Skip to content

sogenannt

so-called

adjective ZOH-guh-nant Common
Communication Expressions

Usage Note

sogenannt means 'so-called' and is often abbreviated sog. in writing. Like its English equivalent, it can be neutral ('known as') or carry a sceptical, ironic edge. It is a fused compound of so and the participle genannt ('named').

Examples

"Das ist ein sogenannter Fehler."

Natural Translation

That's a so-called mistake.

Literal Translation

That is a so-called mistake.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic