つまり・すなわち: "In other words/that is to say..."
adept #150
~ 5 Minutes
Introduction
Hey there! Today's lesson is all about summarizing, so I'll keep this intro short.
つまり: In other words, I'm very fond of you.
つまり is an adverb derived from the verb 詰まる ("to be packed; to shorten"). It's used to express "That is to say.../In other words.../In short..." (although many other translations are possible).
polite? Or no?
つまり can be used in polite situations, as well as casual ones!
The essential pattern is that we place つまり at the start of a sentence or clause, and then provide a summary or "the gist" of something that was previously mentioned. Usually, つまり refers to the information directly before it, like so:
1.1a
持ってこようとしたんだけど、持ちきれなくて...。
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Homework (Grammar SRS)
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