From http://www.myfavoriteword.com/A.html
Actually.
As an English teacher in Spain, I have a hard time convincing students that ?actually? is not the same as the Spanish, actualmente, which means ?currently?.
?Okay,? they say, arms folded. ?So what does it mean??
Struggling for a definition, I decide to give them an example:
A: Would you like to go skiing this weekend?
B: Actually, I have to go see my mother-in-law do community theater.Their faces light up. ?Oooh. So it means, Of all the rotten luck??
Okay, let’s try again:
A: Isn’t Barcelona the capital of Spain?
B: Actually, it’s Madrid.I tell them it’s a polite way to refuse an invitation, or to disagree with someone. The class has fallen silent. I reach out for help. ?Can anyone think of a Spanish translation?? A hand goes up. ?Yes, Pedro??
?No,? he says. His classmates seem to agree.
So there you have it. ?Actually? means ?no.?
Geonae Edwards
LOL :D