HO̍KLÓ, HO̍HLÓ, HŌLÓ

[siamiwako]

Bienvenido, Siamiwako! Aquí nos hace falta de gente Pin@y!

Gracias.
其實我只能猜上面的西班牙語。。。

[SimL]

其實我只能猜上面的西班牙語。。。

Off topic (even within the context of the rest of the Forum, let alone this thread), so please forgive me, but...

What's the difference between "其實" and "實在"...?

[Yeleixingfeng]

其實我只能猜上面的西班牙語。。。

Off topic (even within the context of the rest of the Forum, let alone this thread), so please forgive me, but...

What's the difference between "其實" and "實在"...?

Assuming they share the same meaning in Hokkien and Mandarin.

其實 means actually - what English would call, an adverb, though it is only used to explain a fact. 實在 is an adjective to mean that something is solidly there; more colloquially, it is used in the sense "really", as in "You are really smart!" - though "眞的很" comparatively is used more.

Analyse them. 其實 means, its(其) truth (實). 實在 is separately solid(實), and exist(在). That explains why 其實 can only be used in that particular sense of "actually" too.

[siamiwako]

其實我只能猜上面的西班牙語。。。

Off topic (even within the context of the rest of the Forum, let alone this thread), so please forgive me, but...

What's the difference between "其實" and "實在"...?

Assuming they share the same meaning in Hokkien and Mandarin.

其實 means actually - what English would call, an adverb, though it is only used to explain a fact. 實在 is an adjective to mean that something is solidly there; more colloquially, it is used in the sense "really", as in "You are really smart!" - though "眞的很" comparatively is used more.

Analyse them. 其實 means, its(其) truth (實). 實在 is separately solid(實), and exist(在). That explains why 其實 can only be used in that particular sense of "actually" too.

just my general observation by how I use it:
其實：用在強調上一句或下一句負面或醒悟的意思
實在：用在強調句子的真實而有帶著一些無奈

[SimL]

Hi Yeleixingfeng and siamiwako,

Thanks for your replies. Your explanation makes sense, Yeleixingfeng, especially helpful was your tip to look at the meaning of the individual characters, and then to think of combining these. siamiwako, I'm afraid my Mandarin is still too limited to get the full details of your explanation, but the two sentences were also good practice for me. By the most amazing of co-incidences, I happened to learn just last week that 強調 means "to emphasize", "to stress".

[amhoanna]

Assuming they share the same meaning in Hokkien and Mandarin.

I think this is only true for 其実. Sim's question was a Mandarin question anyway. But I think Hoklo 実在 is different from Mandarin 実在 in how it's used. In particular I think about Hoklo Jesus always saying, "Goá si̍tcāi kā lí kóng, ..." = IN TRUTH, I TELL YOU,... In the Ângphoe translation, at least.

[Mark Yong]

amhoanna wrote:
...其実...

If you don't mind me asking, what character input system are you using? Interesting that you use the Japanese variant for 實. Not that I am complaining; to me, it still looks better than 实! I have that habit of using the Japanese variant in some of my handwritten characters, too, e.g. 関 for 關. It's a habit I inherited from my late grand-aunt.

[amhoanna]

I've been using Chongkiat 倉頡 for about five yrs. Did your grand-aunt know Japanese? I like the look of the Japanese TLJ, e.g. 実 vs 實, but I've got to admit I'm pretty ignorant about the "pedigree" of these and other characters.

[Mark Yong]

No, I don't think she did. But her late-teen years coincided with the Japanese occupation of Malaya, so I guess that would have had some impact on her exposure to, and use of Chinese characters. She learnt to read and write under the old school system, and (in addition to English) knew only Hakka and Cantonese, virtually zero Mandarin. She used the term 笑納 in one of her correspondences, a term which I gather is no longer common in Chinese, but is still used in Japanese (read as shona?).

[AndrewAndrew]

The Shinjitai were only promulgated in 1946 - AFAIK before that Japanese used pretty much the same full-form and short-hand characters that the Chinese used.