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How to Say ‘To be honest’ in Italian

A dire il vero

ah DEE-reh eel VEH-roh

[ah DEE-reh eel VEH-roh]

Phrase Breakdown

A dire

ah DEE-reh

To tell

This is the start of the set phrase 'a dire il vero'. Stress DI-re.

Example

È difficile a dire.

It's hard to say.

Words in this phrase

[ah]

"A" is a simple preposition used in many fixed expressions and combinations.

Example

Magari ci vediamo davanti a un caffè la prossima settimana.

Maybe we’ll meet over a coffee next week.

dire

[DEE-reh]

To say

This verb is used when expressing something with words.

Example

Lui vuole dire una cosa importante.

He wants to say something important.

il vero

eel VEH-roh

the truth

'Vero' means 'true'. Stress VE-ro, and tap the single 'r' lightly.

Example

Dimmi il vero.

Tell me the truth.

Words in this phrase

[eel]

the

Masculine singular definite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Nella frase Il tempo personale, Il introduce il concetto di tempo privato.

In the phrase 'Il tempo personale,' 'Il' introduces the concept of private time.

vero

[VEH-roh]

truth

Used as a noun, 'il vero' means the truth.

Example

Dico il vero.

I'm telling the truth.

Guides for Italian learners

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