tatsächlich

Tatsächlich is a German adverb meaning “actually”, “indeed”, or “in fact”. It is used to confirm or emphasize the truth of a statement, often contrasting with expectations or previous assumptions. In sentence structure the word typically appears after the verb in main clauses (e.g., „Er hat das tatsächlich getan.“) and can be placed at the beginning of a clause for stylistic emphasis (e.g., „Tatsächlich war das Ergebnis besser als erwartet.“).

Etymologically, tatsächlich derives from the Middle High German tatsachlich, a combination of tatsach (“fact, reality”) and the suffix ‑lich, comparable to the English suffix ‑ly. The root tatsach is related to the Old High German tazslah, meaning “true”. The term entered modern Standard German in the 17th century and has remained a common element of both spoken and written language.

Grammatically, tatsächlich functions as a sentence adverb; it does not decline and does not affect the case of surrounding nouns. It can be combined with other adverbs for nuanced meaning, such as „wirklich tatsächlich“ (emphatically indeed) or used in contrastive constructions like „nicht tatsächlich“ (not actually). In informal contexts it may appear as a filler to express surprise or to re‑evaluate a prior claim.

The word is comparable to English “actually” and French « en fait », and it is frequently employed in journalistic, academic, and everyday discourse to underscore factual correctness. Its usage is considered neutral and appropriate across registers, though overuse can be perceived as rhetorical.