其实 (qíshí) — 'actually / in fact'
Reach for 其实 when you want to lift the lid on what people assume and show them what's really going on — 'actually, in fact.' It's the workhorse of polite contradiction in Chinese conversation: you concede the listener's premise might be reasonable, then gently reveal something different. Use it before correcting a misconception, sharing inside info, or admitting an unexpected truth about yourself.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 其实 [REAL TRUTH]
qíshí
How to Think About It
其实 always points to a gap between perception and reality. 其 means 'its / that,' 实 means 'real,' so literally 'its real (situation)' — the structure builds in the idea of a hidden truth being unveiled. Position is flexible: it can sit before the subject ('其实我不是医生') or after it ('我其实不是医生'), but it MUST come before the truth-claim verb. Drop it in casually; it softens a contradiction so it doesn't sound combative.
Examples
其实我不喜欢咖啡。
Qíshí wǒ bù xǐhuan kāfēi.
Actually, I don't like coffee.
他看起来很安静, 其实很爱聊天。
Tā kànqǐlái hěn ānjìng, qíshí hěn ài liáotiān.
He looks quiet, but actually he loves to chat.
其实这个问题没有那么难。
Qíshí zhège wèntí méiyǒu nàme nán.
Actually this problem isn't that hard.
Common Mistake
Learners stick 其实 at the end of the sentence, mirroring where 'actually' sometimes lands in English ('I don't like it, actually.'). In Chinese 其实 has to come before the verb it modifies — putting it at the end sounds broken, not casual.
我不喜欢咖啡, 其实。
其实我不喜欢咖啡。
Don't Confuse With
实际上 (shíjì shang)
More formal cousin meaning 'in actuality / in practice.' Use 实际上 in writing and serious discussion; 其实 in everyday speech. 实际上 also leans more on objective facts; 其实 often introduces a personal or social truth.
原来 (yuánlái)
Means 'so it turns out / as it turns out' — marks a newly discovered truth from the speaker's perspective. 其实 gently reveals what was true all along; 原来 expresses surprise at just realizing it.
事实上 (shìshí shang)
Means 'as a matter of fact / factually.' Stronger and more evidence-driven than 其实. Use in arguments and analysis when you're citing the record; use 其实 when softly correcting an assumption.
Practice
___ 我已经知道这件事了。 (fill in 'actually')
Show answer
其实
他看起来很严肃, ___ 他很幽默。
Show answer
其实
Put in order: [其实 / 中国 / 没去过 / 我]
Show answer
其实我没去过中国。
Translate to Chinese: 'Actually, I'm a little tired today.'
Show answer
其实我今天有点累。
Write one sentence revealing something people might not know about you, using 其实.
Show answer
Example answer: 其实我不是上海人, 我是在广州长大的。 (Actually, I'm not from Shanghai — I grew up in Guangzhou.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode. Press play to hear the sentence:
他觉得AI其实没那么聪明。
He thinks AI isn't actually that smart.
Is AI Really Thinking? Luc Julia and the Nature Paper on the Intelligence IllusionIntermediate
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 其实 (qíshí) — 'actually / in fact' in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.