French word

vraiment

Pronunciation

IPA/vʁɛmɑ̃/

Meaning

  • adverbreally

Example

Tu es vraiment gentil.

You are really kind.

Illustration for vraiment (really)

More examples

Il fait vraiment froid aujourd'hui.

It is really cold today.

Core concept

A speaker placing a clear seal of certainty or strong feeling on a statement.

Common phrases

  • vraiment froid

    really cold

  • vraiment cher

    really expensive

  • vraiment content

    really happy

Similar words

tout à fait: States with emphasis that something is completely true or fully the case.
si: Shows that an emotion or quality is exceptionally intense.
tellement: Shows that the degree or extent is exceptionally great.

Definition in French

S'emploie pour insister sur un trait ou une action, ou pour marquer que l'on juge quelque chose vrai.

Word origin

Vraiment combines vrai, descended from Latin verus, with the adverb-forming suffix -ment; it developed from 'in a true manner' to its modern uses.

Usage tips

  • In Tu n'es pas vraiment gentil, vraiment often softens the negative rather than making it absolute.

Other meanings

  • veryadverb
  • indeedadverb

Related words

Word lists with this word