quả thực

Definition

Adverb:
- Truly, indeed, really: Used to emphasize the truth or reality of a statement, often to express confirmation or strong agreement.
- Actually, in fact: Used to introduce a statement that clarifies, corrects, or confirms a previous idea, sometimes with a sense of surprise or contrast.
Noun (Archaic/Limited Use):
- Fruits, gains, spoils (of a struggle): Refers to the tangible results or material benefits obtained from a struggle, effort, or conflict (e.g., land reform). This usage is now rare and mostly found in historical contexts.

Usage Examples

Adverb:
- Quả thực, cô ấy hát rất hay. (Indeed, she sings very well.)
- Anh ấy nói anh ấy bận. Quả thực, tôi đã thấy anh ấy làm việc cả đêm. (He said he was busy. In fact, I saw him working all night.)
- "Có phải trời hôm nay lạnh không?" - "Quả thực là rất lạnh." ("Is it cold today?" - "It really is very cold.")
Noun (Archaic):
- Nông dân được chia quả thực sau cuộc cải cách. (The farmers were allotted the gains [e.g., land] after the reform.)

Advanced Usage

"Quả thực mà nói": To tell the truth, frankly speaking.
- Quả thực mà nói, tôi không tin anh ta. (To tell the truth, I don't trust him.)
Used at the beginning of a sentence for strong emphasis or to concede a point before presenting a contrasting view.
- Quả thực, món ăn ngon. Nhưng giá hơi cao. (The food is truly delicious. However, the price is a bit high.)

Variants and Related Words

Quả thật: A more common variant with identical meaning and usage as the adverbial form. Often used interchangeably with quả thực.
- Quả thật/Quả thực tôi rất ngạc nhiên. (I was truly very surprised.)
Quả tình: An older or less common synonym for both the adverbial meaning and the archaic noun meaning (fruits of struggle).
Thực ra / Thực sự: Synonyms meaning "actually", "really". Thực ra is often used for factual correction, while thực sự emphasizes genuineness.
- Thực ra, tôi đến từ Hà Nội. (Actually, I am from Hanoi.)
- Tôi thực sự yêu công việc này. (I really love this job.)

Synonyms (Adverb)

Notes on Usage

In modern Vietnamese, quả thực is predominantly used as an adverb meaning "indeed" or "in fact". The noun meaning ("fruits of struggle") is largely obsolete and primarily encountered in historical or specific political texts.
When used as an adverb, it often carries a slightly formal or emphatic tone compared to thật ra or thực sự.
It can be used to affirm your own statement or to agree strongly with someone else's statement.