German word

stattdessen

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃtatˈdɛsən/

Meaning

  • adverbinstead

Example

Ich wollte spazieren gehen, aber es regnete, also blieb ich stattdessen zu Hause.

I wanted to go for a walk, but it rained, so I stayed home instead.

Illustration for stattdessen (instead)

More examples

Der Film fiel aus, also tranken wir stattdessen etwas.

The film was canceled, so we drank something instead.

Core concept

A planned action is set aside, and another action takes its place.

Common phrases

  • stattdessen etwas trinken

    drink something instead

  • stattdessen einen Film schauen

    watch a film instead

  • stattdessen Freunde anrufen

    call friends instead

Similar words

statt: Signals the use of one thing or action in place of another.
anstatt: Signals that one action or situation replaces another.
lieber: Expresses a preference for one choice over another.

Definition in German

Drückt aus, dass statt einer genannten Handlung eine andere Handlung eintritt.

Word origin

Stattdessen developed from statt dessen, meaning "in place of that," with statt meaning "in place of" and dessen as a genitive demonstrative pronoun.

Usage tips

  • Stattdessen usually refers back to a whole earlier action or situation, while statt introduces the replacement itself, as in statt zu Hause zu bleiben.

Other meanings

  • ratheradverb

Opposites

  • im Gegenteilon the contraryadverb
  • dagegenin contrastadverb

Related words

Word lists with this word