Chinese word

事实上

Pronunciation

Pinyinshì shí shàng

Meaning

  • adverbin fact

Example

事实上，我没去参加聚会。shì shí shàng wǒ méi qù cān jiā jù huì

In fact, I didn't go to the party.

Illustration for 事实上 (in fact)

More examples

大家都以为他很有钱，但事实上并非如此。dà jiā dōu yǐ wéi tā hěn yǒu qián dàn shì shí shàng bìng fēi rú cǐ

Everyone thinks he is rich, but in fact, that is not so.

Core concept

A turn from an earlier claim to the solid facts behind the situation.

Common phrases

  • 事实上已经shì shí shàng yǐ jīng

    indeed already

  • 事实上并非shì shí shàng bìng fēi

    not actually

Similar words

其实qí shí: Introduces the truth when reality differs from what people expected or believed.
实际上shí jì shàng: Clearly points to the real state of things as shown by facts or observation.

Definition in Chinese

表示根据客观事实对先前说法作出纠正或强调真实情况，常用于书面和正式口语，常置于句首或插入句中。biǎo shì gēn jù kè guān shì shí duì xiān qián shuō fǎ zuò chū jiū zhèng huò qiáng diào zhēn shí qíng kuàng cháng yòng yú shū miàn hé zhèng shì kóu yǔ cháng zhì yú jù shǒu huò chā rù jù zhōng

Word origin

事实上 (shìshíshàng, "in fact") places 上 (shàng, "on") after 事实 (shìshí, "facts"), treating the facts as the standpoint from which a claim is judged.

Usage tips

  • The word often appears at the start of a sentence or between its parts, so it helps mark a shift from a prior statement to a more reliable point.

Other meanings

  • actuallyadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word