其实 qí shí
“actually; in fact; really”
adverbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 3Traditional 其實
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
其实 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 797: 其实 qíshí — Level 3; official annotation 3 (副). PDF page 99
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 其实
其实 means 'actually' or 'in fact'. It is used to give the real situation or correct what someone thinks, often at the start of a clause or after the subject: 其实…… / 我其实……. It often makes a correction sound softer.
例句Example sentences
- 其实我不太喜欢喝咖啡。qí shí wǒ bú tài xǐ huan hē kā fēi.Actually, I don't like coffee very much.
- 他其实很聪明，只是不太努力。tā qí shí hěn cōng ming, zhǐ shì bú tài nǔ lì.He is actually quite smart; he just doesn't work very hard.
- 其实这个问题不难，你可以问老师。qí shí zhè ge wèn tí bù nán, nǐ kě yǐ wèn lǎo shī.In fact, this question isn't hard; you can ask the teacher.
易混词Easily confused
其实vs实际上
实际上 also means 'in fact/in reality', but it is more like a fixed phrase and can mean 'in practice'; 其实 is the everyday adverb and never becomes 其实上.