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besser gesagt

or rather; better put; more accurately

adverb BES-er geh-ZAHKT Rare
Communication Expressions

Usage Note

besser gesagt is used when the speaker realises a previous expression was inaccurate and replaces it with a better one. It is equivalent to 'or rather' and is common in careful speech.

Examples

"Er war müde — besser gesagt, völlig erschöpft."

Natural Translation

He was tired — or rather, completely exhausted.

Literal Translation

He was tired — better said, completely exhausted.

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