🀫

Using 'Actually' in Speech: 사싀은

Keywords
사싀
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Speaking
πŸ¦„
TL;DR πŸ¦„
  • 🀫 사싀은... [sa-si-reun...] β€” "Actually..."
  • πŸ™Š 사싀 μ €λŠ” κ·Έκ±° μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš” [sa-sil jeo-neun geu-geo an jo-a-hae-yo] β€” "Actually, I don't really like that"
  • πŸ’¬ μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ [sa-sil-dae-ro mal-ha-myeon] β€” "To tell the truth..."
  • πŸ—―οΈ 사싀 말이지 [sa-sil ma-ri-ji] β€” "Actually, you know..."
  • πŸ” 그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš” [geu-ge sa-si-reun jom dal-la-yo] β€” "That's actually a bit different"
πŸ”Š
🎧 Iru Helper Note: Hear every phrase in this lesson spoken aloud and practice your pronunciation with the Iru Helper Widgets.
Β 

🌈 The Big Picture

사싀은 [sa-si-reun] means "actually" or "in fact" β€” it's used to introduce information that might surprise the listener, correct a misunderstanding, or reveal something you haven't said yet. It often appears at the start of a sentence, signaling "here comes the real story."
  • 사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” μ•ˆ λ΄€μ–΄μš” β€” "Actually, I haven't seen that movie"
  • 사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš” β€” "Actually, I'm a bit worried"
사싀은 softens a confession or correction β€” it gives the listener a small heads-up that what follows might be different from what they assumed.

🎭 사싀 vs. μ§„μ§œ: "In Fact" vs. "Really"

These two words can both translate as "really," but they work differently. 사싀 [sa-sil] means "truth/fact" β€” it reveals real information. μ§„μ§œ [jin-jja] is an intensifier β€” it emphasizes degree, like "very" or "for real."
  • 사싀 μ € μ–΄μ œ μ•ˆ κ°”μ–΄μš” β€” "Actually (in truth), I didn't go yesterday" (revealing a fact)
  • μ§„μ§œ λ§›μžˆμ–΄μš”! β€” "It's really delicious!" (intensifying a feeling)
A handy distinction: if you could replace the word with "in fact," it's 사싀. If you could replace it with "very," it's μ§„μ§œ.

🧳 Essential Phrase Kit

  • 사싀은... [sa-si-reun...] β€” "Actually..."
  • 사싀 μ €λŠ” κ·Έκ±° μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš” [sa-sil jeo-neun geu-geo an jo-a-hae-yo] β€” "Actually, I don't really like that"
  • μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ [sa-sil-dae-ro mal-ha-myeon] β€” "To tell the truth..."
  • 사싀 말이지 [sa-sil ma-ri-ji] β€” "Actually, you know..."
  • 그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš” [geu-ge sa-si-reun jom dal-la-yo] β€” "That's actually a bit different"
  • 사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” μ•ˆ λ΄€μ–΄μš” [sa-si-reun jeo geu yeong-hwa an bwa-sseo-yo] β€” "Actually, I haven't seen that movie"
  • 사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš” [sa-si-reun je-ga jom geok-jeong-dwae-yo] β€” "Actually, I'm a bit worried"
  • 사싀 μ € μ–΄μ œ μ•ˆ κ°”μ–΄μš” [sa-sil jeo eo-je an ga-sseo-yo] β€” "Actually, I didn't go yesterday"
  • μ†”μ§νžˆ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ 사싀... [sol-ji-ki mal-ha-myeon sa-sil...] β€” "Honestly speaking, actually..."
  • 사싀 μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° κ·Έλ ‡κ²Œ μƒκ°ν–ˆμ–΄μš” [sa-sil cheo-eum-bu-teo geu-reo-ke saeng-ga-kae-sseo-yo] β€” "Actually, I thought so from the start"

