# Thật ra: actually / clearly / in general in Vietnamese

> These openers tell the listener how to take what comes next. Each goes at the very start of the sentence, often with a comma after it.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/stance-openers/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**actually / clearly / in general**

Pattern: `Thật ra / Rõ ràng là / Chắc chắn là / Nói chung / Vấn đề là + [statement]`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: that ra, ro rang la, noi chung, van de la

Variants:

- thực ra
- nói thật (là)
- thiệt ra (Southern casual)

These openers tell the listener how to take what comes next. Each goes at the very start of the sentence, often with a comma after it.

*Thật ra* (actually, in fact) corrects something or reveals what's really true: *Thật ra em không thích cà phê lắm.* Actually, I don't like coffee much. *Thực ra* means the same, and in relaxed Saigon speech you'll hear *thiệt ra*. *Nói thật* (to be honest) is more personal: *Nói thật, em hơi mệt.*

*Rõ ràng là* (clearly) and *chắc chắn là* (definitely) show you're sure: *Rõ ràng là anh ấy không muốn đi.* Clearly he doesn't want to go. Careful: *chắc* on its own means "probably": *Chắc anh ấy bận.* He's probably busy. For "perhaps", use *có lẽ*.

*Nói chung* (in general, all in all) sums up: *Nói chung, công việc cũng ổn.* All in all, the job's OK. *Vấn đề là* (the thing is, the problem is) brings in the snag: *Vấn đề là mình không đủ tiền.*

## Examples

- Thật ra em không thích cà phê lắm. — Actually, I don't like coffee much.
- Nói thật, em hơi mệt. — To be honest, I'm a bit tired.
- Rõ ràng là anh ấy không muốn đi. — Clearly he doesn't want to go.
- Nói chung, công việc cũng ổn. — All in all, the job's OK.
- Vấn đề là mình không đủ tiền. — The thing is, we don't have enough money.

## Words in this pattern

- [nói chung](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/noi-chung/#s_noi_chung): in general

## Compare

- [Perhaps: có lẽ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-le-perhaps/): perhaps
- [Probably, must be: chắc (là)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chac-probably/): probably
- [Summing up: tóm lại, nhìn chung, như vậy](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tom-lai/): in short / overall / thus
- [In general … in particular: X nói chung, Y nói riêng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noi-chung-noi-rieng/): X in general and Y in particular
- [Unfortunately: tiếc là, rất tiếc](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tiec-la-unfortunately/): unfortunately, it's a pity

Previous in Linking ideas: [Not only … but also: không những / không chỉ … mà còn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-nhung-ma-con/)
Next in Linking ideas: [Ordering your points: trước hết, một là … hai là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/sequencing/)

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