real

adjective rreh-AHL Common

Origin: From Latin regalis (royal), which also gave English 'regal'.

Also means

royal

Usage Note

Real is a genuine false friend: it can mean both 'real/actual' and 'royal' — la familia real is 'the royal family', not 'the real family'. Context usually disambiguates, but learners often miss the 'royal' sense. When meaning 'actual', real typically follows the noun (un problema real).

Examples

"Cuéntame la historia real."

Natural Translation

Tell me the real story.

Literal Translation

Tell-me the story real

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