzes to practice this grammar topic.Proprio in Italian
Sometimes, “really” can be translated as proprio. Of course, proprio also has other uses in Italian, but it is often used for emphasis.
Proprio, however, cannot be used to express surprise, as do davvero and veramente.
È proprio vero!
Really, it is true!
Questo caffè è proprio buono.
This coffee is really good.
Sei proprio sicuro che sia già andata via?
Are you really sure she has already left?
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