Some words can be particularly confusing in English and Portuguese because they sound similar, but do not mean the same thing.

Atualmente is one of these words. Often times I see speakers of Portuguese using it to say “actually”, but, actually, these words are not related.

With this video lesson you will learn how to say Actually in Portuguese and how to say Atualmente in English so you can communicate clearly.

Actually = Na verdade, Na realidade

Paula: Quer jantar fora hoje?

Cris: Na verdade, prefiro comer em casa. Estou caindo aos pedaços.

Translation:

Paula: Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?

Cris: Actually, I’d rather eat at home. I’m exhausted.

Currently, Nowadays = Atualmente, hoje em dia

Paula: Hoje em dia ninguém telefona para dizer “feliz aniversário”.

Cris: É verdade. Atualmente todo mundo usa Facebook para isso.

Translation:

Paula: Nowadays no one calls to say “happy birthday”.

Cris: True. Currently everyone uses Facebook for such.

Easy, right? Now go ahead and practice the new words with your Portuguese language teacher to make sure you will remember them when you need them.