So in German - meanings and usages?

Question

Does "so" have similar usage and meaning in English and German?> so ein schönes Lied!>> das tut uns [ja] so leid!> > so? Das wäre aber sonderbar>> du darfst nehmen, so viel wie du willst.>> alles ging so weit (bis dahin) gut, aber dann …>

Answer 1

"So" primarily means "as," "like" or "such."

So ein schönes Lied!

Such a nice song.

Das tut uns [ja] so leid!

We feel [like] this [much] bad for [you].

So? Das wäre aber sonderbar.

Is that so [like this]? That would be strange.

Du darfst nehmen, so viel wie du willst.

You may take as much as you want.

Alles ging so weit (bis dahin) gut, aber dann...

All went well thus far, but then...

In addition, if used at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma, it means "well."

So, bist du schon fertig?

Well, are you done already?

HTH

Answer 2

Hi there,

As with so many things in German the answer to your question depends a little bit. In all your examples the meaning of "so" is basically "sehr" = "very". However, we do like to use "so" also as kind of a flavoring particle in a sense "really?!" (your 3rd example) or "well....".

However, it could also mean "as much as..." (4th example) or "more or less" your 5th example. As you can see it very much depends on context but it is a versatile word that is also used as a flavoring particle in many instances.

I hope this helps.

Esther