Membel
German ADJECTIVE C1 Rank 6395

pseudo

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Meanings

01

pseudo

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.

Visual example for pseudo: pseudo

Usage tips

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.

Visual example for wirklich
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.

Open full lesson: wirklich →

In real life

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