πŸ› οΈ Putting Together

A: μ–΄μ œ κ·Έ μ˜ν™” μ–΄λ• μ–΄μš”? 정말 μž¬λ―Έμžˆμ—ˆμ£ ?
B: 음... 사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” λ³„λ‘œμ˜€μ–΄μš”. λ‹€λ“€ μ’‹λ‹€κ³  ν•΄μ„œ κΈ°λŒ€ν–ˆλŠ”λ°μš”.
A: "How was that movie yesterday? It was really fun, right?" B: "Um... actually, I didn't really like that movie. Everyone said it was good so I had high expectations."
πŸ¦„ Grammar note: 사싀은 at the start signals "here's my real opinion" β€” softening a disagreement with A's assumption.
A: μš”μ¦˜ ν‘œμ •μ΄ μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ λ³΄μ—¬μš”. 무슨 일 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
B: 사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš”. λ‹€μŒ μ£Ό λ°œν‘œ μ€€λΉ„κ°€ 아직 μ•ˆ λλ‚¬κ±°λ“ μš”.
A: "You don't look so good lately. Is something going on?" B: "Actually, I'm a bit worried. I haven't finished preparing for next week's presentation yet."
πŸ¦„ Grammar note: 사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš” reveals a feeling the speaker hadn't mentioned yet β€” 사싀은 introduces the hidden truth.
A: 그럼 우리 이번 주말에 λ‹€ 같이 λͺ¨μ΄λŠ” κ±°μ£ ?
B: 음, 그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš”. μ €λŠ” ν† μš”μΌ 말고 μΌμš”μΌμ—λ§Œ μ‹œκ°„μ΄ λΌμš”.
A: "So we're all getting together this weekend, right?" B: "Hmm, that's actually a bit different. I'm only free on Sunday, not Saturday."
πŸ¦„ Grammar note: 그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš” politely corrects a misunderstanding without directly saying "you're wrong."

πŸ—£οΈ Speaking Practice: Mini Dialogue

민수: 지은 씨, μ§€λ‚œ 주말에 λ“±μ‚° κ°”λ‹€κ³  ν–ˆμ£ ? μž¬λ―Έμžˆμ—ˆμ–΄μš”?
[ji-eun ssi, ji-nan ju-mal-e deung-san gat-da-go hat-jyo? jae-mi-i-sseo-sseo-yo?]
"Jieun, you said you went hiking last weekend, right? Was it fun?"
지은: 사싀은... 날씨가 μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„μ„œ λͺ» κ°”μ–΄μš”. κ·Έλƒ₯ 집에 μžˆμ—ˆμ–΄μš”.
[sa-si-reun... nal-ssi-ga an jo-a-seo mot ga-sseo-yo. geu-nyang ji-be i-sseo-sseo-yo]
"Actually... the weather was bad so I couldn't go. I just stayed home."
민수: μ•„, κ·Έλž¬μ–΄μš”? μ €λŠ” 또 μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄, κ°€μ…¨μ„κΉŒ 봐 μ’€ κ±±μ •ν–ˆμ–΄μš”. κ·Έλ‚  λΉ„κ°€ 많이 μ™”μž–μ•„μš”.
[a, geu-rae-sseo-yo? jeo-neun tto sa-sil-dae-ro mal-ha-myeon, ga-syeo-sseul-kka bwa jom geok-jeong-hae-sseo-yo. geu-nal bi-ga ma-ni wa-jjan-a-yo]
"Oh, really? To tell the truth, I was a bit worried you might've gone β€” it rained a lot that day."
지은: λ§žμ•„μš”. 사싀 μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° μ•ˆ 갈 것 κ°™μ•˜μ–΄μš”.
[ma-ja-yo. sa-sil cheo-eum-bu-teo an gal geot ga-ta-sseo-yo]
"Right. Actually, I thought from the start I probably wouldn't go."
민수: 그럼 λ‹€μŒ 주말에 같이 κ°€μš”. 사싀 저도 λ“±μ‚° μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”.
[geu-reom da-eum ju-mal-e ga-chi ga-yo. sa-sil jeo-do deung-san jo-a-hae-yo]
"Then let's go together next weekend. Actually, I like hiking too."
지은: μ’‹μ•„μš”! λ‚ μ”¨λ§Œ μ’‹μœΌλ©΄ κ°€μš”.
[jo-a-yo! nal-ssi-man jo-eu-myeon ga-yo]
"Sounds good! As long as the weather's nice, let's go."

