personalmente

Personalmente is an adverb used in Spanish and Italian to express that a statement reflects the speaker’s own opinion or experience. In both languages, it functions to foreground subjectivity, often preceding the clause it qualifies: “Personalmente, creo que…” (Spanish) or “Personalmente, ritengo che…” (Italian).

From the adjective personal (or personale in Italian), which itself derives from Latin persona, the suffix -mente turns the word into an adverb meaning “personally” or “in a personal way.” In usage, it typically marks personal stance rather than a claim about facts.

Common uses include prefacing opinions, recommendations, or experiences. It can soften statements or separate personal view from universal truth. Examples: In Spanish: “Personalmente, no estoy de acuerdo con la propuesta” (Personally, I disagree with the proposal). “Personalmente, me gustaría probarla” (Personally, I would like to try it). In Italian: “Personalmente, penso che sia una buona idea” (Personally, I think it’s a good idea).

Translations and related terms: in English the equivalent is “personally.” The word has cognates in other Romance languages, where the same -mente suffix forms adverbs that convey a personal perspective.