Meaning & usage
言ってみれば introduces a figurative or metaphorical way of restating something, signaling that the description is not literally true. It is used when comparing a person or situation to something vivid, like a heart, a museum, or a journey. The form is fixed from 言う plus てみれば and is used independently at the start of a clause or after the topic, not as a verb that conjugates with a following noun or adjective. It is neutral in tone and common in both speech and writing.
Example sentences 8
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彼は言ってみれば、うちのチームの心臓部だ。
He is, so to speak, the heart of our team.
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この町は言ってみれば、巨大な博物館のようなものだ。
This town is, in a manner of speaking, like a giant museum.
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言ってみれば、引っ越しは人生のリセットボタンだ。
Moving house is, so to speak, a reset button for your life.
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祖母の家は言ってみれば、近所の子どもの遊び場だった。
My grandmother's house was, figuratively speaking, a playground for the neighborhood kids.
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言ってみれば、彼は歩く辞書みたいだ。
In other words, he is like a walking dictionary.
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言ってみれば、試験は力試しの場だ。
Put another way, an exam is a place to test your strength.
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この仕事は言ってみれば、終わりのない旅だ。
This job is, so to speak, a never-ending journey.
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言ってみれば、彼女の笑顔は太陽のようだ。
Metaphorically speaking, her smile is like the sun.
