In many English literature the phrase-part "to tell you the truth" shows up. But in contrast to the literal meaning, this doesn't mean the characters were first lying about this.
In Dutch these are the following meanings for the Dutch counterpart ("Om de waarheid te zeggen,…"/"De waarheid is dat…")
- The person was first lying; and
- The truth is quite inconvenient (thus some kind of warning that you won't like the following part of the sentence).
In some English literature however, characters simply make statements that aren't at all inconvenient (or they weren't lying in the first place).
What is thus the semantical meaning of "To tell you the truth,".
Best Answer
To tell you the truth is a mild warning of sorts. It can signify a number of things. (It is also often stated as, "to tell the truth".
You might be disappointed by what you hear: not being supported, not being complimented, not getting an answer, etc. It means I have to admit...
It can also mean someone is going to tell you something they've been too inhibited to tell you before:
It can be said to impart more emphasis or an air of authority to something about to be said which is really only opinion:
Or to actually introduce the truth in a more dramatic or diplomatic manner: