Bedeutung
Used to qualify a statement.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The phrase is a hallmark of the 'intelligent' speech style. Using it correctly signals that you are a thoughtful, educated person who doesn't speak in absolutes. In the past, officials used this phrase to sound more authoritative or to avoid giving direct answers. It became a bit of a cliché in Soviet news broadcasts. Young professionals use it to bridge the gap between English loanwords and Russian grammar, or to explain complex startup concepts. Classic authors like Dostoevsky used this phrase to characterize certain types of nervous or overly-analytical characters.
The Comma Rule
Always remember: if you can remove the phrase and the sentence still makes sense, it needs commas!
Don't Overdo It
Using it more than twice in a minute makes you sound like you're stalling for time.
Bedeutung
Used to qualify a statement.
The Comma Rule
Always remember: if you can remove the phrase and the sentence still makes sense, it needs commas!
Don't Overdo It
Using it more than twice in a minute makes you sound like you're stalling for time.
Ironic Distance
Use it when you have to use a word you don't like (e.g., corporate jargon) to show you're 'above' it.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing phrase with the correct punctuation.
Он был ___ нашим учителем в этом деле.
The phrase needs commas on both sides when used in the middle of a sentence.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly as a 'softener'?
Select the correct usage:
Option B correctly uses it as a parenthetical to soften the fact that someone was very late.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural phrase.
А: Твой новый проект — это что-то невероятное! Б: Ну, это, ___, только начало.
The speaker is using the phrase to modestly qualify their success.
Match the sentence to the reason 'так сказать' is being used.
Sentence: 'Он, так сказать, не самый быстрый работник.'
The speaker is politely saying the worker is slow.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenОн был ___ нашим учителем в этом деле.
The phrase needs commas on both sides when used in the middle of a sentence.
Select the correct usage:
Option B correctly uses it as a parenthetical to soften the fact that someone was very late.
А: Твой новый проект — это что-то невероятное! Б: Ну, это, ___, только начало.
The speaker is using the phrase to modestly qualify their success.
Sentence: 'Он, так сказать, не самый быстрый работник.'
The speaker is politely saying the worker is slow.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
4 FragenIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your friends. However, its 'cousin' 'как бы' is strictly informal.
Yes, but it's less common. Usually, it follows the word it is qualifying. Example: 'Так сказать, мы приехали' (So to speak, we've arrived).
No. It is a frozen expression. It is always 'так сказать', never 'так сказал' or 'так скажем' in this specific sense.
It's a cultural habit of 'hedging'—avoiding being too blunt or direct, which can be seen as aggressive.
Verwandte Redewendungen
как бы
similaras if / like
если можно так выразиться
synonymif one may put it that way
в некотором роде
similarin a certain way / sort of
мягко говоря
specialized formto put it mildly
