So-Called in Different Languages
Discover 'So-called' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The phrase 'so-called' is a fascinating piece of the English language. It's used to express skepticism or uncertainty about a term's accuracy or appropriateness. This phrase has cultural significance, often used in debates, discussions, and even daily conversations to question popular labels or norms.
Moreover, understanding the translations of 'so-called' in different languages can provide unique insights into various cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'llamado así' is used, while in German, 'sogenannt' is the equivalent. In French, it's 'dénommé' and in Japanese, 'so-yuusha'.
The history of 'so-called' is as interesting as its usage. It originated from the Old English 'swa' and 'named', which evolved into 'so-named' in Middle English. Over time, it was shortened to 'so-called', and its current usage as a skeptical or distancing phrase emerged.
Given this rich background, it's no wonder that many language enthusiasts want to know the translation of 'so-called' in various languages. Explore the list below to discover how this phrase is expressed in different cultures and languages around the world.
So-called
So-Called in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sogenaamde | ||
| The word "sogenaamde" derives from the Dutch "zogenaamd" meaning "so-called" or "alleged". | |||
| Amharic | ተብሏል | ||
| The word "ተብሏል" can also mean "it is said that" or "they say". | |||
| Hausa | abin da ake kira | ||
| In Hausa, 'abin da ake kira' literally translates to 'the thing that is called'. It is often used to indicate that something is not necessarily what it is called or that its true nature is not as it seems. | |||
| Igbo | akpọrọ | ||
| Some Igbo communities use the same word ("akpọrọ") to refer to both "so-called" and "actual" or "real." | |||
| Malagasy | antsoina hoe | ||
| In some contexts, "antsoina hoe" can have an ironical meaning, insinuating that a person is not actually as described by others. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | otchedwa | ||
| Nyanja "otchedwa" originated from the past participle of "kutchedwa" (to be called), so it literally means "that which has been called." | |||
| Shona | zvinonzi | ||
| The word 'zvinonzi' in Shona is also used to mean 'the aforesaid' or 'the aforementioned'. | |||
| Somali | loogu yeero | ||
| The word "loogu yeero" literally means "something called by its name". | |||
| Sesotho | ho thoeng | ||
| "Ho thoeng" can also mean "allegedly" or "it is said". | |||
| Swahili | kinachojulikana | ||
| Kinachojulikana has an alternate meaning related to a rumor or gossip. | |||
| Xhosa | oko kubizwa | ||
| In Xhosa, "oko kubizwa" is a term used to indicate something or someone is regarded or perceived in a particular way, implying a level of acceptance or consensus among a group. | |||
| Yoruba | ki-npe ni | ||
| "Ki-npe ni" literally translates to "what is called". | |||
| Zulu | okuthiwa | ||
| Okuthiwa can also mean to be known as or to be referred to as. | |||
| Bambara | min bɛ wele ko | ||
| Ewe | si woyɔna be | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyo bita | ||
| Lingala | oyo babengaka | ||
| Luganda | kye bayita | ||
| Sepedi | seo se bitšwago | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nea wɔfrɛ no | ||
So-Called in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ما يسمى | ||
| In Arabic, "ما يسمى" also means "what is called" or "what is known as". | |||
| Hebrew | מה שנקרא | ||
| The Hebrew phrase "מה שנקרא" (literally "what is called") can also be used to introduce a definition or explanation in a neutral or objective way. | |||
| Pashto | نومول شوی | ||
| The word "نومول شوی" (so-called) in Pashto literally means "by name" or "in name only". | |||
| Arabic | ما يسمى | ||
| In Arabic, "ما يسمى" also means "what is called" or "what is known as". | |||
So-Called in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të ashtuquajturat | ||
| "Të ashtuquajturat" etymologically comes from the past passive form of the verb "ashtuqoj", which means "to make something seem like it is another thing". | |||
| Basque | deiturikoak | ||
| The word "deiturikoak" in Basque is derived from the verb "deitu" meaning "to call" and the suffix "-koak" meaning "the ones that are called". | |||
| Catalan | els anomenats | ||
| The plural Spanish phrase "los llamados" may have influenced "els anomenats" | |||
