by the way
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by the way
Introduces additional information or a new thought that is not directly connected to what was said before. It is used to mention something casually.
Wir gehen heute Abend ins Kino. Übrigens, hast du schon von Maria gehört?
We're going to the movies tonight. By the way, have you heard from Maria yet?
'Übrigens' (by the way) is derived from the adjective 'übrig' (left over). It refers to a thought that additionally occurs to you, almost like a 'remainder' or something 'left over' in a conversation.
Wir haben noch Suppe vom Abendessen übrig.
We still have some soup left over from dinner.
'Übrigens' (by the way) is flexible. It can stand before the main clause (separated by a comma), in position 1 (with the verb in position 2), or inside the sentence.
Übrigens, das Konzert war super!
By the way, the concert was great!
You use 'übrigens' (by the way) to introduce a new thought that has just occurred to you and does not necessarily belong to the main topic. This makes it sound very natural and spontaneous.
Ich muss morgen früher aufstehen. Ach übrigens, dein neues Hemd steht dir sehr gut.
I have to get up earlier tomorrow. Oh, by the way, your new shirt looks really good on you.
actually / really
'eigentlich' and 'übrigens' can both make a sentence sound more natural and conversational. But they have different functions. 'eigentlich' is often used in questions or when showing a slight contrast. 'übrigens' brings additional information or a new thought into the conversation. Learners confuse them because both are small words used in conversation. Remember: 'eigentlich' asks or qualifies something, while 'übrigens' adds something in passing.
Übrigens bietet die Mitarbeiterin am Freitag einen neuen Freizeitkurs an.
By the way, the staff member is offering a new leisure course on Friday.
Habt ihr eigentlich morgen Zeit für einen Spaziergang im Park?
Do you actually have time tomorrow for a walk in the park?