言ってみれば (ttemireba)

Meaning & usage

言ってみれば is a set adverbial phrase meaning "so to speak," used to signal that a following comparison or description is figurative rather than literal. It comes from the verb 言う (to say) plus てみれば, and it sits freely inside the sentence, often set off by commas, before the metaphorical part. The register is neutral and works in both written and spoken Japanese.

Example sentences 4

1. 彼かれは言いってみれば、うちのチームの心臓部しんぞうぶだ。

   He is, so to speak, the heart of our team.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.