Vocabulary · 词汇 cíhuì

其实

qíshí

The everyday pivot from appearance to truth: the adverb you reach for to say "actually, in fact," to gently correct an impression or admit how you really feel, and how it differs from the more formal 实际上 and the earlier-state 本来.

~4 min read

字源 zìyuán Etymology & Structure

字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight

其 qí is a classical pronoun, "its, his, that," one of the oldest function words in Chinese. 实 shí means "real, solid, true, fruit," its traditional form 實 showing a roof over strung cowrie shells, a house full of substance. Together 其实 reads literally as "its reality, the truth of it," and from this the word came to mean "actually, in fact," the move from the surface of a matter to its real state.

The 实 of truth and substance threads through a family of words: 实际 shíjì (actual, practical), 事实 shìshí (a fact), 现实 xiànshí (reality), 真实 zhēnshí (genuine, true), 老实 lǎoshi (honest). 其实 sits among them as the everyday adverb that says, in effect, "the substance of the matter is this."

其实 qíshí The Core Adverb

其实 qíshí actually; in fact; as a matter of fact

Adv 副词 fùcí

Introduces the real situation, usually against an assumption or first impression. It can soften a correction ("actually, that's not quite right"), reveal a hidden truth, or confess a real feeling. Placed at the start of the clause or after the subject. Very often it opens the second of two contrasting sentences, marking the turn from surface to substance.

其实我不太喜欢喝咖啡。

Qíshí wǒ bú tài xǐhuan hē kāfēi.

Actually, I don't really like coffee.

他看起来很凶，其实很善良。

Tā kàn qǐlái hěn xiōng, qíshí hěn shànliáng.

He looks fierce, but in fact he's very kind.

这个问题其实没有那么难。

Zhège wèntí qíshí méiyǒu nàme nán.

This problem actually isn't that hard.

用法 yòngfǎ Patterns — From Appearance to Reality

其实 in use · the core patterns 其实 + Clause , 其实我也不知道 · actually I don't know either
Subject + 其实 + Predicate , 我其实很累 · I'm actually quite tired
看起来…，其实… , looks…, but actually… (appearance vs reality)
其实…就是… , actually it's just… (reduction to the simple truth)
其实呢，… , well, actually… (softened, conversational opener)

看起来…其实… kàn qǐlái… qíshí… it looks…, but actually…

The signature frame for 其实: set up an appearance with 看起来 ("it looks / seems"), then pivot to the truth with 其实. The structure makes the contrast explicit and is extremely common in description and explanation: 看起来很贵，其实很便宜 ("it looks expensive, but actually it's cheap").

看起来很复杂，其实很简单。

Kàn qǐlái hěn fùzá, qíshí hěn jiǎndān.

It looks complicated, but actually it's simple.

其实…就是… qíshí… jiùshì… actually it's just…

Used to strip a thing down to its plain truth: 其实 reveals, 就是 ("is precisely / is just") names the simple reality. It deflates something that seemed mysterious or grand into something ordinary: 其实这就是个误会 ("actually this is just a misunderstanding").

其实他就是不想去。

Qíshí tā jiùshì bù xiǎng qù.

Actually, he just doesn't want to go.

辨析 biànxī In Fact, In Reality, Originally

辨析 biànxī · Distinguishing the Words

Several adverbs cluster around "actually," and they part on register and on what they contrast. 其实 qíshí is the soft, conversational default, the gentle "actually" that corrects an impression or shares a real feeling. 实际上 shíjìshàng ("in actual fact") and 事实上 shìshíshàng ("as a matter of fact") are firmer and more formal, the words of explanation and argument, where you appeal to the actual facts: 事实上，结果正好相反 ("as a matter of fact, the result was the opposite").

本来 běnlái stands apart: it means "originally, in the first place," and contrasts an earlier state with a later one rather than appearance with reality. 我本来想去，后来没去 ("I originally wanted to go, then didn't"). So if you are revealing the truth behind how something looks, use 其实; if you are appealing to hard facts in an argument, 实际上 or 事实上; if you are pointing back to how things first stood, 本来.

成语 chéngyǔ Set Phrases

名副其实 míng fù qí shí the name matches the reality Literally "the name fits its reality," said of someone or something that truly lives up to its reputation or title. 名 (name) and 实 (reality) match. The opposite is 名不副实 ("the name does not match the reality"), all show, no substance. Note the shared 其实 morphemes 其 and 实.

名存实亡 míng cún shí wáng existing in name but not in reality Literally "the name survives, the reality is dead," describing something that keeps its title or form while its substance has vanished, an alliance, a rule, or an institution that is hollow inside. The 名 versus 实 contrast, the gap between what is called and what truly is, that 其实 itself points to.

实事求是 shí shì qiú shì to seek truth from facts Literally "from real matters seek what is so," to base judgments on actual facts rather than wishes or dogma. An old phrase from the History of the Han that became a watchword for a pragmatic, evidence-led attitude. The same 实 of substance that anchors 其实.