German Conversation · Level 113
45 words
German word
sozusagen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˌzoːt͡suˈzaːgŋ̩/
Meaning
- adverbso to speak
Example
Er ist sozusagen mein Mentor.
He is, so to speak, my mentor.
More examples
Er ist sozusagen inoffiziell der Leiter des Projekts.
He is, so to speak, the unofficial head of the project.
Core concept
A description is treated as close enough for the moment, even though it is not exact in every detail.
Common phrases
sozusagen inoffiziell
so to speak, unofficially
sozusagen eine Art von
so to speak, a kind of ___
Similar words
quasi: Shows that something can almost be described in the stated way.
gewissermaßen: Suggests that a statement is true only in a limited or partial sense.
sinngemäß: Restates something in different words while retaining its essential meaning.
Definition in German
Der Sprecher deutet damit an, dass eine Formulierung nur bildhaft, näherungsweise oder eingeschränkt gilt.
Word origin
Historically, sozusagen is the written-together form of so zu sagen, an adverbial phrase meaning 'thus to say'.
Usage tips
- Sozusagen can stand directly before a noun phrase, as in 'sozusagen mein Mentor', rather than only appearing as a parenthetical phrase.
Other meanings
- in a senseadverb
Opposites
- tatsächlichactuallyadverb