so süß
/zoː zyːs/word by word
The English phrase "so cute" is translated into German as so süß.
While süß can refer to a sweet taste, when applied to people or animals, it almost always translates to "cute" or "sweet".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of so (so) and süß (sweet), mirroring the English way of using "sweet" to mean "cute".
How do you pronounce it?
/zoː zyːs/
Did you know?
- If a German speaker says Das ist ja süß! with a specific sarcastic tone, they might actually be saying that something is naive or pathetic.
- If you call a person süß in a professional German setting, it can sound patronizing or overly infantile rather than a compliment on their character.
- While English uses 'cute' for everything from puppies to outfits, Germans may use putzig for things that are 'cute' in a quirky or funny way.
Examples in context
- Das war so süß!That was so cute!This sentence shows how to use so süß to react to an event.Tatoeba #2558740 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2518518 by Hybrid
- Maria ist so süß!Mary is so cute!This sentence uses so süß to describe a person.Tatoeba #13601631 by Waldelfe, translation #13281927 by EugeneGS
- Katzen sind so süß.Cats are so cute.This sentence uses so süß to describe animals.Tatoeba #10248262 by wolfgangth, translation #8807791 by shekitten
- Wie entzückend! Das Baby sieht so niedlich aus!How delightful! The baby looks so cute!
- Was für ein süßes Ding! Kannst du mir sagen, wo du es gefunden hast?What a sweet thing! Can you tell me where you found it?
- So süß! Der Welpe ist zum Knuddeln!So cute! The puppy is huggable!
- Total niedlich! Sie hat wirklich große Augen!Totally cute! She has really big eyes!
- Die Kleine ist ja wirklich goldig!The little one is really adorable!
- Findest du das nicht auch niedlich?Don't you also find it cute?
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are looking at a puppy in a pet shop.
- SarahSchau mal, der Welpe ist so süß!Look, the puppy is so cute!
- JulianJa, er ist wirklich so süß.Yes, he is really so cute.
- SarahDarf ich ihn streicheln?May I pet him?
- JulianJa, das kannst du machen.Yes, you can do that.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (so, süß) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
