Translation
to tell the truth, truth be told
Word origin
A compound of two Esperanto roots rather than a borrowing: ver- ('true', from Latin verus) and dir- ('to say', from Latin dicere), closed with the adverb ending -e. Truly-saying, therefore truth be told.
- Origin
- Esperanto, on Latin roots
- Root
- ver- + dir- + -e
- English cognates
- verity, verdict, diction
Examples
, .
Truth be told, I did not understand him.
, .
To tell the truth, I did not like the film.
, , .
He is, truth be told, the best of us.
Two roots welded into one adverb, and the join is genuine: true plus to say plus -e. English does the same trick in verdict, which is Latin vere dictum, truly said. Use it as a sentence opener where you would say "honestly" or "actually", usually with a comma after it. (probably, literally true-seeming) is built the same way and is worth learning in the same breath.
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verdire: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "verdire" (to tell the truth, truth be told): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 34.