adjectiveadverb
sprichwörtlich
proverbial
So nennt man etwas, das oft in bekannten Redewendungen oder Weisheiten vorkommt.
The German word "sprichwörtlich" is an adjective and adverb meaning "proverbial" or "figuratively speaking". It is made up of two words:
- Sprichwort = "proverb" (from sprechen = to speak, and Wort = word)
- The suffix -lich means "like" or "-ly" (forming adjectives).
So "sprichwörtlich" literally means "like a proverb" or "as the proverb goes".
Similar words:
- wortwörtlich (literally, word-for-word)
- symbolisch (symbolically)
Difference:
- "sprichwörtlich" refers to something expressed or understood as a common saying or metaphor, not to be taken literally, whereas
- "wortwörtlich" means to take the exact or literal meaning of words.
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Examples
Sein Mut ist sprichwörtlich in der ganzen Stadt bekannt.adjective
His courage is proverbially known throughout the whole city.
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