🧭 Speaking Tip

사싀은 works best at the very start of a sentence, often followed by a short pause β€” that pause is part of the meaning, signaling "what I'm about to say might surprise you." In faster speech, 사싀은 often shortens to just 사싀. You can also drop it into the middle of a sentence for a quieter aside, like μ €λŠ”, 사싀, κ·Έλ‚  λͺ» κ°”μ–΄μš” β€” "I, actually, couldn't go that day."

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ Confusing 사싀 ("in fact / actually," revealing truth) with μ§„μ§œ ("really / very," an intensifier) β€” they're not interchangeable.
  • ❌ Starting every sentence with 사싀은 β€” overuse makes everything sound like a dramatic confession.
  • ❌ Using μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ ("to tell the truth") too casually β€” it can imply you weren't being truthful before, so save it for moments that genuinely call for honesty.
  • ❌ Dropping a big revelation with 사싀은 and then not following up β€” the listener expects more explanation after this phrase.
You can now reveal the real story naturally β€” μ†”μ§ν•˜κ²Œ μž˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! 🀫✨
Β 
Try this exercise
Instructions: For each prompt, write your response in Korean using the patterns from this lesson. Then check the toggle below for a sample answer.
1. Say "Actually..."
Answer
사싀은... (Actually...)
2. Say "Actually, I don't really like that."
Answer
사싀 μ €λŠ” κ·Έκ±° μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”. (Actually, I don't really like that.)
3. Say "To tell the truth..."
Answer
μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄... (To tell the truth...)
4. Say "Actually, you know..."
Answer
사싀 말이지... (Actually, you know...)
5. Say "That's actually a bit different."
Answer
그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš”. (That's actually a bit different.)
6. Say "Actually, I haven't seen that movie."
Answer
사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” μ•ˆ λ΄€μ–΄μš”. (Actually, I haven't seen that movie.)
7. Say "Actually, I'm a bit worried."
Answer
사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš”. (Actually, I'm a bit worried.)
8. Say "Actually, I didn't go yesterday."
Answer
사싀 μ € μ–΄μ œ μ•ˆ κ°”μ–΄μš”. (Actually, I didn't go yesterday.)
9. Say "Honestly speaking, actually..."
Answer
μ†”μ§νžˆ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ 사싀... (Honestly speaking, actually...)
10. Say "Actually, I thought so from the start."
Answer
사싀 μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° κ·Έλ ‡κ²Œ μƒκ°ν–ˆμ–΄μš”. (Actually, I thought so from the start.)
πŸ“š
Vocabulary Box
  • 사싀 β€” fact, truth, actually
  • λ³„λ‘œ β€” not really, not particularly
  • κΈ°λŒ€ν•˜λ‹€ β€” to expect, look forward to
  • κ±±μ •λ˜λ‹€ β€” to be worried
  • λ°œν‘œ β€” presentation
  • λͺ¨μ΄λ‹€ β€” to gather, meet up
  • λ“±μ‚° β€” hiking
  • μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° β€” from the start
  • μ†”μ§νžˆ β€” honestly
  • λ‹€λ₯΄λ‹€ β€” to be different
Pitfalls πŸ’‘
  • 사싀 = "in fact" (truth); μ§„μ§œ = "very/really" (intensifier).
  • Don't overuse 사싀은 to open every sentence.
  • μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ implies prior info wasn't fully true.
πŸš€
Want more reps? Head to the Practice Hub below for three full exercise sets!
Β 
πŸ“¦
🎯 Practice Hub β€” Using 'Actually': 사싀은
Work through these three exercises to practice revealing real feelings and correcting assumptions with 사싀은. Try answering out loud before checking each answer β€” and use the Iru Helper Widgets above if you want to hear the pronunciation again.

