▎的確, díquè, (Adv), indeed

 

Function The adverb 的確 re-affirms a view previously presented.

1 A：我聽說現在有不少大學生想延後畢業的時間，是真的嗎？

Wǒ tīngshuō xiànzài yǒu bù shǎo dàxuéshēng xiǎng yánhòu bìyè de shíjiān, shì zhēn de ma?

I’ve heard that a lot of college students are putting off graduation. Is that true?

B：現在的確有不少學生，因為要逃避就業而延後畢業的時間。

Xiànzài díquè yǒu bù shǎo xuéshēng, yīnwèi yào táobì jiùyè ér yánhòu bìyè de shíjiān.

Indeed, many students postpone graduation to avoid having to get a job.

2 A：我覺得上網交友好容易喔！

Wǒ juéde shàngwǎng jiāoyǒu hǎo róngyì o!

Making friends online is real easy!

B：上網交友的確容易，不過要小心喔！

Shàngwǎng jiāoyǒu díquè róngyì, búguò yào xiǎoxīn o!

It is indeed, but be discerning!

3 A：上次你說你以後要自己創業，為什麼呢？

Shàng cì nǐ shuō nǐ yǐhòu yào zìjǐ chuàngyè, wèishénme ne?

I remember you talked about starting your own business. Why is that?

B：我畢業以後，的確想自己創業，因為不想看別人的臉色。

Wǒ bìyè yǐhòu, díquè xiǎng zìjǐ chuàngyè, yīnwéi bù xiǎng kàn biérén de liǎnsè.

Indeed, I want to start my own business after graduation because I don’t want to have to deal with bosses.

4 A：現在的房價高漲，大多數人都買不起房子吧？

Xiànzài de fángjià gāozhǎng, dà duōshù rén dōu mǎibùqǐ fángzi ba?

Housing prices have risen sharply. Most people can’t afford to buy, right?

B：的確，我跟很多人一樣買不起房子。我們都是「無殼蝸牛」。

Díquè, wǒ gēn hěn duō rén yíyàng mǎibùqǐ fángzi. Wǒmen dōu shì ‘wúké guāniú’.

You’re absolutely right. Like a lot of other people I too can’t afford a house. We’re all like a snail without a shell.

5 A：最近我的眼睛非常疲倦，可能是因為工作時一直盯著螢幕看吧！

Zuìjìn wǒ de yǎnjīng fēicháng píjuàn, kěnéng shì yīnwèi gōngzuò shí yìzhí dīngzhe yíngmù kàn ba!

My eyes have been extremely sore lately, I think it’s because I have to stare at a screen all day for work.

B：長時間一直盯著螢幕看，眼睛的確會很疲倦。

Cháng shíjiān yìzhí dīngzhe yíngmù kàn, yǎnjīng díquè huì hěn píjuàn.

Looking at a screen for extended periods of time will certainly do that to you.

 

Usage

(1) 的確 can be used at the beginning of a sentence, meaning ‘I agree with you’, e.g.,

的確，現在即使有碩士學位的人找工作也不容易。

Díquè, xiànzài jíshǐ yǒu shuòshì xuéwèi de rén zhǎo gōngzuò yě bù róngyì.

Indeed, even people with master’s degrees are having a difficult time finding work.

(2) 的確 can be reduplicated: 的的確確, e.g.,

他的的確確是昨天才知道的。

Tā dídí quèquè shì zuótiān cái zhīdào de.

He really didn’t know until yesterday.

(3) The reduplicated form of 的確 is quite colloquial and puts added stress on whatever follows it, making the tone stronger. It is worth noting that only very few disyllabic adverbs can be reduplicated, as below.

完全wánquán─完完全全 ‘completely’ 幾乎jīhū─幾幾乎乎 ‘almost all’

隨便suíbiàn─隨隨便便 ‘casually, flippantly, in an offhand manner’ 確實quèshí─確確實實 ‘actually, really’