| Croatian | takozvani | ||
| The term 'takozvani' derives from the Slavic form 'tako zvani', which translates as 'thus called' or 'called as such' in English. | |||
| Danish | såkaldte | ||
| The Danish word "såkaldte" is cognate with the English and Norwegian word "so-called". | |||
| Dutch | zogenaamde | ||
| Zogenaamde is derived from Middle Dutch ' sogenaemt ', meaning ' so named ', or ' with that name ' | |||
| English | so-called | ||
| The term "so-called" originally meant "thus named" or "thus styled," with the modern implication of irony or skepticism first appearing in the 1600s. | |||
| French | soi-disant | ||
| The French word "soi-disant" originally meant "self-proclaimed" or "self-styled". | |||
| Frisian | saneamde | ||
| The word "so-called" is derived from a 16th-century term meaning "called by that name." | |||
| Galician | os chamados | ||
| The Galician word "os chamados" literally means "the called ones" in English, but is typically used to mean "so-called". | |||
| German | sogenannt | ||
| The term 'sogenannt' can also be used to express skepticism, irony, or disdain towards the 'so-called' thing. | |||
| Icelandic | svokallaða | ||
| The word “svokallaða” is also used in a sarcastic sense, when the speaker doesn’t believe that something is what it is called. | |||
| Irish | mar a thugtar air | ||
| The Irish phrase 'mar a thugtar air' directly translates to 'as it is called', but is used to mean 'so-called'. | |||
| Italian | cosiddetto | ||
| In Italian, «cosiddetto» can also mean «known as» or «known under the name of». | |||
| Luxembourgish | sougenannten | ||
| Sougenannten is also used in German with the same meaning and spelling. | |||
| Maltese | hekk imsejħa | ||
| The alternate meaning or etymology of Hekk Imsejħa is uncertain. | |||
| Norwegian | såkalt | ||
| "Såkalt" can also mean "self-proclaimed" or "pretending to be something they're not." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | assim chamado | ||
| In Portuguese, the phrase "assim chamado" can also mean "allegedly" or "supposedly." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ris an canar | ||
| "Ris an canar" can also mean "that is to say" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | así llamado | ||
| In Spanish, «así llamado» can also mean «false», «notorious», «dubious, or «of ill repute.» | |||
| Swedish | så kallade | ||
| The Swedish word "så kallade" can also be used to indicate something that is not true or accurate. | |||
| Welsh | fel y'i gelwir | ||
| The word "fel y'i gelwir" ("so-called") in Welsh is a compound of the preposition "fel" ("like") and the verb "gelwir" ("is called"). It can also be used to mean "allegedly" or "supposedly". | |||
So-Called in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | так званы | ||
| The Belarusian "так званы" comes from the Russian word "так называемый", and shares the same alternate meaning of "assumed but not confirmed". | |||
| Bosnian | takozvani | ||
| The word 'tako(z)vani' can also mean 'alleged', 'purported', or 'reputed'. | |||
| Bulgarian | т.нар | ||
| The word "т.нар" is derived from the Greek word "το καλούμενο" meaning "the so-called". | |||
| Czech | tzv | ||
| The abbreviation "tzv." is derived from the phrase "takzvaný" meaning "so-called". | |||
| Estonian | nn | ||
| The word "nn" in Estonian originated from the abbreviation "nagu näha" ("as you can see"), which was often used before quotations or examples, and eventually became a shorthand for "so-called". | |||
| Finnish | niin sanottu | ||
| The phrase "niin sanottu" in Finnish derives from the verb "sanoa" (to say) and the phrase "niin kutsuttu" (also meaning "so-called"). | |||
| Hungarian | úgynevezett | ||
| The term "úgynevezett" in Hungarian can also be used to express sarcasm or irony. | |||
| Latvian | ts | ||
| The word "ts" in Latvian also refers to "this" or "these" in the context of a list or enumeration. | |||
| Lithuanian | vadinamasis | ||
| The word "vadinamasis" derives from the Lithuanian verb "vadinti," meaning "to call" or "to name." | |||
| Macedonian | т.н. | ||
| The abbreviation "т.н." is also commonly used to mean "theoretical and practical". | |||
| Polish | tak zwane | ||
| The Polish phrase "tak zwane" is derived from the German "sogenannte" and can have the additional meaning of "alleged" or "claimed." | |||
| Romanian | așa-zisul | ||
