overwordExplorer
GERMAN · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

so.

so, such, that

2 characters1 syllables approx.Deutsch language

Meaning & usage

adv/zoː//zɔ/Germany/soː//sɔ/Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland

  1. so, such, that

    Die Leute sind so nett.
    Dieser Hammer ist nicht so gut.

  2. as (followed by an adjective or adverb plus wie in a statement of equality)

    Er rennt so schnell wie der Blitz.

  3. so, thus, like this/that, in this/that way, in this/that manner

    Wenn du den Ball so wirfst, triffst du die Zielscheibe.

  4. then (in that case)

    formal
    Wirst du wieder gesund, so freue ich mich.

  5. roughly, about (according to one's own estimation/memory)

    informal
    Das Teil müsste so 10 cm lang sein.

  6. expletive; sometimes intensifying, sometimes with no noticeable meaning

    colloquial
    Wir sind runtergegangen und haben uns hier so hingesetzt.
Where this word comes from

From Middle High German sō, from Old High German sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, compare with Old Dutch so and Dutch zo.

conj/zoː//zɔ/Germany/soː//sɔ/Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland

  1. thus, so, pursuant to the aforementioned premises

    coordinating

  2. an, if

    archaic · regional · sometimes · subordinating
    So es Euch beliebt.
Where this word comes from

From Middle High German sō, from Old High German sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, compare with Old Dutch so and Dutch zo.

pron/zoː//zɔ/Germany/soː//sɔ/Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland

  1. that, which, who

    obsolete · relative
    Derhalben sind die Christen schuldig, der Obrigkeit unterthan […] zu seyn in Allem, so ohne Sünde geschehen mag.
Where this word comes from

From Middle High German sō, from Old High German sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, compare with Old Dutch so and Dutch zo.

particle/zoː//zɔ/Germany/soː//sɔ/Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland

  1. quotative particle, somewhat similar to be like but also combinable with other verbs

    colloquial
    Ich so: "Mach mal dalli!", und er dann so: "Ich bin ja schon dabei!"
    Ich dachte mir nur so: "Ja komm, lass stecken."

  2. generalizing particle, combines with question words to ask to be given a broad idea, typically by way of some examples

    colloquial
    Was liest du so?
    Wie ist es da so?
Where this word comes from

From Middle High German sō, from Old High German sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, compare with Old Dutch so and Dutch zo.

intj/zoː//zɔ/Germany/soː//sɔ/Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland

  1. alright; a discourse marker indicating a topic having been dealt with

    informal
Where this word comes from

From Middle High German sō, from Old High German sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, compare with Old Dutch so and Dutch zo.

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

so has 2 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

so studioso workshello, so

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.