Candidly means saying what you really think, openly, even when it is uncomfortable — for you or for the person listening. 'She spoke candidly about her illness' means she did not hide the hard parts. There are two ways people use it. One is inside the sentence, describing how someone talked: 'he answered candidly', 'they discussed the failure quite candidly'. The other is at the front, as a signal about the sentence you are about to hear: 'Candidly, I don't think it will work.' That second use is close to 'frankly' or 'to be honest', and it is a small warning that what comes next is blunt. Something to notice: candidly is warm, not rude. It carries the idea that the speaker is being brave or generous with the truth, not that they are attacking you. If you want the unkind version, English uses bluntly. And there is a second, quieter meaning from photography: a candid photo is one taken while people are not posing, so 'she photographed them candidly' means she caught them as they really were. It is a somewhat formal word. In everyday speech Taiwanese students will hear 'to be honest' far more often; candidly turns up in interviews, news writing, and careful conversation.