| «Așa-zisul» provine din «a se zice» + «prezentare peiorativă sau ironică a unui fapt» (DEX) | |||
| Russian | так называемый | ||
| "Так называемый" также используется в ироничном смысле для критики или опровержения чего-либо. | |||
| Serbian | тзв | ||
| The word "тзв" is an abbreviation of the Serbian phrase "такозвани", which means "so-called" or "alleged." | |||
| Slovak | tzv | ||
| The word "tzv." in Slovak is an abbreviation of "takzvaný," which means "so-called." | |||
| Slovenian | tako imenovani | ||
| The phrase 'tako imenovani' (so-called) in Slovenian literally translates to 'thus named'. | |||
| Ukrainian | так званий | ||
| The Ukrainian phrase "так званий" (so-called) is often used to introduce a new concept or idea, or to provide a different perspective on an existing one. | |||
So-Called in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তথাকথিত | ||
| The Bengali word "তথাকথিত" is derived from the Sanskrit word "तथाकथित" meaning "alleged" or "claimed". | |||
| Gujarati | જેથી - કહેવાતા | ||
| The word "જેથી - કહેવાતા" in Gujarati is derived from the Gujarati word "જેથી" which means "in order to" and the English word "so-called" which means "having a name or reputation that is often not deserved". | |||
| Hindi | तथाकथित | ||
| The word "तथाकथित" literally means "thus spoken" and refers to something that is supposedly true but may not be. | |||
| Kannada | ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುವ | ||
| ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುವ in Kannada shares its etymology with "so-called" in English from their common root in Middle English. | |||
| Malayalam | വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന | ||
| The word വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന has a variety of meanings, including "so-called" and "called". However, the term can also be used in a more general sense to mean "named" or "identified". | |||
| Marathi | तथाकथित | ||
| The word 'तथाकथित' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'तथा' meaning 'so' and 'कथित' meaning 'spoken' or 'said'. | |||
| Nepali | तथाकथित | ||
| The word 'तथाकथित' originates from Sanskrit, where 'तथा' means 'that' and 'कथित' means 'spoken', hence the meaning 'so-called'. It can also convey irony or doubt about a claim's veracity. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਖੌਤੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word ਅਖੌਤੀ (akhotī) likely originated from the Sanskrit word "akhaṇḍita," meaning "whole" or "undisturbed." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඊනියා | ||
| The word ඊනියා is also used to refer to a kind of snake known as the Russell's viper. | |||
| Tamil | என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறது | ||
| Telugu | అని పిలవబడే | ||
| Its alternate meaning is "termed". | |||
| Urdu | نام نہاد | ||
| The word "نام نہاد" (so-called) in Urdu can also mean "pretended" or "feigned". | |||
So-Called in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 所谓的 | ||
| 所谓 (suǒ wèi) literally means “so-called” or “alleged,” but can also imply skepticism or doubt. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 所謂的 | ||
| 所謂的 (so-called) can also refer to “the way that is talked about”. | |||
| Japanese | いわゆる | ||
| "いわゆる" can also mean "in general" or "in broad terms" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 소위 | ||
| '소위' means 'so-called', but it can also mean 'a rumor' or 'a false report' | |||
| Mongolian | гэж нэрлэдэг | ||
| The Mongolian word "гэж нэрлэдэг" (so-called) originates from the word "гэх" (to say), indicating that something is named or referred to as something else. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒါခေါ် | ||
| ဒါခေါ် is also used figuratively to mean someone's purported or alleged qualities. | |||
So-Called in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | yang disebut | ||
| The Indonesian word "yang disebut" can also mean "referred to as" or "known as." | |||
| Javanese | sing diarani | ||
| The Javanese word "sing diarani" derives from the Sanskrit word "san-giran", meaning "that which is spoken of". | |||
| Khmer | ដែលគេហៅថា | ||
| The word "ដែលគេហៅថា" is sometimes used in the sense of "alleged" or "reputed" to convey a sense of doubt or uncertainty about a claim or assertion. | |||
| Lao | ອັນທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ | ||
| Malay | kononnya | ||
