truth

truth — 名詞

1. what actually happened in a situation, as opposed to what people imagine, suspec

1.名詞B1
釋義

真相

關於某情況的真實事實

what actually happened in a situation, as opposed to what people imagine, suspect, or claim happened

例句

The whole truth about the accident only came out at the trial.

關於那場事故的全部真相，直到審判時才浮出檯面。

the whole truth about

Dahlia finally told her parents the truth about why she had left university.

Dahlia 最後還是告訴了父母她離開大學的真相。

tell + object + the truth about

同義詞
  • fact

    a single piece of true information; more specific and countable

  • reality

    the state of things as they actually exist, often contrasted with hopes or appearances

  • actuality

    formal; emphasises that something exists in fact rather than in theory

反義詞
  • lie

    a false statement made on purpose

  • falsehood

    a statement that is not true; can be intentional or mistaken

  • fiction

    something invented or imagined

文法句型

the truth that + clause

the truth about + noun

用法筆記

The most common sense of 'truth'. Usually used with the definite article 'the'. Can also appear in 'whole truth', 'simple truth', and 'the truth of the matter'.

常見錯誤

❌I told him a truth about my past.
✅I told him the truth about my past.
💡Use 'the truth', not 'a truth', when referring to the real facts of a situation.

2. the quality that a statement, idea, or piece of information has when it matches

2.名詞B2
釋義

真實性

陳述與事實相符的性質

the quality that a statement, idea, or piece of information has when it matches what is real or what actually happened

例句

The truth of Amihan's statement was confirmed by the video recording.

影片記錄證實了 Amihan 說法的真實性。

the truth of + noun phrase

Padma questioned the truth of the ancient Greek story about a wooden horse that held soldiers inside.

Padma 對那則關於藏著士兵的木馬的古希臘故事的真實性提出了質疑。

question the truth of + specific claim

同義詞
  • accuracy

    focuses on being correct rather than matching reality in a broad sense

  • validity

    more formal; often used for arguments, documents, or data

  • veracity

    formal term; can also refer to a person's habit of telling the truth

反義詞
  • falsity

    the opposite quality of being false

  • falsehood

    the quality of being untrue; also used for lies

用法筆記

Uncountable — cannot be used with 'a' or 'an'. Frequently followed by 'of' + noun phrase to specify what is being checked for truthfulness.

常見錯誤

❌I doubt a truth of his excuse.
✅I doubt the truth of his excuse.
💡Use 'the truth of', not 'a truth of', for the abstract quality sense.

3. used in fixed expressions such as 'to tell you the truth', 'the truth is', and '

3.名詞B1
釋義

老實說

以固定片語坦率承認

used in fixed expressions such as 'to tell you the truth', 'the truth is', and 'in truth' to introduce a frank or honest statement, especially when admitting something surprising or unwelcome

例句

To tell you the truth, I never really liked the food at that restaurant.

老實說，我從來就不太喜歡那家餐廳的食物。

fixed phrase: to tell you the truth

The truth is, I was too scared to say anything during the meeting.

事實是，開會時我嚇得一句話也說不出來。

同義詞
  • honestly

    adverb used similarly to introduce an honest statement

  • frankly

    more direct; often used before a blunt or critical opinion

  • to be honest

    equivalent phrase, very common in everyday speech

文法句型

in truth

to tell you the truth

the truth is

用法筆記

Only appears in a few fixed expressions: 'the truth is (that)...', 'to tell you the truth', and 'in truth'. The phrase 'truth be told' also belongs here. Cannot be modified by adjectives or used with possessive determiners.

常見錯誤

❌To tell you a truth, I was late.
✅To tell you the truth, I was late.
💡The expression is always 'to tell you the truth', not 'a truth'.

4. what someone honestly believes or feels deep inside about their own life or iden

4.名詞B2
釋義

個人信念

個人內心的真實感受

what someone honestly believes or feels deep inside about their own life or identity, which may be different from what others think or from what is objectively true

例句

After years of hiding her feelings, Amihan finally accepted her own truth.

壓抑情感多年後，Amihan 終於接納了自己的真實感受。

possessive + own truth

Baraka's truth about the argument was very different from his brother's version.

Baraka 對那場爭執的看法和他哥哥的版本截然不同。

同義詞
  • conviction

    a firmly held belief or opinion

  • belief

    something accepted as true; broader and less emotionally charged

  • perspective

    a particular way of seeing things; emphasises point of view

文法句型

possessive + truth

用法筆記

Commonly used with possessive determiners: 'my truth', 'her truth', 'their truth'. This sense contrasts with sense 1 (REAL FACTS), which refers to objective facts that everyone can agree on. Sense 4 is subjective and may differ from person to person.

常見錯誤

❌ 'His truth is that he stole the money, so we should call the police.' — Use sense 1 (REAL FACTS) for provable facts. Sense 4 is for subjective, personal beliefs.

5. a statement or idea that a large number of people believe to be correct, especia

5.名詞C2
釋義

公認真理

多數人認為正確的道理

a statement or idea that a large number of people believe to be correct, especially one considered always valid across many situations

例句

The ancient Greeks believed in universal truths about justice that they called natural laws.

古希臘人相信關於正義的普遍真理，他們稱之為自然法則。

countable plural: universal truths

After losing his job in the flood, Zayd learned the great truth that nothing stays the same forever.

洪水後丟了工作，Zayd 學到了一條偉大的真理：沒有什麼事物會永遠不變。

great truth that + clause

同義詞
  • principle

    a general rule or belief; broader than truth, can include moral guidelines

  • axiom

    formal; a statement accepted as obviously true without proof

  • maxim

    a short statement expressing a general truth or rule of behaviour

  • tenet

    a principle or belief that is central to a system of thought

反義詞
  • falsehood

    an untrue statement or belief

  • fallacy

    a mistaken belief based on unsound reasoning

文法句型

a truth that + clause

plural: truths

用法筆記

Countable — use 'a truth' for one principle, 'truths' for multiple. Common in philosophical, religious, and scientific writing. 'Truth' in this sense is often modified by adjectives such as 'universal', 'absolute', 'fundamental', 'eternal', or 'basic'.

常見錯誤

❌This is an universal truth.
✅This is a universal truth.
💡'Universal' starts with a /j/ consonant sound, so the article is 'a', not 'an'.