Exercise 1 β€” Introducing the Real Story 🀫

A. Say "Actually..."
Answer
사싀은... [sa-si-reun...]
B. Say "Actually, I don't really like that."
Answer
사싀 μ €λŠ” κ·Έκ±° μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”. [sa-sil jeo-neun geu-geo an jo-a-hae-yo]
C. Say "Actually, I haven't seen that movie."
Answer
사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” μ•ˆ λ΄€μ–΄μš”. [sa-si-reun jeo geu yeong-hwa an bwa-sseo-yo]
D. Say "Actually, I'm a bit worried."
Answer
사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš”. [sa-si-reun je-ga jom geok-jeong-dwae-yo]
E. Say "To tell the truth..."
Answer
μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄... [sa-sil-dae-ro mal-ha-myeon]
F. Say "That's actually a bit different."
Answer
그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš”. [geu-ge sa-si-reun jom dal-la-yo]
G. Say "Actually, I didn't go yesterday."
Answer
사싀 μ € μ–΄μ œ μ•ˆ κ°”μ–΄μš”. [sa-sil jeo eo-je an ga-sseo-yo]
H. Say "Honestly speaking, actually..."
Answer
μ†”μ§νžˆ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ 사싀... [sol-ji-ki mal-ha-myeon sa-sil]
I. Say "Actually, you know..."
Answer
사싀 말이지... [sa-sil ma-ri-ji]
J. Say "Actually, I thought so from the start."
Answer
사싀 μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° κ·Έλ ‡κ²Œ μƒκ°ν–ˆμ–΄μš”. [sa-sil cheo-eum-bu-teo geu-reo-ke saeng-ga-kae-sseo-yo]
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • 사싀은 β€” actually (reveal truth)
  • μ§„μ§œ β€” really/very (intensifier)
  • μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ β€” to tell the truth
  • λ³„λ‘œ β€” not really
  • κ±±μ •λ˜λ‹€ β€” to be worried

Exercise 2 β€” 사싀 vs. μ§„μ§œ πŸ”

A. Say "Actually (in truth), I didn't go yesterday."
Answer
사싀 μ € μ–΄μ œ μ•ˆ κ°”μ–΄μš”.
B. Say "It's really delicious!" (intensifier)
Answer
μ§„μ§œ λ§›μžˆμ–΄μš”!
C. Say "Actually, I'm a bit worried. I haven't finished preparing for next week's presentation yet."
Answer
사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš”. λ‹€μŒ μ£Ό λ°œν‘œ μ€€λΉ„κ°€ 아직 μ•ˆ λλ‚¬κ±°λ“ μš”.
D. Say "Um... actually, I didn't really like that movie."
Answer
음... 사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” λ³„λ‘œμ˜€μ–΄μš”.
E. Say "Everyone said it was good so I had high expectations."
Answer
λ‹€λ“€ μ’‹λ‹€κ³  ν•΄μ„œ κΈ°λŒ€ν–ˆλŠ”λ°μš”.
F. Say "Hmm, that's actually a bit different. I'm only free on Sunday, not Saturday."
Answer
음, 그게 사싀은 μ’€ λ‹¬λΌμš”. μ €λŠ” ν† μš”μΌ 말고 μΌμš”μΌμ—λ§Œ μ‹œκ°„μ΄ λΌμš”.
G. Say "So we're all getting together this weekend, right?"
Answer
그럼 우리 이번 주말에 λ‹€ 같이 λͺ¨μ΄λŠ” κ±°μ£ ?
H. Say "You don't look so good lately. Is something going on?"
Answer
μš”μ¦˜ ν‘œμ •μ΄ μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ λ³΄μ—¬μš”. 무슨 일 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
I. Say "Actually, I like hiking too."
Answer
사싀 저도 λ“±μ‚° μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”.
J. Say "As long as the weather's nice, let's go."
Answer
λ‚ μ”¨λ§Œ μ’‹μœΌλ©΄ κ°€μš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • 사싀 = in fact (reveals truth)
  • μ§„μ§œ = very/really (intensifies)
  • ν‘œμ • β€” facial expression
  • λ“±μ‚° β€” hiking
  • μ‹œκ°„μ΄ λ˜λ‹€ β€” to be free/available

