言わば (waba)

Meaning & usage

言わば is an adverb meaning "so to speak" or "as it were." It is placed before the phrase or clause it qualifies, typically a statement comparing something to something else, often with ような or だ. It appears in both casual and formal sentences and simply signals that the speaker is describing something figuratively.

Example sentences 5

1. 彼かれは、言いわば、陸おかに上あがった魚さかなのようなものだ。

   He is, so to speak, a fish out of water.

2. 彼は、言わば、水の外にいる魚のようなものだ。

   He is, so to speak, a fish out of water.

3. 彼は私の最も親しい友人で、言わば兄弟だ。

   He is my closest friend; we are like brothers.

4. この犬は言わばうちの家族の一員だ。

   This dog is, so to speak, a member of our family.

5. その老人は言わば生き字引だ。

   That old man is, so to speak, a walking dictionary.