Meaning
实际 refers to what is real, actual, or practical as opposed to theoretical or imagined. It emphasizes the concrete reality of a situation rather than abstract ideas. As a noun, it means 'reality' or 'actuality'; as an adjective, it describes something that is practical, realistic, or actually happening.
Usage
Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to contrast reality with expectations, theory, or appearance. Often appears in phrases like 实际上 (shíjì shang, 'actually/in fact') and 实际情况 (shíjì qíngkuàng, 'actual situation'). Frequently used in business, academic, and everyday contexts when discussing what really happens versus what is planned or imagined.
Examples
- 01这个计划听起来不错，但实际上很难实现。, .This plan sounds good, but in reality it's very difficult to achieve.
- 02你要根据实际情况做决定。.You need to make decisions based on the actual situation.
Characters
Common collocations
- 实际上actually, in fact, in reality
- 实际情况actual situation, actual circumstances
- 实际问题practical problem, real issue
- 不切实际impractical, unrealistic
Antonyms
Origin
实 originally meant 'full' or 'solid' (depicting a house full of goods), while 际 meant 'border' or 'edge.' Together they evolved to mean the 'actual boundary' or 'real limit' of something, hence 'reality' or 'actuality.'