Exercise 3 β€” Full Conversations πŸ’¬

A. "μ§€λ‚œ 주말에 λ“±μ‚° κ°”λ‹€κ³  ν–ˆμ£ ? μž¬λ―Έμžˆμ—ˆμ–΄μš”?" β€” What does this mean?
Answer
"You said you went hiking last weekend, right? Was it fun?"
B. Respond with "Actually... the weather was bad so I couldn't go. I just stayed home."
Answer
사싀은... 날씨가 μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„μ„œ λͺ» κ°”μ–΄μš”. κ·Έλƒ₯ 집에 μžˆμ—ˆμ–΄μš”.
C. Say "Oh, really? To tell the truth, I was a bit worried you might've gone β€” it rained a lot that day."
Answer
μ•„, κ·Έλž¬μ–΄μš”? μ €λŠ” 또 μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄, κ°€μ…¨μ„κΉŒ 봐 μ’€ κ±±μ •ν–ˆμ–΄μš”. κ·Έλ‚  λΉ„κ°€ 많이 μ™”μž–μ•„μš”.
D. Say "Right. Actually, I thought from the start I probably wouldn't go."
Answer
λ§žμ•„μš”. 사싀 μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° μ•ˆ 갈 것 κ°™μ•˜μ–΄μš”.
E. Say "Then let's go together next weekend. Actually, I like hiking too."
Answer
그럼 λ‹€μŒ 주말에 같이 κ°€μš”. 사싀 저도 λ“±μ‚° μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”.
F. Say "Sounds good! As long as the weather's nice, let's go."
Answer
μ’‹μ•„μš”! λ‚ μ”¨λ§Œ μ’‹μœΌλ©΄ κ°€μš”.
G. Say "How was that movie yesterday? It was really fun, right?"
Answer
μ–΄μ œ κ·Έ μ˜ν™” μ–΄λ• μ–΄μš”? 정말 μž¬λ―Έμžˆμ—ˆμ£ ?
H. Say "Um... actually, I didn't really like that movie."
Answer
음... 사싀은 μ € κ·Έ μ˜ν™” λ³„λ‘œμ˜€μ–΄μš”.
I. Say "You don't look so good lately. Is something going on?"
Answer
μš”μ¦˜ ν‘œμ •μ΄ μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„ λ³΄μ—¬μš”. 무슨 일 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
J. Say "Actually, I'm a bit worried. I haven't finished preparing for next week's presentation yet."
Answer
사싀은 μ œκ°€ μ’€ κ±±μ •λΌμš”. λ‹€μŒ μ£Ό λ°œν‘œ μ€€λΉ„κ°€ 아직 μ•ˆ λλ‚¬κ±°λ“ μš”.
πŸ“š
Cheat Sheet
  • 사싀은 β€” actually (revealing truth)
  • μ‚¬μ‹€λŒ€λ‘œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ β€” to tell the truth
  • κ±±μ •λ˜λ‹€ β€” to be worried
  • λ³„λ‘œ β€” not particularly
  • μ²˜μŒλΆ€ν„° β€” from the start
πŸŽ‰ μž˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! You can now reveal your true thoughts naturally with 사싀은!