Means 'apparent', 'fake', or 'pretended'. It is often used as an adjective or as a prefix in compounds to indicate that something is not what it seems to be.
example
Seine pseudo-intellektuellen Kommentare haben niemanden beeindruckt.
His pseudo-intellectual comments impressed no one.
Usage tips
Use as a prefix
'Pseudo-' is a very productive prefix and means 'apparent' or 'false'. It is combined with nouns or adjectives to express that something is not genuine.
EXAMPLE
Astrologie wird von vielen als Pseudowissenschaft angesehen.
Astrology is regarded by many as a pseudoscience.
Sentence structure and use
As a standalone word, 'pseudo' is almost only used predicatively, e.g. 'Sein Interesse wirkte pseudo.' (His interest seemed fake.). As a rule, however, it is used as a prefix directly attached to another word, often with a hyphen.
EXAMPLE
Ihre Entschuldigung klang irgendwie pseudo.
Her apology sounded kind of fake.
Negative connotation
The use of 'pseudo' almost always has a derogatory or critical meaning. It signals that you regard something as fake, superficial, or deceptive.
EXAMPLE
Er versucht, mit seinem pseudo-künstlerischen Gerede Eindruck zu machen.
He is trying to make an impression with his pseudo-artistic talk.
Compare with
antonym
pseudo vs wirklich
really
'wirklich' and 'pseudo' are opposites here. 'wirklich' describes something genuine or real, not just an appearance. 'pseudo', on the other hand, means that something only seems as if it were real, but is not. 'pseudo' often appears in compounds, for example with a solution that only looks like a solution. If you want to emphasize authenticity, 'wirklich' fits. If you want to say that something is fake or only pretended, 'pseudo' fits.
pseudo
Das ist nur eine Pseudo-Lösung, weil das Problem morgen wieder da ist.
That is only a pseudo-solution, because the problem will be back tomorrow.
wirklich
Ein wirklicher Freund hilft auch, wenn es schwierig wird.
A real friend helps even when things get difficult.