<p>An addition to other great answers:</p>

<p>反正 can be used as "actually" too sometimes.</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>谢谢你过来帮我 (<em>Thanks for coming over to help me</em>)<br>
  <sub>Xièxie nǐ guò lái bāng wǒ</sub></li>
  <li>反正我刚好在这边附近而已 (<em>Actually, I happened to be just around the corner</em>)<br>
  <sub>fǎn zhèng wǒ gāng hăo zài zhè biān fù jìn ér yǐ </sub></li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-22T22:40:42.363Z
I corrected the examples but they need to be peer-reviewed first. I wrote a _ (underscore) where I didn't know the pinyin. Who knows it, feel free to add it and correct possible mistakes! :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-22T22:31:52.163Z
2012-01-10T07:39:40.220Z
2012-01-10T07:39:40.220Z
Lars Andren
<p>Following on from Flake, I also often hear people saying 那么 (那) or just as a way to begin sentences, or 那个 when stopping to think in mid sentences. Is that the sort of thing you mean?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-27T16:34:34.680Z
@trideceth12  Do you want to imply that others in the conversation need you to clear it up for them?
Colin McLarty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-28T01:06:19.560Z
@ColinMcLarty yeah
jsj
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T02:47:15.333Z
sort of.. but I was after something conveying the sense that I am attempting to clarify the topic under discussion
jsj
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T02:45:05.093Z
2011-12-15T02:45:05.093Z
Ciaocibai
<p>"其实" or "其实呢" is more similar to what you wanted, casually. E.g.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>其实我没有兄弟姐妹.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"事实上" is not wrong, but it is literally "in fact" or "as a matter of fact".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T03:29:20.937Z
实际上... Will be ok too
Alex Chen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T03:43:59.760Z
@AntiGameZ That's right. At first, I thought "实际上" is more similar to "事实上" without thinking too much. Now I get it...
Flake
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T02:40:17.633Z
2011-12-15T02:40:17.633Z
Flake
<p>When casually speaking English I use the word "actually" a lot at the beginning of a sentance, or as part of the flow of my speech. e.g.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Actually, next semester doesn't start for a month.</p>
  
  <p>Actually, I don't have any siblings.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I would like to be able to continue this speech habit in Mandarin Chinese, I have been using 事实上 (shìshíshàng), but from my listeners' reactions I am not sure if this is really the same.</p>

<p>What is the closest equivalent expression?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-22T22:36:12.730Z
@NullUserException Actually, not always. ... :P ahah sorry, I couldn't help it.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T05:49:31.307Z
Starting your sentences with "actually" can be an effective way to annoy people.
Orion
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T23:10:09.223Z
mandarin chinese is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings.
Vic Goldfeld
<mandarin><spoken>
"Actually" as a sentence-starter of speech filler
# "Actually" as a sentence-starter of speech filler

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-15)

When casually speaking English I use the word "actually" a lot at the beginning of a sentance, or as part of the flow of my speech. e.g.

> Actually, next semester doesn't start for a month.
>
> Actually, I don't have any siblings.

I would like to be able to continue this speech habit in Mandarin Chinese, I have been using 事实上 (shìshíshàng), but from my listeners' reactions I am not sure if this is really the same.

What is the closest equivalent expression?

**Tags:** mandarin, spoken

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Starting your sentences with "actually" can be an effective way to annoy people.  
> **username_3**: mandarin chinese is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings.  
> **username_1**: @NullUserException Actually, not always. ... :P ahah sorry, I couldn't help it.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2011-12-15. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

"其实" or "其实呢" is more similar to what you wanted, casually. E.g.

> 其实我没有兄弟姐妹.

"事实上" is not wrong, but it is literally "in fact" or "as a matter of fact".

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: 实际上... Will be ok too  
> **username_7**: @AntiGameZ That's right. At first, I thought "实际上" is more similar to "事实上" without thinking too much. Now I get it...  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2011-12-15. Score: 6

Following on from username_7, I also often hear people saying 那么 (那) or just as a way to begin sentences, or 那个 when stopping to think in mid sentences. Is that the sort of thing you mean?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: sort of.. but I was after something conveying the sense that I am attempting to clarify the topic under discussion  
> **username_6**: @trideceth12  Do you want to imply that others in the conversation need you to clear it up for them?  
> **username_0**: @username_6 yeah  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2011-12-22. Score: 4

An addition to other great answers:

反正 can be used as "actually" too sometimes.

Example:

> * 谢谢你过来帮我 (*Thanks for coming over to help me*)  
>   Xièxie nǐ guò lái bāng wǒ
> * 反正我刚好在这边附近而已 (*Actually, I happened to be just around the corner*)  
>   fǎn zhèng wǒ gāng hăo zài zhè biān fù jìn ér yǐ

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I corrected the examples but they need to be peer-reviewed first. I wrote a _ (underscore) where I didn't know the pinyin. Who knows it, feel free to add it and correct possible mistakes! :)  

---