| "Kononnya" in Malay is related to the words "konon" (hearsay) and "nyanya" (grandmother), implying that something is based on unverified information. | |||
| Thai | ที่เรียกว่า | ||
| The term "ที่เรียกว่า" (so-called) in Thai is commonly used as a disclaimer, indicating that the subsequent statement may not necessarily be true or accurate. | |||
| Vietnamese | cái gọi là | ||
| 'Cái gọi là' translates to 'so-called' in English. It can also refer to a 'category' or 'type'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tinatawag na | ||
So-Called in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sözdə | ||
| The word "sözdə" can also mean "allegedly" or "supposedly" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | деп аталады | ||
| The phrase "деп аталады" in Kazakh is derived from the verb "ату" (to call, to name) and the noun "атау" (name, title). | |||
| Kyrgyz | деп аталган | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "деп аталган" ("so-called") also means "allegedly" or "ostensibly". | |||
| Tajik | ба ном | ||
| Tajik "ба ном" is borrowed from Persian "بنام" and also means "in the name of" | |||
| Turkmen | diýilýär | ||
| Uzbek | deb nomlangan | ||
| "deb nomlangan" is a term used in Uzbek to refer to something that is generally accepted as true but may not be entirely accurate or complete. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاتالمىش | ||
So-Called in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kāhea ʻia | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kāhea ʻia" can also mean "to be called out to" or "to be summoned." | |||
| Maori | pera-ka karanga | ||
| The term "pera-ka karanga" comes from the word "pera" (bell) and the phrase "ka karanga" (to sound), as bells were traditionally used to call people together | |||
| Samoan | e taʻua | ||
| The word "e taʻua" in Samoan can also mean "referred to as" or "known as." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tinawag | ||
| The word "tinawag" in Tagalog is derived from the root word "tawag," which means "to call," and is often used to preface a term or name that is not widely recognized or accepted. | |||
So-Called in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | satawa | ||
| Guarani | ojeheróva | ||
So-Called in International Languages
| Esperanto | tiel nomata | ||
| In Esperanto, "tiel nomata" also means "so-called" or "so-named" | |||
| Latin | ideo dicitur, | ||
| Ide dicitur, also known as the so-called, refers to something that is not necessarily true but is commonly referred to as such. | |||
So-Called in Others Languages
| Greek | λεγόμενο | ||
| The word 'λεγόμενο' derives from the Greek verb 'λέγω' (to say) and means 'what is said' or 'the so-called'. | |||
| Hmong | sib nwj | ||
| The Hmong word "sib nwj" can also mean "claimed, alleged, rumored, supposed, reputed." | |||
| Kurdish | tê gotin | ||
| The term "tê gotin" can also be used to express sarcasm or irony, implying that something is not as it seems. | |||
| Turkish | lafta | ||
| The term 'lafta' in Turkish, derived from Arabic, can also refer to 'idle talk,' 'mere words,' or a 'verbal agreement'. | |||
| Xhosa | oko kubizwa | ||
| In Xhosa, "oko kubizwa" is a term used to indicate something or someone is regarded or perceived in a particular way, implying a level of acceptance or consensus among a group. | |||
| Yiddish | אַזוי גערופענע | ||
| אַזוי גערופענע (azoj gerufene) literally means "thus called" or "so called" and can be used to refer to something that is not truly or officially named as such. | |||
| Zulu | okuthiwa | ||
| Okuthiwa can also mean to be known as or to be referred to as. | |||
| Assamese | তথাকথিত | ||
| Aymara | satawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | तथाकथित बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އެބުނާ | ||
| Dogri | तथाकथित | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tinatawag na | ||
| Guarani | ojeheróva | ||
| Ilocano | makunkuna | ||
| Krio | we dɛn kɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەناو | ||
| Maithili | तथाकथित | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯌꯅꯥ ꯀꯧꯏ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | an tih chu | ||
| Oromo | kan jedhamu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତଥାକଥିତ | | ||
| Quechua | nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | तथाकथित | ||
| Tatar | шулай дип атала | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝበሃል | ||
| Tsonga | leswi vuriwaka | ||