Level 6 · Lesson 9

其实、当然、特别
Actually, of course, especially

其实我不会做菜。我特别喜欢辣的，尤其是四川菜。当然可以！

The adverbs that manage your listener: 其实 corrects them, 当然 reassures them, 特别 and 尤其 pick one thing out — plus the two lives of 差不多.

听 · Listen

对话
 安娜 —  你喜欢中国菜吗？ 
Do you like Chinese food?  
 李明 —  当然喜欢！我特别喜欢辣的。 
Of course I do! I especially like spicy food.  
 安娜 —  我也是，尤其是四川菜。 
Me too — Sichuan food above all.  
 李明 —  你会做吗？ 
Can you cook it?  
 安娜 —  其实我不会做菜，我只会吃。 
Actually I can't cook at all. I can only eat.  
 李明 —  做菜其实不难。你跟我学，差不多一个月就会了。 
Cooking really isn't hard. Learn with me and in about a month you'll be able to.  
 安娜 —  真的吗？那太好了！ 
Really? That's wonderful!  
 李明 —  当然是真的。星期六来我家。 
Of course it's true. Come to my place on Saturday.  

讲解 · Explanation

对方想错了，你想说出真实的情况，就用其实。其实我不会做菜。我其实不会做菜。两个位置都对。

其实 is 'actually, in fact', and it is aimed at the other person: it says 'what you are assuming is not the case'. That is why it feels so useful in conversation — it lets you correct someone gently, without contradicting them flatly. It can stand at the head of the sentence, before the subject, or right after the subject and before the verb. Both positions are good Chinese, and the first one is the more common in speech.

当然是说这件事不用问，谁都知道。特别和尤其都是从很多里面挑出一个，尤其后面常常加是：我喜欢水果，尤其是西瓜。

当然 is 'of course' — it tells the listener their question had an obvious answer, and it can be a whole reply by itself: 当然可以！当然是真的。特别 and 尤其 both single one thing out of a group. 特别 is the everyday one and sits happily in front of a verb (我特别喜欢辣的); 尤其 is a little more written and nearly always comes as 尤其是 in front of the item you are picking. 特别 has a second life as an adjective too: 这个礼物很特别, 'this present is special'.

差不多有两个用法，一是快好了，还差一点儿，二是两个东西一样。饭差不多好了。我跟他差不多高。

差不多 is literally 'the difference is not much', and that one image covers both its jobs: 'almost' (饭差不多好了 — dinner is nearly ready) and 'about the same' (我跟他差不多高 — he and I are about the same height). It also works alone as an answer, meaning 'more or less'. In 差不多一个月就会了 the 了 is the change of state — you could not before, you can now — and the whole sentence is about the future.

生词 · Vocabulary

词	Meaning	注 · Note
当然	of course	当然可以！
其实	actually, in fact	其实我不会做菜
特别	especially; special	特别喜欢；很特别
尤其	especially, above all	尤其是四川菜
差不多	almost; about the same	饭差不多好了；差不多高

练习 · Practice

大家都说他很有钱，______他没有钱。 Everyone says he's rich — actually he has no money.

我可以坐这儿吗？______可以。 Of course you can.

饭______好了，我跟他______高。 Dinner is almost ready; he and I are about the same height. One word fills both gaps.

排一排。 Arrange the words: 'I especially like Chinese food.'

当然、其实、特别、尤其、差不多 Match each adverb to its job.

用一用 · Use it

其实…。当然…！我特别喜欢…，尤其是…。差不多…。

Correct one thing people get wrong about you, out loud, starting with 其实. Then answer an easy question about yourself with 当然 and nothing else. Then name what you like and narrow it down in one breath: 我特别喜欢…，尤其是…. Finish with two 差不多 sentences, one for 'almost' and one for 'about the same'.