beiläufig
in passing
Happening or said incidentally and without special emphasis or intention.
EXAMPLE
Er erwähnte nur beiläufig, dass er am Wochenende umziehen würde.
He mentioned only in passing that he would be moving at the weekend.
beiläufig
casual / in passing
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word derives from 'bei' (by/alongside) and 'laufen' (to run/walk). The literal idea is that something happens 'im Vorbeigehen' (in passing), so not as the main thing, but incidentally.
EXAMPLE
Sie machte eine beiläufige Bemerkung über das Wetter.
She made a casual remark about the weather.
Use as an adverb
'Beiläufig' (casually/in passing) is very often used as an adverb to describe how an action, usually speaking, is carried out: without emphasis and seemingly unimportant.
EXAMPLE
Er fragte ganz beiläufig, ob sie am Abend schon etwas vorhatte.
He asked quite casually whether she already had plans for the evening.
Typical collocations
The word is often combined with verbs of saying. Typical phrases are 'beiläufig erwähnen' (to mention in passing), 'beiläufig bemerken' (to remark casually), or 'beiläufig fragen' (to ask casually).
EXAMPLE
Im Gespräch bemerkte sie beiläufig, dass sie eine neue Stelle gefunden hat.
During the conversation, she mentioned in passing that she had found a new job.
Compare with
beiläufig vs nebenbei
on the side / incidentally
Nebenbei and beiläufig can introduce an additional piece of information that is not given much emphasis. Nebenbei emphasizes that the information is merely a secondary addition. Beiläufig more strongly describes the casual, unforced way in which someone says something.
beiläufig
Er erwähnte beiläufig, dass er im nächsten Monat umzieht.
He casually mentioned that he was moving next month.
nebenbei
Er erwähnte nebenbei, dass er im nächsten Monat umzieht.
He mentioned in passing that he was moving next month.
In real life
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