To be honest…
Informal Neutral
What it really means
A softener before a real opinion, often a negative one. It does not mean the person usually lies — it warns you that the politeness level is about to drop slightly.
Chinese explanation
说出真实想法（常是负面的）之前的缓冲语。不是说这人平时说谎，而是提醒你接下来的话会少一点客套。
Example conversation
A: Did you enjoy the film?
B: To be honest, I fell asleep halfway through.
A：电影好看吗？
B：说实话，我看到一半睡着了。
All Politeness Decoder
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake