sozusagen

so to speak

adverb ZOH-tsu-zah-gen Rare

Also means

as it were

Usage Note

sozusagen hedges a phrase that is figurative or approximate, like English so to speak. Built from so zu sagen, it signals that the speaker's wording should not be taken too literally.

Examples

"Er ist sozusagen das Herz der Firma."

Natural Translation

He is, so to speak, the heart of the company.

Literal Translation

He is so-to-say the heart of-the company.

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